Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-24
FRIDAY. MAY "a. 1918.
First hand Evidence.

Mr. Henry 7 Dawson If New York
City. chairman Of the War Council ol the
American Red Cross has returned home
after nearly three months spent IN survey
ing the work Of the organization IN Eng
land. France md ltal, l'o had ample
opportunity of observing general CON
dtions
Mr. Davidson among othcr things. was
made acquainted with one ~pcclc~ "i Ger
man brutality. and one of 4 mos revotluR
character II was tho brutality hurled
upon tho people - France hrhnd the
lighting lines to' tne purposc ot tcrt"uzing
them and cndcayarue ~ l'lne them nt"
such a state ~ msnd thaf theN would
frantrcallv ht-leec thr authorities ~
arrange lot pca,o rpnn an, terms lint
even stch IrutahtN 81 rcrueuaut f. III
tho generally accepted rile@ of what la
called humane Warfare has talicd ~ it~
purpose
The outstanding feature ~ Gortuan
method 1t the pte -enf tuu, >n,i Nr
Davidson n ~ interview. j. tho effort %
terrurizc tlr women, chlidrcn and oll mon
at home NhIlc the German troops arc
making their drivo On tho front. airplaucs
arc bombing. nearly cvcrN night towns
behind the lines, with tho deliberate and
declared purpose 81 tcrrorzng civilians
The purpose Of his tight hehlnd fhc lines
is 20 break down the morale ~ the civil
population to such point hat They VIII
importune their governments for peace
Il is the most dastardIv, unrghtcous.
cruel and dcv,lish plan which could hc
conceived II Is based 1pon the theory
that the killing of four chiIdrcn ont of five
Will induce the mother 10 fmplotc hc.
government 80 have the war stopped that
her fifth child ma, I've It 4 catnrd ou
from the English Channel to I'll, SWISS
border. aud from, 10 ~v.e~ bordc, to ~,
Adriatlc and bae resulted ~ the murder
and naming II thousands Women aua
children and hc dlviue - hudieds -
thousands of j, 4, t,rIor-~flifh htn d from th,r
homes The uct results - tL> ,au.ua'rH.
have been none 30 ,lHit a tr peai.e
" ho have undergone this soif 81 thing .or
wears Is wonderful The, suffer. the,
move IN anil away perhaps but thcv
seem nrVe' to eivo tleuehi "a 'ho pos
slbili'N ol rudpe il b7 N,ctint
20 tins German hutaiit, irGte>~ ~
well as revolving to cvcr ~cu~c Of hu-
manity Il is a harbant> most i'gh,tul
Even Attila the Hun. who ravaRed
Europe SO frlghtuIl, IN the Fifth Century
that he was called the .~courgc Of God,
never descended to the depths of lnfam,
that have hcen reached hy German
kuitur during this cruel war lie spared
churches and other structures devoted 10
religion, from ~apelsttiou> dread If j.
true, bat stall he spared them and he did
not indulge IN the ruthless destruction of
property not demanded i, military nccc~-
sits, or 10 the dastardIy murder OF old
men, women and children Of all these
horrid crimes "G'cusan kultur Of the
Twentieth Century stands converted hy
unimpcachable evidence
But how splendid il is OF these per
secuted and tortured victims OF German
brutality IN France and Belgium that 'hcy
refuse 20 he terrified u he extent ol beg
ging heir governments O move for peace At
any price They are willing TO- endure even
greater suffering IN Inc cause o; patriotism
And thank God hex arc now sustained by
the certain prospect of glorious lnumph
I'D the end