The Washington times., 1919-01-19
Command, Reveals for the
First Time the Details of
Unsupported Savagery
Behind the German Lines
In Devastated France Which
Stands Unparalleled by
Anything In History

Pompadour among her sisters for the edicaon of Ger
many"
This collection later removed by the Germans
from the ST. Quentin Museum together with other prices
less works and sent to Berlin
1t has since been restored to France, but who will
believe that if Germany had not been defeated these
precious panels would have returned the native
land of their creatorf
But the La Tour pasels are only one of innumerabe
beautiful things which taken and which, alas, viii
never be- they were, restored. have heard that In
Germany organizations formed for the handling
of this loot which disposed of not only in neutral
countries but to Germans rich enough to buy The Ger
man Government received hundreds of thousands Of
marks from what it sold and many private persons made
fortunes As the money received by the Government by
its sale of the stolen goods was doubt used for war;
perhaps the Germans justified their burgarous acts by
the phrase in the order quoted-of which Germany has
great need for war manufactures"
On my return to Paris shown a copy Of the
Chrisana Morgen Badet, which threw great light upon
the fate of the contents of of the vehicles and train
loads that billed for Germany The Morgen Bladet
reproduced sign which hung not in dark of the
way corner might suppose but in of the most
fashionable streets of Chrstana and which reappeared
on the poster of the shop and in the advertising columns
OF the newspapers! This sign read: Furniture from
Belgerent Countries
According to the Morgen Bladet the proprietor Of
this shop had hesitation in saying that the furniture
and art objects that he had for sale from numerous
Belgian and French homes which had been disbanded'
He also admitted that of did direct from
Germany but sent by the Germans direct from France
The Morgen Bladet viewed this neutral activity
with the scorn deserved commenting upon editorally
as follows: 1.-The Importation of furniture is of the
activities promoted by the war-al the more unex.
peced because overhrows the ancient foundations OF
the philosophy of law and the rights of the people I
permitted to ask contributions from the conquered
that is the State but it permitted appropriate
private property that would be robbery says the phil
osopher Kant of the thinkers otenest cited by the
exporters of the furniture in question.
Indeed, as Kant would say, this furniture is stolen
from French and Belgian homes The traffic is SO -four.
shng because the cost price defes competition and the
supply exceeds the which the furniture makers
could furnish"
Some idea of the immense quantities of loot carried
from Northern France and Belgium can be gained
by this last naive phrase from the Norwegian paper
But there can be no question to the organization
behind the thieying. In the industrial centres actual
commissions from Germany went to the factories and
marked for shipment every machine and tool that woud
be useful Those not useful to them they destroyed
riend-who had before the been leader in the tex
tile industry which made the wealth of Lille-spoke to
me bitterly about the manner in which this commander
ing was carried Lille also suffered intensely it will
be remembered from the German deportation of its men
and women as laborers beyond the Rhine
Madame, he said to me, "they nothing but
coldblooded. cynical robbers They planned deliberate
ly to kill industries in Northern France Not only
from factories but from our homes did they steal
everything that could be worth anything them Not
only machines and metal of all kinds but our
nen draperes, clocks and even our shoes They
stole the clothes from babies backs And there is
not church bell left in my city,
Lille had a succession of six military governors each
than the other l know this because heard
Won Schonmann commending the very worst of them
General GraeSenitz who have been the star
rascal of them all
''I told Won Graesenitz to be the governor of
Lille he said night in my hearing to one of his
aides, while at dinner. "Von Graesenitz understands
war If Germany wants the hair off the Lille womens
heads ne won leave curl big enough to pfennig
That's the kind of man need govern this new land
of ours-a true Prussian.'
1t ddn matter that the goods had no sort of relation
to military use Whatever an officer wanted from shop
home he took and gave bon de reoUisitionr nrois
to pay-in return.
why not add to each of those promises to nav the
stipulation that must be presented in person at the
royal palace in Berlin suggested through his lsuobter
Maj Stembach to the General
"Splendid idea!' roared he. ''I will suggest IT."
Whether this was ever done do not know, but I do
know that of these bons de requsition was ever
honored.