The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-13

not occupy more than 20 minutes One Of lis valets stood by to give me any assistance I might need but left the room when I was through.
 Have you been reading the papers, Davis," the Kaiser asked when we were alone, "how our soldiers have been treated by the Belgians?"
 said l had not had chance to read the papers that morning.
 "Well, you must certainly read
 them. They've been GOuging out
 the eyes of our wounded men and
 mutilatfng my men horribly! They
 call it modern, civilized warfare.
 That's savagery! hope your
 President is taking notice of these
 atrocities."
 Of course I was in no position to contradict the Kaiser's assertions, as l was not in possession of any of the facts, but I learned afterwards tha. four American newspaper correspond ents had secured Germany from one end of the country to the other in an effort to run down these reports. They left no rumor uninvestigated, no mat ter how far they had to travel to vcri- fy it. When they had finally exhaust ed every clue and followed every lead they had not found single case to Justify the charge the Kaiser had made against the Belgians and which, of course, the inspired German press con- tinted to report from day to day.
 TO JUSTIFY OUTRAGES
 The object of these lies was to justi- fy the outrages which the Gerpans were committing in their plan to ter roriZe, the inhabitants of the countries they were over-running According to reports the activities of franc tireurs in the occupied territories were met by the Germans with the most barbario punisnments, crucifixion and similar atrocities being very common. Ur,- doubtedly the Kaiser was aware of what his soldiers were doing, and to defend their conduct he lent ready ear to the unfounded charges made against the Be1gians.
 II have already framed message which intend sending to your Pres!- dent regarding the use of dum-dum bullets by the Belgians and French. the Kaiser went on. "We have ample proof to establish this charge not only in the character of the wounds sui. fered by my soldiers. but in the shape fof unused cartridges which we found in the captured forts"
 Strangely enough, the Kaiser sent off his protest to President Wilson
 
 Poincare forwarded a similar protest based upon the use of dunn dunn, bull lets by the Germans.
 BELGIUM'S NEUTRALITY Regarding the violation of Belgium < neutrality. the Kaiser was able to offer no reasonable argument. The fact that he was willing to pay Belgium for per mission to allow his armies to go through that country was apparently sufficient Justification in his eyes for taking ty force what Belgium refused to sell
 "How foOlfsh of Belgium te have
 resisted us?' he declared. in this
 connection. "Had they consented
 to let us walk through, we would
 have paid for everythihg-every-
 thing! Not hair of their heads
 would have been touched and Bel-
 gfum today would be In the same
 happy financial condition that
 lLuxem bOurg is."
 At a subsequent interview, we re- fired to Belgium again. and the Iaiser alleged that Japan had violated te neutrality of China when she sent loops through Chinese territory to Size Kiao-Chau.
 1T. is all right for the allies to do tese things he commented sarcastic ay. but when Germany does them hgland rises up in righteous indigna- tin The hypocrites! Why wes found poers in Brussels which showed con clsively that England and Belgium nat secret agreement by which in theeyent the var with Germany Eng lans was. to. be permitted to occupy Bel¨ We've got those papers in Berla. We could have no moro posl-