The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-04-24
HUNS GUILTY OF
CHARGED CRIMES
Outrageous Brutality inflicted Upon
People Of France and Belgium, Says
Des Moines "Y" Worker.
HOW WOMEN ARE MIsTREATE0
Shocking Stories Related by Victims
Evans Quotes Proclamations
Posted in Captured Cities.
(RY HARRY c. EVANS.)


France. These proclamations were
set in type, printed on paper about
eight by fourteen inches and posted in
the public places Of the captured
towns.
Similar proclamations were printed
and posted in all towns captured by
the German army. In spite OF their
precaution these seventeen were cap.
tured or have been smuggled out. pho
tographed and given to the world.
They bear upon their face self
conviction Of extortion, brutality
and murder.
Before | left home German.Ameri.
cans who were loyal to Uncle Sam
refused to believe in the published bru-
talities Of the German officers.
"Of COURSE" said . well known
Des Moines citizen to me, whom l
know is ready to give bis all, even
himself, to our country. 'Of course
any army will commit atrocities. Many
disgraceful things were done during
our civil war by the soldiers on both
sides. am sure, however. that Ger.
man officers have not been guilty OF
lllo CtlluSS 6CN. hC NSA AhAAo
differ from us in form of government.
and they have the military spirit. but
as men they are as human as other
men,
Doubtful at First.
| was loathe to believe the charges
myself, and in my writings and pub
lie speeches l made no charge as to
inhuman acts by the Germans. l pic
tured the horrors OF war in general,
believing that many Of the tales OF
brutality were untrue or exaggerated.
had been in Germany during the
war and had heard the stories denied
there, and could not bring myself
to the belief that they were true.
am now prepared to state,
from the things ! have personally
seen in France, from the things I
have heard from the mouths Of
many ereditable witnesses, aid
from reliable documentary evi.
denee 4 have examined that there
has been no exasgeration Of Ger.
man atrocities-in fact, the half
has never been told
Women Tell Tales Of Horror
I have seen French towns and vii
lagos where every house was burned
to the ground.
l have talked with French women,
wives and young girls, who were out
ragged by German soldiers and who
gave birth to children by reason of
the outrages.
Three hundred thousand French
people. including these and other Wom-
en-, old men, broken and wounded SOL
diers and children, have been sent out
Of northern France by the Germans
into Switzerland and from there
brought to southern France.
The tales of horror and tragedy that
fall from the lips of these three hun
dred thousand may be exaggerated,
but If one.tenth Of them are true. then
tho truth is one hundred times worse
than has ever been published.
One Woman's Story.
| sat in a French home with one
of these women and listened to an in
terpreter as he told her story She
was the wife of farmer. Their home
was in northern France. She is the
mother of seven children by her hus-
band and one by a German officer.
She is forty years old, christian,
and still beautiful in spite Of the Geth-
semina through which she has passed.
Let no man tell me that this beautiful
mother willingly yielded to the en-
braces of foe that had invaded her
country. killed her husband and ruin
ed her home! Such statement. by
whomsoever made, is a damnable lie
A Friehtfui Tragedy.
If one wanted to dwell upon the hor-
rors of this accursed German made
war he could find no better illustra-
tion than the tragedy of this one fam.
liy. The farm seized by the German
army and barracks built all over it;
the father away in the French army
and later killed at Verdun; the oldest
boy, Is years, sent prisoner to Ger.
many; the mother and six children
in a refuge camp where two of the
children died: the mother outraged
and in the valley of the shadow at
childbirth--and finally with the re-
naming four children, dumped one
morning penniless, into the little town
of Evaine. Switzerland. with two thou.
sand other refugees. Here the Amer.
lean Red Cross found her and brought
her to France.
AS to documentary evidence-these
inhuman proclamations were posted
by German commanders and officers
on the walls of invaded towns and
cities and village. No further evil.
dence is needed to establish the reign
of terror in these invaded districts.
Ardenne Wiped" Out. "
Ardenne is, or was. small village
in the north of Belgium. 1t lay in the
path of the invader, who overran it,
burned the thirty-seven houses that
the village. and killed al.
most its entire population. Liege was
the next town approached. and hoping
to frighten the people into submission
this proclamation was posted:
Order to the people Of Liege:
1.-THE population Of Andenne, at
ter making a display Of peaceful
intentions toward our troops, at.
tackled them in the most trsaeher.
Gus manner. With nv authorize.