Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-10
Gprmans Worn Neutrdls By
Reciting Fate of Nations
Ground Under Iron Heel
Advertise Their Own Fright
fuIneSS in Circulars Dis
tributed in Spain and GIorify
Murders and RaviShmentS

WASHINGTON. May 9.-Teutonic
frishtfulness as practiced in France
and Belgium, has been made the subject
of a German warning to neutral nations
of the fate which they may expect If
they take up arms against the central
powers.
IF there are any still thinking of
aiding with the allies, let them take
warning from the fate Of others" says
the warning. 1t is in the form of a
circular. which recites the amount OF
booty seized in France and Belgium,
the number of churches damaged and
destroyed, the money wrung from the
stricken inhabitants and. finally, the
deliberate mistreatment of English pris-
oners OF war.
German propagandists have flooded
Spain with this document printed in
Spanish, and copies have come into the
possession of the state department.
Having established its German origin,
the department tonight made puolic
this translation:
Besides an untold amount of war
material captured on the battlefield, the
Germans have taken possession of in
calculable booty in France and Belgium,
including:
"High-grade watches, Az.
Average watches. 5,016.
Underwear, S,073.
'Embroideries and women's handker-
chiefs, 1912
Umbrellas and parasols, 1906.
silver spoons, 1876.
Bottles of champagne, $500
These figures show a large increase
over those Of the campaign against
France in 1901.
In Belgium, besides many art treas
ures. they have confiscated old paint
ings valued at 5000, 900 pesetas.
Churches Destroyed
Due to the treachery of Cardinal
Mercier and other priests, who did their
utmost to stir the priests against the
good-hearted German soldiers, they
were forced to teach a severe lesson to
the Belgian and French Catholics.
"Cathedrals destroyed, 4.
Rendered unserviceable, 5.
Churches destroyed 81.
Rendered unserviceable, 81.
Total, IS.
I'm Poland also a large number of
churches have been destroyed for mill
tary reasons. The fis ures concern ng
these have not yet been published.
"As a result of the stupid stubborn
ness of the Belgian people in continuing
the struggle after their bloody defeat
on the battlefield, The German officers
we're forced, against their will, to i'm
pose punishments Oh many rich indi-
viduals and wealthy cities.
This has contributed the following
amounts to the German treasury:
'Punishments. s7,0Oe.Oo0 pesetas.
Security. 100000 pesetas.
"Reprisals. 15.75O,0OO presetas.
Forced contributions. 4.320,S5O Pc
setas.
Total. 12O.O71.S5O.
Children Pinned
This amount includes a fine of IS
I 900 pesetas imposed on the Alsatian
/ children who insist on speaking the
! French language, and refuse to study
B the beautiful German language. These
Z statistics are a most useful warning to
the neutral countries"
IF there are any still thinking OF
siding with The allies let them take
, warning from the fate of the others"
{ In connection with claims of the ex-
tent of territory occupied by German
/ troops, the following footrnote appears:
When il is held that the Germans
/ have occupied no English territory and
4 that on the contrary they have lost all
! some three million square kilOmeters, it
must be remembered that the English,
7 according TO the decla ration of their
ministers, are not intending to secure
Z any extension of the British empire
. that they have entered the strusgle
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 in
Identification of Belgium. The Ger
mans, therefore. are to recover all that
! they have lost in Africa"
Treatment of Prisoners
/ h 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 l24,sO6 German prisoners
taken by them on the western front.
II must be remembered the, English
treat their prisoners with notable kind
ness (blandura notoria), while the
Z regime imposed on the English prison
ers by the Germans is one of extreme
rigor; so that the Germans, with a
: email numUer OF prisoners, have Sc
cured a much superior moral effect.
Besides, the 2,264 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
. concentration camps"
The figures regarding British prison
f. ers, il is explained. refer to the total
prior to the recent drive in PIcardy
o. and Flanders