New Britain herald., 1918-09-12
PRUSSIAN SAVAGERY
 IN AFRICA EXPOSED
(Continued from First Page)

so per cent of the Herero people disappeared and more than half of the Hottentots and Berg -Damaras shared the same fate. How it was done was to superseds the leniant Governor LeutWein by the notorious Governor Trotha, fresh from Ger many, to East Africa, where he sup pressed the Arab rebellion by a whole sale massacre. Governor TrOtha iS- sued an contamination order," the terms of which provided that no Herero man, woman, child or habe was to receive mercy or quarter,
 Kill everyone of them; take no prisoners,' he said in these orders, Evidence that the order was only too faithfully carried out is recorded in a story of Governor Trotha's former groom. who described how he once was ordered to kill young Herero woman. He refused in disgust, whereupon a German soldier showed him how to do it and then held tho dripping bayonet in his face. An of f1cer and German soldiers were stand ing around but none interfered in behalf of the woman.
 Another reliable witness who was
 
 testified that he knew of no instance of prisoners being spared. Even after the rebellion surviving natives fared but little better.
 Brutal EXccsscS Cause Rebellion.
 One of the most significant docu- ments in the report is Q secret curcular by Governor Hoitz in 1912 and ad- dressed to the magistrates in which he ta hn coming prevalent among the natives.
 "The reason" he states, (which unanimously is given for this fact is that the brutal eXCcSses of Europeans against anti-natives are aIarmingly increasing. It is regrettable that even police officers become guilty of such offenses in d few cases and that such offcnses are not punished by the courts of law in a way that they ought to be according to sense of justice to the natives."
 Acting Secretary Gorges supplies sworn statements from natives which give some idea of the reign of terror existing among them. He adds The instances of cruelty, injustice and bar barism might be multiplied almost indefinitely Instancea of gross best ial conduct which for sheer dcpravity and immortality are well nigh unbe- lievable also are contained in the file of affidavits, but they are hardly fit for publication"
 Part two of the report deals at length with the position of the na- lives before the law. The ordinance governing criminal jurisdiction over the natives contained provisions re- pugnant to every conception Of jus tice The natives were not tried in or dinary courts, but by officers who also did police duties and had author itv to delegate their judicial powers to subordinate officials. lmprlson- ment in chains and flogginG were al lowed not only for serious crimes, but as disciplinary measures on the ap- plication of an employer, or for or lenses against the Master and Scr wants law, or for insuhordinatiOn continued idleness or neglect Of duty.
 From the records of German courts it is clear that native evidence ha- bjtualIv was disregarded and that the natives were not allowed to give cVl- idence on oath. The natives thus were kept in a state of fear. No op- Dortunity of redress Was open to them and thev dared not go to the police with complaints. Crimes by Germans against natives were reviewed by the courts.