The citizen., 1918-02-28

This Is an Invitation TO service IN
memory Of co men and women from
one parish. Of whom all but two we're
killed by the Germans In the massacre
Of August 3 and 9. 1914. The closing
sentences are:
Gentle Heart of Mary. be my
refuge.
"Our Lady Of Lourdes, pray for us.
"St Joseph, patron Of Belgian. pray
for us.
"St HardelIn. patron Of the parish,
pray for us.
"Sainte Barbe, patroness Of kindly
death, pray for u.s."
After reading such CHASTITY accounts.
many Of them written by German eye
witnesses, and knowing that similar
tales were published widely In the
German newspapers, Il Is difficult 20
read with patience such words as
these:
"The German army lin which Of
course include the navy) is today the
greatest institute for moral education
In the world"
"The German soldiers alone are
thoroughly disciplined, and have never
so much as hurt n hair OF n single in
nOcent human being. g."-IIouston Stew
art Chamberlain. In Kriegsaufsdtze.
"War Essays" 1914.
"We see everywhere how our sol
10. a n
ness Of woman and child."-Prof. G..
Roothe. In Deutsche Reden In Schwerer
Zelt, German Speeches In Difficult
Days"
Hostages Lives Hung by Thread.
"ln order 10 insure sufficiently the
safety Of our troops and the tranquil
ity Of the population Of Reims, the
persons mentioned have been seized
ms hostages by the commander of the
German army. These hostages will
be shot II there is the least disorder.
On the other hand. II the town re-
mains perfectly calm and quiet these
hostages and inhabitants will be
placed under the protection OF the
German army.
THE GENERAL COMMANDING.
"Relms, 18th September. 1914"
Beneath this proclamation there
were posted the names Of 81 hostages
and a statement that others had also
been seized as hostages. The lives Of
all these men depended in reality
upon the Interpretation which the Ger
man military authorities might give TO
the elastic phrase, "the least disorder"
In the proclamation.
Hugh Gibson. In Journal from our
Legation in Belgium. page 1S4. explains
what was likely to happen:
Another thing is. that on entering
a town, they hold the burgomaster. the
procureur du roi and other authorities
as hostages 10 insure rood behavior by
the population. OF course. the hood
lum class would like nothing better
than To see their natural enemies, the
defenders Of law and order, ignomini-
ously shot. and they do not restrain
themselves a bit on account OF the
hostages"
Diary Of Bombardier WetzeI.
"Aug sth. First fight and set fire
10 several villages.
Aug 9th. Returned TO old quar-
ters; there we searched all the houses
and shot the mayor and shot one man
down from the chimney pot, and then
we again set fire 10 the village.
"On the 18th August Letalle (l) cap
tured 10 men with three priests be
cause they have shot down from the
church tower. They were brought into
the village Of Ste Marie.
"Oct. 9th. We were I'm quarters in
the evening at Willekamm. Lieutenant
Radfels was quartered in the mayors
house and there had two prisoners
(tled together) on a short whip. and IN
case anything happened they were to
be Killed.
"Oct. nth. We had no fight but we
caught about 20 men and shot them.
(From the dairy Of Bombardler wetzel,
Second Mounted Battery, First Kur-
hcssian Field Artillery. Regiment No.
l1)"
The Germans also found II con
venknt on many occasions 10 secure
civilians. both men ana women. who
could be forced 20 march or stand I'm
front OF the troops. 50 that the country
mon OF the civilians would be COM
'olled first 10 KIN their own people II
they resisted the Germans. This
usage is illustrated IN the following:
Letter Of Lieutenant Eberleln.
october Z. 1914
"But we arrested three other civil
ans. and then l had a brilliant idea.
We gave them chairs, and we then or
lorcd them 20 go and sit ont I'm the
middle Of the street. on their part. .
1itful entrcaties; ON ours, q few blows
rom the butt end of the rifle. Little
ly little one becomes terribly cnilous
lt this business. At last they were
M seated outside IN the street I do F..
not know what angulshed prayers they T.
nay have said but noticed that their .