Repository: UIHistories Project: War Publications - WWI Compilation 1923 - Article 25 [PAGE 25]

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of defenseless inhabitants of conquered territory, tearing S! m from their families and transporting them to work in Germany or elsewhere. Through their piratical submarine attacks they have violated international law, restored piracy and committed murder, even of neutrals on peaceful ships, innocent travelers,—men, women, girls, boys and babes in arms. They have gone back to the war practices of five centuries ago by their cowardly use of poison gases that inflict the most awful tortures, so that their opponents are more than justified in the moderate criticism which they have made, that the Ger19 mans are "not clean fighters. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ They have been guilty of inhumanity and violating law by killing the wounded, by attacking hospitals and Red Cross ambulances, and by attacking undefended cities. They have placed themselves in the same class with the fanatical Turks, by condoning the massacre of Armenians. Do you doubt the truth of these statements? Out of their own mouths again, judge them. I give a single instance out of many in each case. As to robbery: "After living about a week in a chateau near Liege, His Royal Highness, Prince Eitel Fritz, the Duke of Brunswick, and another nobleman of less importance, had all the dresses that could be found in the wardrobes belonging to the lady of the house and her daughters packed before their own eyes and sent to Germany/' As to incendiarism: "The village was surrounded and the soldiers posted one yard apart so that no one could escape. Then the Uhlans set fire to the place one house after another. No man, woman or child could possibly escape. Any one try*ng to escape was shot." As to murder, here is one case: "All the villagers fled. The dead were all buried, numbering 60. Among them were many old men and women Three children were clasped m each others arms and had died thus." As to outrages on women and children, I dare not quote. As to killing the wounded, I need but recall the order of General Stenger: "No prisoners are to be taken. All prisoners, whether wounded or not, must be slaughtered."