The Washington herald., 1919-06-11
KAISER TO EVADE
GOING ON TRIAL
FOR HIS GRIMES
Report of Body to Fix Re
sponsibiity for War Shows
No Legal Culpabihty.
81 ATROCITIES LISTED
Secretary Lansing, One OF
Americans on Board, Sides
With Views Of Japs.

One by one the skeletons in the
closet of the Peace Conference stalk
forth. The complete report of the
Commission on the Responsibility OF
the Authors of the War. which has
never been published. is the latest
to appear.
1t establishes practically without
doubt that the former emperor OF
Germany will never be brought TO
trial. chiefly because of the DIS
,senting views taken by the repre-
sentatives of the American and Jap
anese peace delegations
The American members of the
commission-Secret of State
Lansing and James Brown scott
New York lawyer-declared there
were only two classes of responsi-
bilities-those of a legal nature ana
of a moral nature. The crimes OF
the ex-Kaiser were listed in the lat
ter category. and the American dele
gates refused to consent to the crea-
ton of an international tribunal to
try him. A similar view was ex-
pressed by the Japanese delegates
Germany and her allies are dlrectly
charged with the commission OF
thirty-two crimes, and a summary of
One of its odd features is the fact
that the United States is not listed
once as a sufferer because of Ger
man crimes. As a prelude to the
list of offenses, the commission has
this to say:
"As has already been stated in the
report. this tabular analysis (ot
crimes) does not by any means pur-
port to be exhaustive or complete.
The object is simply to give num-
ber of typical examples. The crimes
imputable to the Central Empires and
their allies run into the thousands.
The list under each of the heads
given below could be very greatly ex-
tended" Here follows the list:
List of Crimes.
Murders and massacres. SYSTEM
attic terrorism.
Putting hostages to death.
2-Torture of civilians.
+Deliberate starvation of civilians.
Rape.
G-Abduction of girls and women
for the purpose of enforced prostitu-
tiOn.
I-Deportation of civilians.
S-Internment of civilians under in
humane conditions.
g-Forced labor of civilians in con-
nectiOn with the military operations
Of the enemy. and otherwise.
lO-Csurpation of sovereignty during
military occupation
I1-Compulsory enlistment of SOL
diers among the inhabitants of oc-
Cupied territory.
PfIIage Among Indictments.
12-Attempts to denationalize the
Inhabitants of occupied territory.
13-Pillage.
14-Confiscation of property.
15-Exaction of illegitimate or of
exhorbftant contributions and re-
quisitfons.
1s-Debasement of currency. and
issue of spurious currency.
17-Imposition OF collective pen
alties.
1s-wanton devastation and de-
struction OF property.
1s-Deliberate bombardment Of
undefended places.
20-Wanton destruction OF reIig-
ious. charitable. educational and
historic buildings and monuments
Cites Hospital sheIIinss.
21-Destruction of merchant ships
and passenger vessels without warn
ing and without provision for the
safety of passengers and crow
22-Destruction of fishing boats
and relief ships.
23-Deliberate bombardment of
hospitals.
24-Attack on and destruction OF
hospital ships.
25-Breach of other rules relating
to the Red Cross
s6-Use of deleterious and as
phyxiating gases.
27-Use of explosive and expand
ing bullets, and other inhuman ap-
pliances.
ss-Directions to give no quarter.
29-Ill-treatment Of prisoners of
war.
3O-Employment of prisoners of
war on unauthorized works.
31-Misuse of flags OF truce.
32-Poisoning of wells.
Explain Their Views.
In amplification of their stand
against the trial OF the Kaiser,
Messrs. Lansing and Scott set forth
the following views:
The American Representatives ad-
mitted that from the moral point OF
view the head Of a state, be he termed
Emperor, king, or chief executive, is
responsible to mankind but from the
egal point of view. they expressed