The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-05-03
THE GERMAN HORROR AS TOLD
BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

The Hague conferences lad down a
number of rules which the signatory
powers, including Germany, agreed to
observe in order to mitigate the hor-
rors of wer. Germany has with equal
cynicism and brutality violated every
one of these rules. She has waged
war as it was waged in the dark ages.
She has shown revolving cruelty
toward soldiers, and especially toward
non-combatants, including women and
children.
At this moment a great cannon is
bombarding Faris. Not soldier has
been killed by it, it has not in the
smallest degree affected Frances
military power nor was it intended
to do so. 1t was intended to terror
ize the French civilian population by
the destruction of churches, hospitals
and private buildings and the murder
of women and children. On Good
Friday one of the shells wrecked a
church and killed a number of women
who were at prayer. Among the kill
ed were three American women whom
| knew who were abroad working for
our soldiers.
An American friend who saw the
horror writes me: Evidently the
Germans do not worry over the fact
that their shells descend on women
and children kneeling in prayer on a
Good Friday, before the crucifix."
Another American friend, a Red
Cross woman, writes: "One shell burst
in a maternity hospital killing a nurse
young mother and little baby. Sew
eral other mothers and new born
babies were injured"
The Zeppelins and airplanes are
continually bombarding undefended
English and French cities, and have
killed women and children by the
hundreds. The submarines have
waged war with callous mercilessness.
Their crews have continually practiced
torture on the prisoners they have
taken. They leave women and children
to drown. They shoot into the life
boats.
At this moment Americans are dy-
ing from the poison gas which the
Germans in contemptuous defiance of
the Hague rules, have made an ordi-
nary weapon of war.
have just been talking with an
American soldier, absolutely trust
worthy, who himself saw the body of
a Canadian whom the Germans had
just crucified.
Every violation of the laws of war
has been outrages on humanity, she
has made herself an outlaw among
nations and unless she pays heavily
for her crimes, the whole world will
be in danger. 1t is Germany and only
Germany who is responsible for the
hideous atrocities that have marked
this war, atrocities which all civilized
men outside of Germany believed 10
have been eliminated forever from
civilized warfare. Germany has
habitually and as a matter of policy
practiced the torture of men, the rape
of women and the killing of childr IN.
1t was deeply to our discredit that
curing the shameful years of our neu-
tiah'y we refused to protest against
these hideous atrocities. Now at last
this nation has awakened and has
gone to war against the enc n, Of
America and of mankind. let our
people now keep steadily in mind just
what kind of infamy that foe is habit
ually practicing. Then let us resolve
that come on what may we will fight
this war through to a finish until the
authors of this hideous infamy have
paid in full and have been punished
as they deserve, for in no other way
can a peace worth having be obtained.