Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-10-26
TELLS SOFA OF Atrocities !
Danish Newspaper Convinced That AZ
lied Press Has Been Moderate in
Reports of German Crimes.

London, Oct. ga correspondent;
Of the Copenhagen newspaper, Folit'-
ken, telecraphing to that paper iron:
ITourcoing, says:
81 have always believed that storic;
of the allied press from time to time
telling OF the sufferings Of the popa-
lation in invaded countries were
greatly exaggerated. Now | have
spoken with hundreds of men anu
women in Lille and Tourccins. l haFc
seen German orders and proclSn'i.
IONS, receipts for fines, destroyed n';s-
chinery and ether absolute proofs
and have been convinced that the III
treatment has been worse tnan :
ever was represented. | mention only
those things chat have been told to me
by by several trustworthy witnesses
and proved by German documents.
"This country, with the three cities
Lille, Tourcomg and RoubalN-
that almost grow together as one o'G
industrial town with nearly nan
million inhabitants, is one OF the rlcA-
est and nose denseiy populated III
France The population lives a!mosteA-
clusively frcn? the wool, cotton ana
non industries.
"The German plan was to strike
vital point and deprive them al o.
the means of making a living. Fa:-
tories that had continued to work
despite mobilization were forced 10
close by the requisition OF all copper
brass, rubber and leather in the ma
chimes. Machines worth ten to thirty
thousand francs were taken TO pieces
ard made useless in order to recover
kilo of copper. Others were brutal
t. knocked to pieces. Sill others
we're reu!;sitioned co-nplete and sen:
TO Germany.
".Tle whole INDUSTRY was complete
y immobi.ized and wor@men ard thel
families began to st&rve. Then nc.
Germans asked Tor volunteers f2r
work and offered fairly good pay.
4 few, driven by hunger. accepted ana
we're used for different kinds Of wa"k
directly or indirectly for the Ger
ran army. but the great majc::y
would rather starvc than work againat
their own country. When they had
been summoned several times and still
refused, they were taken By fcrce
md formed into disciplined companies.
"Thcy got the worst kind of food
and were guarded by sentrlc5 Will
hayonots and loaded rifles. They were
licked ana beaten with rifle but<@
and forced To- work OH roads undo
British FIRE and even 20 dig saps Up
TO the i.rst-line trenches. They had
to choose between this work and 40
SGlutc starvation.
"a few heroically refused to worn
fer the German army and were starVc
to death. Others were killed by shells.
! nave reen told that Of 800 forced
iaborers that left Tourcolng only 2pp
came back. Many CT the men escaped
this only Ly hiding themselves. ! haze
,aet one who was hidden ii cellar
for Two years, another VINO mad llTc1
these fCui years dressed Is Woln@"
and a third who hid il space three
feet wide and ten feeg long betWec:
TWO walls. The details 2f their stories
sound ike Alexander Dumas, D@t
here they are everyday facts"
The Politikcn correspondent then
gives details of the deportation of :.
.rcat number Of young women t6 The
4rdennes in April, 1916. for agT.cu.-
tLral work.
The order was carried out with
extraordinary brutality ne WRITES.
"A!! inhabitants were called at
G clock i: the morning and linod ~
outside their houses with their cha
drcn and luggage ready to 90. Oh
fccrs went alonG the line and picked
cut those who we're to go and they
were Immediately removed.
= have been told by many people
here hat number OF girls werc sen:
10 tn. lagos where German troops
.rere rc...ng. The fact is tina. every
where, here the girls who were de-
ported 20 .Ardenncs still arc consider
ed as disnonored."
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