The Mena weekly star., 1918-01-17

FNhSc
 'The German army Gin which I 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 SD much as hurt hair of single in- necent human being v-Houston Stew art Chamberlain, in Kriegsauf1dtze, "NNar Essays 1914.
 We see everywhere how our sol diers respect the sacred defenseless- ness of woman and child."-Prof. c. Roethe. in Deutsche Reden in Schwerer Zcit, German Speeches in Difficult Days"
 Hostages Lives Hung by Thread.
 "In order to insure sufficiently the safety of our troops and the tranquil fly of the population of ReIms, the persons mentioned have been seized as hostages by the commander of the German army These hostages will be shot If there Is the least disorder. On the other hand, if 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.
 ''iseims. 12th September, I9I4"
 Beneath this proclamation there were posted the names of S1 hostages and staten nt that others had also been seized as hostages. The lives of III these men depended in reality upon tho interpretation which the Ger man military authorities might give to hc elastic phrase. the least disorder" in the proclamation
 Hugh Gibson in Journal from our Legation in Belgium, page tS4. explains what was likely to happen:
 Another thing is. that on entering town. they hold the burgomaster. the rrocureur du roi, and other authorities as hostages to insure good 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 fhey do not restrain themselves q bit on account of the hostages"
 Diary of 5ombardier Wetxel.
 "Aug sth. First fight and ses fire to several villages.
 Aug. 9th. Returned to old quar- ters; there we hearched all the houses and shot the mayor cnd shot one man down from the chimney pot, and then we again set fire to the villageeg
 "On the 18th August Letaile ffl cap tured 10 men with three priests be- cause they have shot down from the . .l.us,sn lo~.,. 'rney were brougHr Into the village of Ste. Marie.
 ''0ct. 9th. We were in quarters iii the evenlng at Willekamm. Lieutenant Radfels was quartered in the mayors house and there had two prisoners ftiea together) on n short whip, and n case anything happened they were to hc Killed.
 'Oct. 11th. We hnd no fight. but we caught nhout 20 men and shot them. tFrom flip daify of BombarIler wetzei. Second Mounted Battery. First Kur- hessIan Field Artillery. Regiment No. ID"
 The Germans also found it con venient on many occasions to secure civilians. both men and women. who could he forced to march oF stand in front of the troops. SO that '.a country men of the civilians wel he com p"iled first to Kill their avn people if fhey resisted the Germans. This nsage Is illuefrated in the following:
 Letter of Lieutenant EberIein.
 october '. 1914.
 'But we arrested three other civil 'ans and then I had hlJillnns idea. derch them to go and sit out in the middle nf the street. On their part, pitiful entreaties on ours. q few blows From the butt end of the rife. Little hv little one becomes terribly callous hi this business. At iasi they were a'i seated outside in the sir ef. I do mol lnow what aneuisied prayers they may have sal9 but noticed that their hrnds we're convulSiNely ciasped the hole time. pltied these fellows, huf sha methasi was iiamrdiateiy effective.
 7, Ire Hank fire from the houses Wir'.lg diuiinished 50 that we were fhlc to occupy the opposite house and ihas to dominate the principal street. Every lrulg being who showed himself n ihes street was shot. The artillery @ti its sst'e hal ,lone good work all fhis fine and wln'p toward seven o'clock in ilie evcning, the brigade advanced to the asraa'f fe reiievrs us I was in n position to report that Saint Die had been ele,sred of the enemy.
 Later on learned that the reei-s Incslf of reserve which entered Saint Die further to the north had tried the saiac experiment. The four cfvlhans whom they had compelled in the same way to sit out in the street were killed by French bullets. I myself saw them lying in he middle of the street near the hospital.
 ''s EPERLEIN.
 First lieutenant"
 Letter published on the 7th October 19lf In the Vorahendblatt of the Mrnsliner Neneste Nachrichten.