The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1918-02-08

memory of 60 men and women from
one parish, of whom all but two were
killed by the Germans in the massacre
of August and 6, 1911. The closing
sentences are:
Gentle Heart of Mary, be my
refuge.
"Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
"St. Joseph, patron of Belgian, pray
for US.
est. Hardelin, patron of the parish,
pray for us.
"Sainte Barbe, patroness of kindly
death, pray for u.s."
After reading such CHASTITY accounts,
many of them written by German eye
witnesses, and knowing that similar
tales were published widely in the
German newspapers, it is difficult to
read with patience such words as
these:
'The German army Gin which I of
course include the navy lis today the
greatest institute for moral education
in the world"
"The German soldiers alone are
thoroughly disciplined, and have never
so much as hurt hair of single in
hocent human being" Stew
art Chamberlain, in Kriegsaufsdtze,
'War Essays" 1914.
Eve see everywhere how our SOL
diers respect the sacred defenseless-
ness of woman and child."-Prof. G.
Roethe, in Deutsche Reden in Schwerer
Zeit, German Speeches in Difficult
Days."
4 k~x
"In order to insure sufficiently the
safety OF our troops and the tranquil
ity of the population of Reims, the
persons mentioned have been seized
as hostages by the commander of the
German army. These hostages will
be shot if there is the least disorder.
On the other hand, if the town re-
| mains perfectly calm and quiet these
hostages and inhabitants will be
placed under the protection of the
| German army.
'THE GENERAL COMMANDING.
'Reims, 10Th September, 1914"
Beneath this proclamation there
were posted the names of 81 hostages
| and a statement that others had also
| been seized as hostages. The lives Of
| all these men, depended in reality
| upon the Interpretation which the Ger
man military authorities might five to
the elastic phrase, "the least disorder"
in the proclamation.
Hugh Gibson, in Journal from our
Legation in Belgium, page 1S4, explains
what was likely to happen:
"Another thing is, that on entering
| town, they hold the burgomaster. the
| procureur du roi, and other authorities
as hostages to insure good behavior by
the population. Of course, the hood
lum class would like nothing better
than to see their natural enemies, the
defenders of law and order ignOmini-
| o'7s1y shot. and tho % not rcG}rn. \
| themselves a bit on account Of the
| hostages"
| Diary Of Bombardier WetzeI.
aug 9th. First fight and set fire
to several villages.
"Aug 9th. Returned to old quar-
ters; there we searched all the houses
and shot the mayor and shot one man
down from the chimney pot, and then
we again set fire to the village
con the 18th August Letalle 90 cap
cause they have shot down from the
church tower. They were brought into
the village Of Ste. Marie.
"Oct. 9Th. We were in quarters in
the evening at Willekamm. Lieutenant
Radfels was quartered in the mayors
house and there had two prisoners
cited together) on a short whip, and in
case anything happened they were to
be killed.
"Oct. 18th. We had no fight, but we
caught about 20 men and shot them.
(From the dairy Of Bombardier Wetzel,
Second Mounted Battery. First Kur-
hessian Field Artillery, Regiment No
11)"
The Germans also found it con-
venient on many occasions to secure
could be forced to march or stand In
front Of the troops, so that the country
men of the civilians would be COM
PEELED first to kill their own people If
they resisted the Germans. This
usage is illustrated in the following:
Letter Of Lieutenant EberIein
"October z, 1914.
"But we arrested three other civil.
fans, and then / had a brilliant idea
We gave them chairs, and we then or.
dered them to go and sit out in the
? middle Of the street. On their part
pitiful entreaties; on ours, few blows
2 from the butt end of the rifle. Little
, by little one becomes terribly callous
5 at this business. At last they were
all seated outside in the street. I dc
: not know what anguished prayers they
2 may have said but I noticed that theil
hands were convulsively clasped thu
2 whole time. pitied these fellows, bu1
' the method was Immediately effective
? '"The flank fire from the houses