The Snowflake herald., 1918-03-01
HUNS" SCORNED
Law OF NATIONS
Use of Civilians as Hostages and
for Screens Fart of
DeviIiSh System.
FIRST MADE USE OF IN 1870
At That Time II Was Condemned by
the Civilized World, but the Ger
man Military Leaders Have
Never Abandoned 1t.

hUGDtO pIOOI OICNO WV "VVU' "" VI Wv
German armies through Belgium
was marked By mGSSGcres and cru
elites almost beyond belief is giVen
in a document made public By the
committee on public information,
from whjch the following IS taken:
The massacres in Belgium and
northern France were part of the
German system of frightfulness. An
other feature of this system was the
use of civilians as hostages and for
screens.
In discussing the use of hostages the
German War Book (Kriegsbrauch i'm
Landkriege) says:
''By hostages are understood those
persons who, as security or ball for
the fulfillment of treaties, promises, or
other claims, are taken or detained by
the opposing state or its army. Their
provision has been less usual in re-
cent wars, as a 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 the
railway communications which were
threatened by the people. Since the
lives of peaceable 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"
CIung 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 a useful measure of
frightfulness. In L'Interprete 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 prOclamatiOnS of
the governing authorities and also In
the diaries of the German soldiers. A
few examples from these will illus
trate the system which was employed
A specimen of the arbitrariness and
cruelty is furnished by the prOclama-
lion of Major Dieckmann, from which
the following sections are presented:
"After 8 a. m. on the 7th Septem-
Der, will permit the houses in Beyne-
Heusay, Grivegnee, and BOis-de-Breux
to be inhabited by the persons who
lived in them formerly, as long as
these persons are not forbidden to fire.
quent these localities by official pro-
hibitiOn.
Prominent People Hostages.
''In order to be sure that the above
mentioned permit will not be abused,
the burgomasters of Beyne-Heusay and
Of Grivegnee must Immediately pre-
pare lists Of prominent persons who
will be held as hostages for "a hours
each at Fort F1erOn. September 6,
1914, for the first time (the period Of
detention shall be) from 6 p. m. until
September z at midday.
''The life Of these hostages depends
on the population of the abOve-men-
toned communes remaining quiet un-
der all circumstances.
During the night it is severely for
hidden to show any luminous signals.
Bicycles are permitted only between z
a. m. and p. m. German time).
'From the list which is submitted to
me I shall designate prominent per-
sons who shall be hostages from noon
of one day until the following midday.
If the substitute is not there in due
time the hostage must remain anOth-
er "a hours at the fort. After these
"a hours the hostage will incur the
penalty of DEATH If the substitute fails
to appear.
"Priests, burgomasters, and the 9TH
er members of the council are to be
taken first as hostages.
81 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 themselves re-
spected by every means"
Hold Small Nations Have No Rights.
"The fate that Belgium has called
down upon herself is hard for the in
dividual, but not too hard for this po-
litical structure (Staatsgebilde), for
the destlnies of the immortal great ma
tions stand so high that they cannot
but have the right, in case of need, tc
stride over existence that cannot de-
fend themselves, but live as parasites,
upon the rivalries of the great. t."-Prof.
HI. Oncken, in Suddeutsche Monatsheft,
(SOuth German Monthly.)
Would they have dared to defend
such a policy If they could have seen
the announcement sent out by the par