Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1918-01-30

THE many townspeople who have
been questioned are unanimous In
maintaining that not a single shot was
fired at the troops As they cannot ac-
count for the catastrophe which bathed
their town in blood. they put forward
various suggestions 60 explain 10. Many
Of them are convinced that Andenne
was sacrificed 10 establish a reign OF
terror They instance words dropped
by officers which go 10 show that the
sacking Of the town was premcditated'
and recall remarks made by troops
marching towards Andenne, 20 the ef-
feet that they were going TO burn the
town and massacre the whole popula-
ton. They think that the destruction Of
the bridge. the blocking Of tunnel
near by. and the resistance or tho Bel
gian troops were among the causes OF
the massacre. All Of them maintain that
nothing could possibly justify or excuse
the behaviour Of the German forces.
The whole Canton Of Andenne was
ravaged as the Germans flooded up the
right bank Of the Meuse and then the
wave Of destruction swept over Namur.
What happened here is recorded in the
Eleventh Report Of the Belgian Com
mission
ION Aug. o. 1914 the Germans bonn I
barded the town Of Namur without any
previous notice being given. The bonn
bardnleni began at about 1 p. m. and 7
continued FOR twenty minutes The be-
sieger was In possession of long-range !
guns. which enabled him TO IRE upon
the town before the forts had been /
taken. shells fell upon the prison, the (
hospital. the burgomaster's house, and 1
the railway station, causing confagra- I
ti0ns and killing several persons.
"On Aug. % the German Army pierced (
fhe exterior line Of defence. and the
Belgian 4th Division retreated by the
angle between the rivers Sambre and
Meuse, while the greater number Of the .
forts were still uninjured and continu-
ing TO resist The German troops pene-
irated into the town Of Namur on the
same day about 4 p m.
ION this day order was preserved;
officers and soldiers requisiti0ned food
and drink. paying for them sometimes
With coined money. more often with
observation-disclosures. Most OF the lat
ter were bogus documents, but the
t0vnspeOple were trustfui and ignOrant
of the German language, and 50 accept j
ed them without making dinlcuiies.
MATTERS went on in the same way on e
Aug q TN o o'clock in the evening At .
that hour shooting suddenly began IN
several quarters Of the town, and Ger 4
man infantry were seen advancing IN g
skirmshinc order down the principal j
streets Almost at the same moment an q
Immense column Of smoke and fire was
seen rising from the central quurter OF I
the place the Germans had fred houses !
in the Place d'Armes and four other
spots. the Place Leopold, Rue Roger
Hue ST. Nicolas, and the Avenue de la
plante
"All was now pane among the peace
able and defenccless townsfolk. The
Germans began breaking open front
doors with the butts of their rifles, and
throwing incendiary matter into the
yestbules. six dwelers IN The Rue Ro-
gier. who were flying from their burn
ing houses, were shot On their Own
doorsteps. The rest Of the inhabitants
OF this street were forced 20 avoid a
similar fate by escaping through their
back gardens Many Of them were in
their night-clothcs. for they had not ,
the time to dress or TO pick mp their S
money. Q
In the Rue So Nicolas several work d
mems dwellings were set on fire; and a q
larger number, together with some y
wood-yards. were burnt in the Avenue e
dc Ia Plante.
The connasration in the Place
d Armes continued tin Thursday 10 des-
trOyed the Town Hall. with its archives
and pictures. the adjacent ggoun Of
houses. and the whole quarter bounded
By the Rue du Pont. the Rue des Bras
seurs and the Rue Bailly. with she ex-
ception OF the Hotel des Quatic Fills
Aymon
no serious attempt was made 20
prevent the fire from spre8dine 40 ITS
commencement some OF the townspeo-
PIE came out al the summons 90 The
fre-ben, but they were forbidden o.
stir from their houses The Chief OF the
Fire Brigade. though the bullets were
whisiling round him, got as Tar as the
site Of the disaster: but an officer ar.
rested him in the place d'Armes. and
then, acting under ihe orders OF his
superior. sent him away Under ac es-
cort.
The Germans. with the object OF JUS
i.iying their proceedings. alleged that
shots had been fired against their
troops on the Monday evening. Every
Circumstance demonstrates the absurd
iiY Of This statement The iuEfapositicn
n observed facts and the sequence Of
c0ncordant evidence lead 90 the conclu-
sion that the incidents 40 Namur were
deliberately prepared and merely
formed part 81 the general system Of
terrorism which was hshitually prsc- !.
iised By the German Army Do Belgium
Fifteen days bacl Che people Of Va
uur had given over 10 the Belgian au-
'horities an The firearms that they pos
sessed- They had been informed bv or y
lcial notices about the rules lard down p
the laws o. war ana had been called
an b. the civil and military auihori-
les. oy the clergy. ana Ile Press. 20.
axe no part with the beligerenis. The Z