Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-09
|NEUTRALSW WARNED
NOT TO Join ALLIES
German Circulars Picture Fate
Of Belgium and North
ern France.
DOCUMENTS FLOOD SPAIN

Germany is sounding warnings to
neutral nations regarding the fright
fulness they may expect II they take
up arms against the central powers
As examples Of what is in store for
them she cites records Of Teutonic
lfrightfulness in France and Belgium.
Tho warning Is in the form OF cir
cular. German propagandists have
flooded Spain with these documents.
Copies Of them, printed in Spanish,
| have reached the State Department.
Circular Warns Neutrals.
Tho circular recites the booty seized
| in France and Belgium. the churches
damaged and destroyed. money wrung
from stricken Inhabitants and the de-
lliberate mfstreatment OK Englisn pfis-
IF there are any still thinking Of
siding with the allies" says the circu-
lar. '1et them take warning from tho
fate Of Others"
The State Department ascertained the
source Of the circulars as German and
made public the translation. which fol-
lows:
What the Germans Took.
BESIDES an untold amount Of war
material captured on the battleneld:
the Germans have taken possession OF
incalculable booty in France and Bel
| GUM. including: High-grade watches
At: average watches. 5.01s; under
wear. 1903; embroideries and , w9m !.
| and parasols. 3.705: silver spoons, 1875;
bottles Of champagne. $4,000.
These figures show a large increase
oyer It those ,s Of the campaign against
I'm Belgium. besides many art treas
ures, they have confiscated old paint
ings valued at 100000 pesetas.
Severe Lesson to Catholics.
Duo to the treachery of Cardinal
MERCER and other priests, who did their
good-hearted German soldiers, they
were forced to teach severe lesson to
the Belgian and French Catholics:
"Cathedrals destroyed. 4; rendered
Iunserviceable, 8; churches DESTROYED
Fl p; r rendered un'ervicea0ls' a. To-
I'm Poland also a large number OF
churches have been destroyed for mill
ltary reasons. The figures concerning
these have not yet been published.
How Belgium Was Punished.
"As a result of the stupid stubborn
ness Of the Belgian people in continu-
ling the struggle and their bloody de-
Ifeat on the battlefield, the German OFF,
GERS were forced, against their Will. to
Impose punishments on many r men. mol 10
contributed the following amounts to
the German treasury:
"Punishments, 100000 pesetas: Sc
curity, 100000 pesetas; reprisals,
1915. 900 pesetas; forced contributions,
s20s50 pesetas Total, 120,071,3 $50.
Alsatian Children Fined.
"This amount includes a fine of $4,000
nesetas imposed on the Alsatian chill
dren, who insist on speaking the
French language, and refuse to study
the beautiful German language: These
statistics are most useful warning
to the neutral countries:
ar there are any still thinking OF
siding with the allies let them take
warning from the fate OF the others.
Territory Occupied by Troops.
In connection with claims of the ex-
troops, the following footnote appears:
| 'W1en 1t is held that the Germans
have occupied no English territory and
that. on the contrary, they have lost
some three million square kilometers. 1t
must be remembered that the English.
according to the declaration of their
ministers, are not intending to secure
!
| that they have entered the struggle
with only the aim Of helping the Bel
gians. That is to say. the English
have practically pledged themselves to
| return the German colonies after the
war in exchange for the evacuation and
| fndemnification of Belgium. The Ger
mans, therefore. are to recover all that
they have lost in Africa"
Prisoners Captured.
| It is claimed in this document that
more than $4,000 British have been
made prisoners, and in this connection
the following statement is made:
although to these figures the Eng
lish oppose 124.s06 German prisoners
taken by them on the western front, it
must be remembered the English treat
their prisoners with notable kindness
(blandura notoria). while the regime
imposed on the English prisoners by
the Germans is one of extreme rigor:
so that the Germans. with a small
number of prisoners. have secured q
much superior moral effect. Besides.
| to the 1854 officers and 51,325 soldiers
must be added the several thousand
| English prisoners that have died in
consequence Of disease. scanty food and
other accidents in German concentra-
ton camps"
The figures regarding British prison
ers, it is explained. refer to the total
| prior to the recent drive in Picardy
and Flanders