The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-09-07
American Officer in Letter Home
Tells How Enemy Deeds Fan
Vengeance Flame.
DECLARES YANKs ARE BITTER
Says U. S. Soldiers Feel That Only Ex-
termination Of German Race
Should Be Peace sIogan-They
Kill Huns In Cold Blood.

ShiSuSot aug GOV ulle pdtkAoliC
Chicago looks on expectantly for devel-
opments following the testing of the
virus of pro-Germanism which threat
ems to disrupt the Chicago Symphony
orchestra, and recalls with satisfac-
ton the fights that resulted in the rip
ping Of the kaiser page" from the
school spoilers and the dethroning OF
the German language from its super
man position Of dominance in the
school curriculum, there arrives in this
Hun-fghting city letter from an
American artillery captain, depicting
the German menace as few have de-
picted 1t since the rape Of Belgium or
the Lusitania murders.
The letter tells the story of the
hate Of the horrible Hun and the
avenging anger and hate 1t has inspired
in the hosts of the allies. 1t was
written by captain of Chicago ar
tillery regiment and was addressed to
a friend living In Chicago.
Yanks Learn TO Hate.
According to this letter, the Ameri-
cans have learned to hate the Hun
with deeper hatred than even that
which moved the Prussian military
rule to attack the rest of the world.
determination of the German race.
men, women and children to the last
one," is what this Chicago cavalry cap
tain advocates, and here Ia his l,tter
u f---,Intv.e xsshss -
els having q ].
drop YOU d line, bs-gasvs, ss,ssn g
try anyhow.
"The last two weeks (seems Ike
two years. have been more or less OF
nightmare to us and until today
didn't know the day Of the week or
the date. However now that the Boches
are on the dead run, we are having
breathing spell which is well earned
I can assure you. One sure thing Is
this, what Sherman said about war
don't mean thing any more. He'll
is a prayer meeting compared to this
one. You have heard Of the word
anger and hate but you can't know
the true meaning of them unless you
have been In modern battle. Fear is
unknown by the American soldier, ana
the Boche knows now that the only
feeling that he has is that described
by those two words.
Has Strong Hatred.
T sever knew the feeling before,
but I've got It now, and tell you IT'S
awful. Do you know how we feel
now9 We feel that nothing but ex-
termination Of the German race-men.
women and children, to the last one
should be the only peace declared. 1t
should be a forgotten country and
forbidden language. If you could see
the things I've seen, you would never
sneak to a German as long as you live.
Our men kill them in cold blood, de-
liberately, and with pleasure, laugh
about it-like killing snakes or rats;
thew will not take prisoners, II they
can help it. Now, I'll tell you why.
personally saw men, Germans, chain
ed to machine gun pits, chained by
their officers so they couldn't run.
The ones they don't chain fire every
rornd of ammunition they have. and
then boiler 'kamerad' with q grenade
In each hand.
"Our men buried four French wom-
en- and two German women who wore
German uniforms and were chained
in machine gun pits. did not see
them, but do not doubt the anthem
ticity Of the report. In the dugout oc-
cupied night before last removed sew
eral articles Of women's wearing APP
parel, and the dugout had been occu-
pied by German officer a few hours
previously. I saw any number OF
such dugouts containing the same
thing. Some had children's clothes In
them, babies. I mean, and the clothes
are all of French make. Those are
few Of the things, and do You wonder
that we feel the way we dot
Written on Battlefield.
"I am writing this now right on the
battlefield, where the American soldier
has made himself famous, and put the
fear of God into the heart OF the
Boche, so probably my letter reflects
nv feelings, but ! can't commence to
write what I feel, and there are
good many left In our old division who
feel the same way. We have been
at It since the 14th Of July. and that
seems like 20 years ago, instead Of 20
days. determination is the only
equitable peace that we know and l
think we would feel better II we knew
those were the terms to be asked for
by the allies.