The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-02-07
GERMANS EXCUSE
ATR0C|OUS ACTS
Murder, Pi|lage and Arson Part
Of Deliberate Scheme Of
Warfare.
HIGH OFFICERS GO ON RECORD
No Possible Evasion Of Responsibility
for sestiaI Acts Which for centu-
rIes Have Had No Parallel
Officially Endorsed.

iHe people OF We Ofifed States
are beginning TO learn the truth con-
corning the conduct Of the uar Jy
Germany. Proof is offered that Ger
man officials deliberately lied in
their statements concerning atroci-
ties committed by The Belgians and
allies. That their own soldiers pere
disguised BY the eruelties practiced
at the order Of high officers of the
kaiser Is shoWn. Extracts taken
from pamphlets issued follow:
The Vorwaerts OF Berlin, October %,
1914. said:
I'VE have already been able 10 es-
tablish the falseness OF great number
OF assertions which have been made
with great precision and published
everywhere In the press. concerning al
legged cruelties committed, by the pOpu-
latlons OF the countries with which
Germany IL at war, upon German sol
oilers and civilians. We are now In po-
sItion 10 silence two others Of these
fantastic stories.
THE war correspondent Of the Ber-
liner Tageblatt spoke few weeks
ago OF cigars and cigarettes filled with
powder alleged 10 have been given out
or sold 20 our soldiers with dlabolical
intent. lie even pretended that he had
seen with his own eyes handreds OF
this kind of cigarettes. We learn from
an authentic source that this story of
cigars and cigarettes Is nothing but q
brazen invention. Stories Of soldiers
whose eyes are alleged 10 have been
torn out by francs-tlreurs are circulat-
ed throughout Germany. Not a single
case OF this kind has been officially es-
tablIshed.
at matters little that reports OF this
nature bear an appearance Of positive
certitude. or are even vouched for by
eyewltnesses. The desire for notoriety,
the absence OF criticism. and personal
error play an unfortunate part in the
days In which we are living. Every
nose shot OF or simply bound up,
every eye removed, r. Immediately
transformed into a nose or eye torn
away by the francs-;ireurs. Already the
volkszeitung OF Cologne has been able.
contrary TO the very categorical asser-
tions from Aix-la-C hapelle. 20 prove
that there was no soldier with his eyes
torn out In the field ambulance OF this
town. II was said. also. that people
wounded In this way were under treat
ment In the neighbour d OF Berlin.
but whenever inquiries have been made
in regard TO these reports. their abso-
lutte falslty has been demonstrated. At
length these reports were concentrated
at Gross Lichterfelde. A newspaper
published at noon and widely circu-
lated In Berlin printed few days ago
In large type the news that at the
Lazaretto OF ichterfelde alone there
were ten German soldiers. only slight
~ wounded. whose eyes had been wick
eddy torn out But TO n request for
Information by Comrade Liebknecht
the following written reply was cent
by the chief medical officer OF the
aforementioned field hospital, dated
the eighteenth Of the month:
"'Sir: Happily there is no truth
whatever In these stories.
Yours obedlently.
PROFESSOR RAUTENBERG,'"
German Soldiers Protested.
Thus the teachings OF the German
War Book and of the German apostles
of frightfulness. suspicion and hatred,
had now begun TO bear their natural
fruit. But the voice Of protest was
not entirely silent. A considerable
number OF letters by German soldiers
who were shocked by the German
atrocities were sent to Ambassador
Gerard. because he was the representa-
tive of the United States. the leading
neutral nation. The three letters
which follow. In translation. were re-
celyed by the American ambassador
from German soldiers.
Here is the protest of German SOL |
dier. an eyewitness OF the slaughter OF
Russian soldiers In the Masurian lakes |
and swamps:
ut was frightful. heart-rending. as
these masses of human beings were
driven TO destruction. Above the ter |
rible thunder of the cannon could be |
heard the heart-rendlng cries OF the |
Russians: % Prussiansl O Prusslansr |
but there was no mercy. Our captain
had ordered: The whole lot must die;
so rapid fire. As have heard. Ave
men and one officer on our side went 4
mad from these heart-rending cries. /
But most OF my comrades and the off,
GERS joked as the unarmed and helpless
Russians shrieked for mercy while
they were being suffocated In the
swamps and shot down. The order
was: Close up and at Il harder' For
days afterwards those heart-rending
yells followed me and dare not think
Of them or ! shall 60 mad. There Is no
God. there is no morality and no ethics
any more. There are no human beings
any more. but only beasts. Down with
militarism.
IF you are truth-loving man,
please receive these lines from a com
mon Prussian soldier"
Following Is the testimony Of another