Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-01-03

of the peoples against whom NE NH y
tary leaders were anxious sNs6Set
war. Not only were the Germans grad- d
ually led to believe that It .w6sp 4
sary to fight defensive waxshk aihst :
INSCRIPTIONS foes. but also TINT these d
foes would violate every precept 0f hui 1
manity, and consequently must b Z
crushed without mercy as q measure
of self-defense. The fruits OF this I
campaign of suspicion and hatred be.
came evident when almost at the out.
break of the war many Germans ne.
came possessed with the belief that
the whole population Of Relgfnnl, the
first country to be invaded, had vfO- /,
lated every rule of honorable warfare.
that the francs-tireurs I(guefrtl
were everywhere present doing their
deadly work in secrecy or under the
cover of darkness; that wolaeh and
even children were mutilating and Kill
ing the wounded or helpless prisoners.
Extract from letter written by q
German soldier to his BROTHER This
letter, now in the possession Of the
United States government, was obtain
ed for this pamphlet from MIL, G..
Grew, formerly secretary to the United
States embassy at Berlin.) s.'s D.
November 4,s1914.
"The battles are everywhere ex-
tremely tenacious and bloody. The
Englishmen we hate most and we want
to get even with them for once. While
one now and then sees French prison.
ers, one hardly ever beholds French
black troops or Englishmen. These
good people are not overlooked by our
infantiymcn; that sort of people Is
moved down without mercy. The
losses of the Englislrnen must be enor-
nous. There is Il desire to wipe them
out, root and all.''
Urged to Kill Without Pity.
Extract from another letter to q
brother:
schleswig, %, ia (Aug. 25, 1914.
Dear Brother, You will
shortly go to Brussels with your regi-
ment, as YOU know. Take care to pro-
tect yourself against these civilians,
especially in the villages. Do not let
anyone come too near. They are very
clever, cunning, fellows, these Bel
,5ians; even the women and children
are armed and fire their guns. Never
so inside house, especially alone.
If you take anything to drink make
the Inhabitants drink first, and keep at
Il distance from them. The newspa-
pers relate numerous cases in which
! they have fired on our soldiers whilst
they were drinking. You soldiers must
spread around so much fear of your
selves that no civilian will venture
| to come near you. Remain always In
the company of others. I hope that
you have read the newspapers and that
| you know how to behave. Above all
have no compassion for these cut
throats. Make for them without pity
with the butt-end of your rifle and the
I bayonet.
| "Your brother, WILL"
The emperor gave his sanction to
+, the reports of the brutal acts of the
Belgians in telegram to President
! Wilson. &
'Berlin, via Copenhagen, Sept. Z, 1914.
"T feel it my duty, Mr.. President,
| to inform you as the most prominent
/ representative of principles Of human
I! ity, that after taking the French fort
! ress of Longwy, my troops discovered
/, there thousands of dumdum cartridges
, made by special government machin-
cry. The same kind of ammunition
was found on killed and wounded
~ nm oil on "a nj
| ish troops You know what terrible
wounds and suffering these bullets In
/! flict and that their use is strictly for
(: hidden by the established rules Of In
ternutional law. I therefore address
| a solemn protest to you against this
kind of warfare, which, owing to the
methods of our adversaries, has be-
come one of the most barbarous known
in history. Not only have they en-
!! ployed these atrocious weapons, but
the Belgian government has openly en-
couraged and long since carefully pre-
! pared the participation of the Belgian
civil population in the fighting. The
atrocities committed even by women
/ and priests in this guerrilla warfare,
also on wounded soldiers, medical staff
| and nurses, doctors killed, hospitals
attacked by rifle fire, were such that
my generals finally were compelled to
/, take the most drastic measures in or
der to punish the guilty and to fright
en- the bloodthirsty population from
! continuing their work of vile murder
and horror. Some villages and even
the old town of Loewen (Louvain),
excepting the fine hotel de vile, had
to be destroyed in self-defense, and
for the protection Of my troops. My
! heart bleeds when see that such
measures have become unavoidable
and when think Of the numerous In
nocent people who lose their home and
property as a consequence of the bar
barous behavior of those criminals.
Signed. William, Emperor and King
GERARD, Berlin"
Lorenz Muller in the German Cath
Ollie Review, Der Feis, February, 1915
made the following statement in re-
gard to the emperor's telegram:
POLITICALLY no instance has been
proven Of persons having fred with
the help of priests from the towers OF
churches. All that has been made
known up to the present, and that has
been made the object of inquiry con-
corning alleged atrocities attributed to