The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-07-04
SOME SUSPICICN ATTACHES

Will Irwin, noted correspondent and special writer, is out with
a long syndcated article testfying that the German atrocities
in war did not exist. He pays particular attention to the stories
of hands severed from children and denies it, saying that ne has
sought instances and failed to find them.
These stories were denied by a group of American CORES
pondents during the war, chief among these by reason of his
eminence and popularity was Irwin Cobb. However like all such
assertions the tales of such atrocities were believed in America
despite the denial of the correspondents referred to. Mr.. Irwin's
denial, however accurate it may be, will not go farther than the
previous one.
The probabilities are that the tales of arms and hands severed
were canards or at least much manified; but Mr.. Irwin in his
article refers to the policy of frightfuness adopted by the general
staff and remarks that the soldiers had been trained to perfect
.~obediance. In fact they woudn't. let him go forward fearing that
some "squiffy officer" would shoot him first and ask afterward
though Mr.. Irwin was the certified representative of the press
of a neutral country. Furthermore we know and Mr.. Irwin admits
that killing off Of leaders of communities was common, that de-
struction of cities and cathedrals was a settled policy and
"schrechlekeit" was the order of the general staff. That there
was atrocity was evident. And still we remember the Lusitania.
Mr.. Twins outbreak of denial and discussion suggests a
return of the propaganda which was so fluent and well paid
before and after the beginning of the war. There is a desire
in this country to settle the German problem and restore the
balance that existed previous to the war. Business of all kinds
wants a settlement and the farms are as anxious as business
for a resumption of pre-war conditions. However that does not
relieve the American conviction and knowledge that German
atrocities IN war were a reversion of savagery. 1t is well not to
forget that while we talk of the obscenity of war and the neces-
sity of aboGshing wars; for German warfare was barbaric and
uncivilized in any sense of Civilized warfare.
A wave of German propaganda is flooding this country. The
effect sought is to stir up dislike and discomfort with France and
pour water on the wheel of German resistance to the just claims
of the countries which bore the heat and burden as the seat of
war. Note that Belgium is not attacked. That would be poor
strategy and the propagandists are good strategists as was the
German staff that planned the smash through Belgium.
Mr.. Irwin may be sympathetic with Germany in her present
difficulties. He looks upon bobhevism with a kindly eye. And
then, again, he may be another German propaganda seeking
sympathy and forgiveness of a country that deliberately plunged
a world into flaming hell with the hope of conquest as its incentive.
We are ready here in America to help put derailed Europe
back on the track. We are suspicious of propaganda. Which
may be taken to mean that we are suspicious of Mr.. Irwin's
recrudescence of the atrocity business.