The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1918-02-21
Use of Civilians as Hostages and
tor Screens Part 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 II.

GERMAN armies through Belgium
|ds marked by maSsacreS and cru
elites almost beyond belief is giren
tn document made public by the
committee on public Information.
from which the foUowing is taken:
The maSSacrcs in Belgium and
northern Franco were Il part of the
German system of frightfulncss. An
other feature of this system was the
use OF civilians us hostages and for
| screens
In discussing the use of hostages the
German War Book UKricgSbrauch i'm
/ LandkricG") says:
"By hostages are understood those
persons who, rs security or bail for
tho fuliillmCnt 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 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 riL ~
was practiccd by the German staff. in
tho war Of 1870, when IT compelled
leading citizens from French towns
and villages to accompany trains and
locomotives In order to protect the
railway communications which were
thrcatencd by the people. Since the
lives Of pcaccnble Inhabitants were,
without any fault on their part. there
by exposed to grave danger, every
writer outside Germany has stigma
tiled this measure rs contrary to the
law Of nations and as unjuStificd to-
wards the inhabitants Of the country"
Cluna to Frightfulness.
Although their deeds In the Franco
PruSSlnn war had been universally
condemned, rs they themselves admit
ted, the leaders did not intend 10
abandon such II useful measure OF
frightfulncsS. Tn LIntcrprete Mill
tnirc tn" forms wore provided for such
acts In the next war. Both in Belgium
and I'm 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 \
FEW examples from these will Illus
trate the system which was Employed
A specimen of the arbitrnrincss and
cruelty is furnished by the proclama-
ton OF Major Dicrkmann. from which
the following sections nrc presented:
AFTER a. m. on the 9TH Scptcm-
Der, i Will permit the houses In Beync-
Heusay. Grivcgnee, and BOiS-de- Brpux
to be Inhabited by the persons who
lived In them formerly. as long nS
these persons nrc not forbidden to frc-
quent these localities by official pro-
hibition
Prominent People Hostages
"In order to be sure that the above
mentioned permit viii not he abused.
the burgomastcrs Of Bcync- HcuSny and
of Grivpgn"e must Immediately pre-
pare lists Of prominent persons Who
will b" held rs hostages for 81 hours
each nt Fort Flcron. September 6.
1914, for th" first time Nhc period of
detention shall bc) from 6 p. IN. until
September Z ut midday
''Thc life of these hostages depends
on the population of the nhovc~men-
toned communcS remaining quiet I'M
der all circumstances
'Durng the night II Is severely for
hidden to show any luminous signals.
Bicycles are permitted only between
n. III. and : y. III. German timc).
"FrOm the list which Is submitted to
me I shall designate prominent per-
sons who shall be hostages from noon
of one dny un,il he following midday.
If the substitute is not there In due
time. the hostage must remain anoth.
q, "a
81 hours the hostage will incur the
penalty Of death, If the substitute fails
to appear.
"PricStS. hurgomaSters. and the 9TH
or members of the council are to be
taken first as hostages
81 Insist that all civilians who move
about I'm my district show
their respect to the German officers by
taking OF their hats or lifting their
hands to their heads In military salute.
In case OF doubt. every German sol.
dier must be salutcd. Anyone who
does not do this must expect the Ger
man military to make themselves re-
spected hy every means"
Hold Small Nations Have No Rights.
'sThe fate that Belgium has called
down upon herself is hard for the in
dividual, but not too hard for this pC
liticnl structure (Staatsgcbildc) for
the dcstinlcs of the immortal great m
tions stand so high that they cannot
Tut have the right. in case of need, to
stride over existence that cannot de.
fend themselves, but live, as parasites
upon tn" rvalri rs Of the grcat."--Prof
III. Onckcn, I'm s IddCutSchc Monatsheft,
tSouth German Monthly)
Would they have dared to defend
such policy il they could have seen
the ammo .tnC"n mt sent ont by the par
ish Of st. Had, lin with It's silent el0-
Quence?