Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-07
. COPYRIGHT 1919

looking instrument. l his club mad
great thick head, huge in proportion
to its length and size. and this head
was studded with great, sharp nails.
A single blow from it would finish
the strongest man that ever lived. 1t
was a fit weapon for murderer-and
murderer had welded it. The
major had taken it from a Hun. who
had meant to use it--had, doubtless,
used tito beat out the brains OF
wounded men, lying ION the ground.
Many OF those clubs were taken from
the Germans, all along the front. both
by fhe British and the French, and
the Germans had never made any
secret OF the purpose for which they
were intended. Well, they picked
poor men TO try such tactics on when
they went against the Canadiansl
The Canadians started no such
work, but they were quick to adopt
a policy of give and take. 1t was the
Canadians who began the trench
raids for which the Germans have
such fierce distaste, and after they
had learned something OF how Fritz
fought the Canadians took to paying
him back in some Of his own coin.
Not that they matched the deeds OF
the Huns--only Hun could do that.
But the Canadians were not eager to
take prisoners. They would bomb
dugout rather than take its occu-
pants back. And a dugout. that has
been bombed yields few living menl
Who shall blame them? Not L
nor any other man who knows what
lessons in brutality and treachery the
Canadians have had from the Hun.
1t was the Canadians, near Ypres,
who went through the first gas at
tack--that fearful day when the Ger
mans were closer to breaking
through than they ever were before
or since. i shall not set down here
all the tales l heard of the atrocities
OF the Huns. Others have done that.
Men have written of that who have
first-hand knowledge, as mine cannot
be. ] know only what has been told
me, and there is little need Of hear
say evidence. There is evidence enough
that any court would accept as hang
ing proof. But this much it is right
to say-that no troops along the
western front have more to revenge
than Have the Canadians.
1t is not the loss of comrades.
dearly loved though they be, that
breeds hatred among the soldiers.
That is part of war. and always
was. The loss Of friends and COM
rades may fire the blood. Ii may
lead men to risk their own lives in a
desperate charge to get even. But
it is a pain that does not rank1e and
that does not tester like sore that
will not heal. 1t is the tales the
Canadians have to tell Of sheer, de-
PRAYED torture and brutality that has
infamed them to the pitch of hatred
that they cherish. 1t has seemed as
If the Germans had a particular
grudge against the Canadians. And
that, indeed, is known to be the case.
The Germans harbored many fond
illusion before the war. They thought
that Britain would not fight, first of
all.
And then. when Britain did declare
war, they thought they could speedily
destroy her contemplate little
army" All, weel--they did come
near to destroying it! But not until
L it had helped to balk them Of their
desrc-not until it had played its
great and decisive part in running
the plans the Hun had been making
and perfecting for forty-four long
wears. And not until il had served
as dyke behind which foods of men