The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-05-17

sat up and found that l was the
only man of the ten who were living
| when the Germans came into the
pit remaining alive and that all the
rest were dead
Another witness describes a pain
full case in which five soldiers, two
Belgians and three French, were
tied to trees by German soldiers ap-
parently drunk, who stuck knives in
their faces, pricked them with their
bayonets, and ultimately shot them.
We have no evidence to show
whether and in what cases orders
proceeded from the officer in COM
mand to give no quarter, but there
are some instances in which persons
obviously desiring to surrender were,
nevertheless, killed.
(b) Firing on Hospitals or on the
Red Cross Ambulances or
Stretcher Bearers.
This subject may conveniently be
divided into three subdivisions,
namely, firing on
CD Hospital buildings and other
Red Cross establishments.
CD Ambulances.
CD Stretcher bearers.
Under the first and second cate
gories there is obvious difficulty in
proving intention, especially under
the conditions of modern long-range
artillery fire. A commanding o9scer's
duty is to give strict orders to re-
spect hospitals, ambulances, ETC., and
also to place Red Cross units as far
away as possible from cny legitimate
line of fire. But with all care some
accidents must happen, and many re-
ported cases will be ambiguous. At
the same time, when military observ-
ers have formed a distinct opinion
that buildings and persons under
the recognizable protection of the
Red Cross were willfully fired upon,
such opinions cannot be disregarded
Between thirty and forty of the
depositions submitted related to this
offense. This number does not in
itself seem so great as to be incon-
sistent with the possibility of ac-
cident.
In one case Red Cross depot was
shelled on most days thruout the
week. This is hardly reconcilable
with the enemy's gunners having
taken any care to avoid it.
There are other cases of con-
'picuous hospitals being shelled, in |
he witnesses opinion, purposely.
In one OF these the witness, Ser
5eant Major, aakes a suggestion
which appears plausible, namely,
hat the German gunners use any
building as a mark to
Ierify their ranges rather than for
he purpose of destruction. 1t would
'e quite according to the modern
ystem of what German writer's call
lriegrason to hold that the con-
enience of range-finding is a suffi-
lent military necessity to justify
isregarding any immunity confer
ed on building by the Red Cross
r otherwise. In any case, artillery
re on hospital at such moderate
ange as about 1000 yards can hard
be thought accidental.
(2) AS to firing on ambulances,
ne evidence is more explicit.
In one case the witness is quite
lear that the ambulances were aim
at.
In another case of firing at an r
mbulance train the range was quite {
lort. /
In another a Belgian Red Cross ,
arty is stated to have been am I
ushed.
On the whole we do not find proof
general or systematic firing on q
ospitals or ambulances; but it is 4
ot possible to belive that much care
as taken to avoid this. h
CD AS to firing on stretcher bear \
s in the course of trench warfare, 4
le testimony is abundant, and the G
cts do not seem explicable by ac- v
dent. 1t may be that sometimes G
e bearers were suspected of see t,
g too much; and it is plain from Q
e general military policy of the "
erman armies that very slight sus- m
c1on would be acted on in case of d
'ubt. 9,
} Abuse of the Red Cross and of n
the White Flag.
THE RED CROSS.
Cases of Red Cross being abused
e much more definite.
There are several accounts of fire
OPSASu, DIT very
ort range, by machine guns which
d been disguised in a German Red
oss ambulance or car. This was
in one case near Tirle-
mt by the German soldiers wear +.
3 Belgian uniforms. u
Witness speaks also of stretcher in
rty with the Red Cross being used M
cover an attack and of German .
ID Cross man working a machine
n. al
There is also a well-attested case ly
a Red Cross motor car being used si,
carry ammunition under command a.
officers. 9"
Unless all these statements are Tn
llfully false, which the committee pl
IS no reason to believe, these acts Or
st have been deliberate, and it II
IS not seem possible that a Red
oss car could be equipped with sh
chine gun by soldiers acting with pc
orders. There is also one case
firing from a cottage where the ~
d Cross flag was flying, and this RI