The daily Alaskan., 1918-02-04

| This is ap invitation to . service In memory of 60 men and women from one parish, of whom all but two were killed by the Germans in the massacre ot August and G. 1914. 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.
 "St. Hardelin, patron of the parish, pray for us.
 "Salnte Barbe, patroness of kindly death, pray for us"
 After reading such ghastly accounts, many of them written by German eye witnesses, and knowing that similar 1 tales were published widely in the German newspapers, 1t Is difficult to read with patience such words as | these:
 "The German army Gin which I of course include the navy) is 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 a single in- nOCent human eing."-HOuston Stew art Chamberlain, in KriegsaufsdtZe, "WGr Essays" 1914.
 "We see everywhere how our sol diers respect the sacred defenseless- ness of woman and chud."-Prof. G. Roethe in Deutsche Reden in Schwerer Zeit, German Speeches in Difficult Days"
 Hostages Lives Hung by Thread.
 "In order to insure sufficiently the safety of our troops and the tranquil ity of the population of Reins, 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, 12th September, 1914"
 Beneath this proclamation there were posted the names of S1 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 give to the elastic phrase, "the least disorder" In the proclamation.
 Hugh Gibson, in q 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 ouSly shot, and they do not restrain themselves a bit on account of the hostages"
 Diary of 5ombardler WetzeI.
 Aug. Sth. 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.
 "On the 18th August Letalle CD cap. tured 10 men with three priests be. 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 Wlnekamm. Lieutenant RadfelS was Quartcred in the mayors house and there had two prisoners (tied together) on a short whip, and in case anything happened they were to be killed.
 "Oct. 11th. 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 ID"
 The Germans also found it con. venient on many occasions to secure civilians, both men and women, who could be forced to march or stand in frnnt of the troops. so that the country.