The Raymer enterprise., 1918-04-18
GERMAN NEWSPAPER
EXPOSES BRUTALITY

Washington, d. C.,--The naked
brutality of Prussian militarism in
every day garrison life is revealed by
the testimony of German soldiers,
press and public men. The German
Government from the Kaiser down
has supported German Army officers
in their revolving brutality to Ger
man soldiers. This is the evidence
contained in the United States Gov
erment's latest war booklet of the
War Information Series, entitled
German Militarism and Its German
Critics. !" This booklet is released
through the Committee on Public
Information, Washington, d. c., to
the American public, and anyone may
obtain copy without cost by writ
ing the Committee. The author OF
this booklet is Charles Altshul, a re-
tired banker of New York City, who
has made very careful study of
German newspaper criticism. It Is a
most powerful expose of German Mil
itarism. Mr.. Altshul states beating
and abuse have been in vogue in the
Prussian army as long as 1t has existed
nearly 275 years, and every effort to
eradicate the trouble has failed"
There are five chapters in this inter-
esting booklet, the first dealing with
German Militarism since 1914; the
second on the brutalizing effect of
militarism; the third shows the Ger
ma militarism exaltation of the army
above the civil authorities; the fourth
chapter illustrates the "Zabern In
cident" as an evidence of militarism
over civil authority and the fifth deals
with the hope for the future in the
conduct OF German military authori-
ties. All material in this booklet Is
based upon verbatim quotations from
German newspapers who stand
aghast at the display of license and
unbelievable brutality practiced by
commissioned and non-commissioned
officers in the German army barracks.
The main source Of Information Is
the "Vorwarts," the official organ OF
the German Social Democratic party.
AT the trial OF Rosa Luxembourg 922
men from all parts of Germany res
ponded and were ready to testify to
something like 10000 seperate in
stances OF brutal treatment of Ger
man soldiers by their own officers,
even at the risk OF prosecution by the
Military authorities One chapter Of
this testimony reads, "He was struck
in the face with the fist by Lieuten-
ant Erler, so that tooth bled and
got looose. He was beaten till he
was bleeding but report OF the case
was not sent higher up. Musketeer
Hempel shot and killed himself after
drill because he had been grossly in
suited by corporal in front of the
company. A reservist threw himself
in front Of a railroad train; another
drowed himself, because they could
no longer stand the abuse of non
commissioned officer Huebner." -
was the evidence pre-
pared by attourney for Rosa Luxem-
berg that German military authori-
ties never let the case be brought to
trial. In another paragraph of this
booklet Mr. Altschul states, "If
Americans had been familiar with
the details of German Militarlsm
they would have expected the worst
during the stress of a campaign, and
would have been less unprepared for
the unheard of barbarities practiced
by the Germans in Belgium and
wherever they set foot. II officers,
non-commissioned officers and pro-
fessional regulars treat their own re-
gulars treat their own recruits in the
fashion described, in times OF peace
what could be expected OF troops
commanded by such ruffians in en-
emy country, under the terrific ex-
citement Of combat, and particularly
"frighthlness' is the slogan" Sum-
the hope for the future Mr.
Altschul says when the German peo-
pei awaken from the terrible night
mare which now holds them in Its
grasp; when they realize ii was a
dream OF world power that had blind
ed them; when, under the pressure
Of stern necessity, they recast their
views OF frightfulness and of its con-
sequences then there will reawak-
en- tnat conscience which the liberal
press endeayored to stimulate in
times OF peace, and 1t will again be
possible to treat with Germany OF to-
day as with Germany of old when she
had not yet sacrificed her soul on the
altar Of efficiency.