The Mena weekly star., 1918-01-17
~HUNS" SCORNED
 LAW OF NATIONS
Use of Civilians as Hostages and for Screens Part of
 DeviIish System.
FIRST MADE USE OF IN 1870
At That Time It Was Condemned by the Civilized World, but the Ger man Military Leaders Have
 Never Abandoned 1t.

Ample proof that the march Of the German armies through Belgian, tDds marked by nsassacres and cru- cities almost beyond belief IS gtven in c document made public by he committee on public information. from which the followtfg IS taken:
 The massacres in Belgium and northern France were a part of the German system of frightfulness. An- other feature of thIs system was the I use vf eiviiiiisns sts iiostt;srs aI,d foF screens.
 In discussing the use of hostages the German War Book (Kriegsbrauch i'm Landlsriege) says:
 By hostages are understood those persons who, as security or bail for tho fulfillment of treaties, promises, or other claims, are taken or detained by the opposing state or it's army. Their provision has been less usual in re- cent wars, as result of which some professors of the law of nations have wrongly decided that the taking of hostages has disappeared from the practice of civilized nations.
 "A new application of hostage right was practiced by the German staff in the war of 1870. when 1t compelled leading citizens from French towns and villages to accompany trains and locomotives in order to protect ths railway communications which were threatened by the people. Since the lives of peaceabie inhabitants were, without any fault on their part. there by exposed to grave danger, every writer outside Germany has stigma tized this measure as contrary to the law of nations and as unjustified to- wards the inhabitants of the country"
 cIunu to FrightfuIness.
 Although their deeds in the Franco PrussIan war had been universally condemned, as they themselves admit ted. the leaders did not intend to abandon such q useful measure of frightfulness. Tn LTnterprete Mill taire the forms were provided for such acts in the next war. Both in Belgium and In France the Germans have con- stantly used hostages. The evidence Is contained In the proclamatinns of the diaries of the German soldiers. A few examples from these will illus trate the system which was employed.
 A specimen of the arbitruriness and cruelty Is furnished hv the procIama- ton of Mntor Dieckinann. from which the following sections are presented:
 "After 2 q. m. on the 7th Septem- Der. I will permit the houses in Beyne- Heusay. Grivegnee. and Rois-de-B Breux to be inhabited hy the persons who lived in them formerly. as iong as these persons are not forbidden to fre- quent these localities by official pro- hibitien.
 Prominent People Hostages.
 Tn order to be sure that the above mentioned permit will not be abused, the burgomasters of Beyne-Feusay and of Grivegn must immediately pre- pare lists of prominent persons who will be held as hostages for 24 hours FdNti tt EOAt EltiDDl. f1FltttiHUtf .Ns 1914 for the first time fthc period of aetention shall be) from c D. m. until Sentemher at midday.
 "ihe fife af these hasfaeoe depends en the population of th. ahoye-men- H0apf ccmmNpos remaining quiei un- sler all eircupstrnres.
 "DnTing the ni~lt f Is severely for hiaden to show 5fs luminous sienals. '9cFclcS ire permitted only between T n. and ! D. m. fGerman tluiele
 Prom the list which Is srbritl~d to me shnll designate pramineni perl ss'ils fwhe shall be hostages from noon y,f. onn hav until tha fcllowlrg t, lslnv. q inc substitute is nof iiissr. itl dnss lime the hostage must rensin moth. CT ef hours at the fort After tlese 2h hours the hostage will incur the tienalty of death. If the substitute falls to. appear.
 Priests. burgomasters. and. the oth- CT members Of the counc., are to Dc taken first as hostages
 <. 'I insist that all civilians who move about in my district .. show their respect to the German officers by taking off their hats, or lifting their hands to their heads in military salute. In case of doubt, every German sol. dier must be saluted Anyone who does not do this must expect the Ger man military to make themselv re- spected by every means" Hold Small Nations Have No Rights.
 s'T'he fate that Belgium has called flown upon herself is hard for the in- fividual. but not too hard for this po- ls teal structure (Stnatsgehlde) for ihe destInies of the immortal great na
 ans stand so high that they cnnnot
 lf have the right, in case If need. to iiride over existence fhnt cannot de- f,nd themselves, but live. as parasites. tnan the rfvalries of the great." Prof. '. 0nckpn. In Suddeufschp MonatSheft Spsrtil Herman Monibiy.)
 Wnnld they have dareG to defend areh noliey if they could have seen lts4 announcement sent out by the par sli af St Hadelin with It's silent elo- upn1e7
 'ftss is an invitntifn 10 n service fin us'lnory af 6e men and women from atse paIissh m ahun Til int two were killed by the Germans in the massacre of Angnst eea c. 1914. The closing sentences nre
 Gentle iieart of Mary, he my l