The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-02
|llnTOA DESTRUCTION
| OF CHURCHES BY hun

III UIlUlIUItUC VI NUu
Eytaeface to show Ruthlcssness OF
Invading Germans Is
Produced.
New York, March 30.--Proof of the
vantcn destruction by the Germans OF
c0res OF French Protestant churches
h~J-->, " "a Observation-Disclosures
Xxx Z. ........s1y xsz *
been brought to this country by Chap
ain Daniel Couve. of the French
rniy. and the Rev. DR.. Henri Anet.
lclegatcS Of these churches. who have
made q comprehensive investigation
* the subject.
Photographs and attested facts have
been collected. II was announced to-
hay by the interchurch committee for
christian relief in France and Bel
xtum. 2Sy Fourth avenue, to show
that $50 Protestant churches were
binder enemy FIRE or otherwise wrecked
lnring the war. 1t Is estimated by
The committee that at least $4,000
zoo will be needed to repair the dam
sge and give the congregations new
tart The impoverished people. who,
With characteristic French attach
nert to their native villages have
eone back to live In the ruins of their
Ofmer homes. are now worshipping
"a private houses or any place of as
amhly over which the invading foe
has left roof.
The artillery marksmen and incen-
1tMry squads OF the Germans knew
ao distinction of creed While they
Found their most conspicuous targets
IN splendid cathedraiS such rs thoS"
h8 Rheims ard scissors, they were
Equally assiduous In their ruthless
program as applied to modest rural
Ehurches and pastoral residences tnat
happened to be within the range OF
heir operations.
Besides the wrecked churches.
|namy OF which were of small dimen-
lions and plain architecture, the Ger
mans destroyed or seriously damaged
weRty Protestant pastoral residences.
They uprooted the fruit trees and
livery living plant in the gardens Mt
ached to these homes and carried
kway everything portable which could
be OF use to their army or to German
civilians at homo.
In the cities and towns the loss was
|aeavy In proportion. The damage to
Inc Rheims Reformed church and the
parsonage attached to it, which were
Shattered to fragments by shells, il
Estimated at s15 900. The Protest
Int church at ST. Quentin was dam
kged 10000. and the one at Nancy
$4,000. At verdun, Chateau Thierry,
hnd Haricourt there was generai
Rgreckage OF buildings used for reli-
sions purposes
The minute details OF destruction
&rhfch the Germans carried out IN
Healing with church property are
Known by the following extract from
letter, \ copy of which has been
Received by the committee II was
written BY Madame F., the wife OF
,astOr In the Marine region, to one OF
her friends. describing her return To
hs remnants of her former home
After the invading host had been
iriven out:
.And do you know what we found?
IA village, half of which is reduced TO
kn ash heap while the other half,
with our church and n1ar1se, has been
o torn up by shells that II has be-
some a collection of ghastly ruins.
Xig holes in woof and walls, shattered
(1OOrs and windows. horrible heaps or
rubbish. where ouce were Towering
kardens The interiors of our homes
kre more shocking still: broken fur
aiture. soiled linen. plates and dishes
Full Of mou'dy remains OF Hun feasts.
broken bottles telling of orgies. cup
boards and bureaus emptied OF every
hinx that could be carried away. the
ioors thick with sticky mixture OF
srease, oil, SCOT and mud.
Letters, photographs. family scuve-
Eairs. which the barbarians did not
:arc to take, are torn, trampicd. scat
Aercd My sofa has tts two front legs
I aMputAtcd and In its fallen, helpless
latitude seems to be begging for
nercy. All my chairs have broken
backs or missing legs; velvet coverings
have been torn Off 10 clean boots My
briefly draming-room table has re-
seived all the rains Of heaven for no
pne knows how long. and in the gar
Hen bushes We found the empty case
BIZ our communion service.
Our fruit trees are all either rur-
oosely cut down or blown TO pieces
BY ahelle. As to our bedding. all
Traces OF II have disappeared. and
evo have been obliged TO borrow mat
rcsses from inckier parishsoners-
Our church has kept it's four walls
R1d even its little turret, but the roof
1Aa come down and has buried ana
broken up the pews. the harmonium
hnd i part OF the pulpit A she'll ex-
pldded right in the middle of the
library shelves and reduced the books
a atoma Just outside II appears
hat ! German battery exploded. badly
ajuring the foundations of the edi-
lice. a mound marks the place whore
ne 001tlcTeU FeNAiuS pA Meu s1Hs
l0rnes are buried.
everywhere are German inscrip-
HONS -Quartermaster's once, First
Aid. Reserved Cellars etc. We has
kAh to erase these witnesses OF Hun
rule. but how we treasure the friendly
|nssaeges. hastily written with chalk
5n the door Of my husbands study.
3ev0rAl OF these are signed by French
Protestant chapiains, marching with
kheir regiments through Troissy on
lint wonderful July advance. One
Nada: 4 win huiid again the ruins
km0e o:il--Oeorges LaugA.'
The wreckag9 Of many OF their
shurches was not only the loss which
1x1nch Protestant congrega tons sus-
kainAd. OF nearly 1000 ministers
|who served them. fully one-ha'f were
n0hilixed at the outbreak Of the war.
y fhNu every man who could handle a
.iae was needed to roll back the tide
M The Marine. Only the old and in
1rm pastors were left. and Of these
s&venty-flve continued to serve their
3eo1le within the invaded region or
81t3lfn the zone OF fre.
Nearly 100 Protestant ministers