Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 2, May, 1915 - April-September, 1915 by Various
page 132 of 430 (30%)

[Illustration: Figure 4.]

Here is a military picture fully outlined, and worthy to compete in the
Academy of Fine Arts of Dresden. But one passage of the text is somewhat
obscure and might embarrass the artist--"Women and children, holding
their lamps, were compelled to assist at this horrible spectacle." What
spectacle?--the shooting, or the counting of the corpses? To get some
certainty on this historic point, the artist should question that noble
soldier--the Colonel of the 178th.

His work of that night, however, was in accord with the spirit of his
companions in arms, and of his chiefs. We may assure ourselves of this
by consulting the Sixth Report of the Belgian Commission of Inquiry
upon, the violation of the rules of the law of nations (Havre, Nov. 10,
1914) and the ignoble proclamations placarded by the Germans throughout
Belgium. I will content myself with three short extracts.

Extract from a proclamation of General von Bülow, placarded at Liège,
Aug. 22, 1914:

The inhabitants of the city of Andenne, after having protested
their peaceful intentions, were guilty of a treacherous
surprise upon our troops. It was with my consent that the
General in Chief set fire to the whole locality, and that
about one hundred persons were shot.

(The Belgian report controverts the accusation against the inhabitants
of Andenne of having taken hostile measures against the German troops,
and adds: "As a matter of fact, more than two hundred persons were
DigitalOcean Referral Badge