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diff --git a/old/53636-0.txt b/old/53636-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7ad7ce6..0000000 --- a/old/53636-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1410 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Martyrdom of Belgium, by Gerard Cooreman - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Martyrdom of Belgium - Official Report of Massacres of Peaceable Citizens, Women - and Children by The German Army - -Author: Gerard Cooreman - -Release Date: November 30, 2016 [EBook #53636] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MARTYRDOM OF BELGIUM *** - - - - -Produced by Cindy Horton, Brian Coe, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - THE MARTYRDOM OF BELGIUM - - OFFICIAL REPORT OF - - Massacres of Peaceable Citizens, Women and Children - - BY THE - - German Army - - TESTIMONY OF EYE-WITNESSES - - - “It is by a deep study of the history of wars - that one may protect oneself against exaggerated - humanitarian ideas.” - --“KRIEGSGEBRAUCH IM LANDKRIEGE” - Published by the German General Staff, 1902. - Pages 6 and 7. - - - THE W. STEWART BROWN COMPANY, INC. PRINTERS BALTIMORE, MD. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The Official Belgian Commission of Inquiry, which has been charged with -the task of examining into the violation of the rules of International -Law and of the Customs of War, is composed of Statesmen and Jurists of -the highest standing. The Reports of the Commission have been published -from time to time. Report XI will be found in the following pages. - -These reports are given out by the Commission only after careful -examination of the evidence. Consequently the findings of the -Commission command the same respect as the findings of the highest Law -Court. - -Names of witnesses have, in certain cases, been withheld from -publication. All the depositions are, however, in the possession of -the Commission and the names of the witnesses will be given out at -the proper time. The publication of these names at the present moment -would, inevitably, cause the German troops to take revenge upon -witnesses, or upon the relatives of witnesses, remaining within the -German lines. - -The authenticity of the depositions is guaranteed by the eminent -Statesmen and Jurists who compose the Commission and who have signed -the Reports. - -No commentary can add anything to the tragic eloquence of these simple -and well-authenticated depositions. Who can read the recital of these -horrors without feeling his heart throb with righteous indignation, -and without feeling an infinite sorrow at the thought that these -abominations have been committed, after two thousand years of Christian -civilization, by a nation which, only yesterday, claimed to be the -foremost in modern Progress. - -It should be remembered that Belgium had done nothing to bring on the -war nor to involve her in it. She was a neutralized country. Every -shot fired by a German soldier in Belgium is a violation of the solemn -treaty whereby Germany pledged her faith to uphold the neutrality of -Belgium. - -At the end of this pamphlet (page 20) will be found extracts from the -“Laws of War on Land,” published by the German General Staff in 1902, -and other documents, showing that the massacres, arson and pillage -committed by the German army in Belgium are attributable, not to the -innate brutality of the German soldier, but rather to an organized -system of terrorism laid down and ordered by the superior German -Military authorities. - -The authenticity of the following text of the Report of the Commission -of Inquiry is certified by the Belgian Legation, Washington, D. C. - - - - -OFFICIAL BELGIAN COMMISSION OF INQUIRY - -on the violation of the Rules of International Law, and of the Laws and -Customs of War. - -ELEVENTH REPORT SUBMITTED TO HIS EXCELLENCY, MR. CARTON DE WIART, -Belgian Minister of Justice. - - -(I.) INCIDENTS AT NAMUR. - -On August 21st, 1914, the Germans bombarded the town of Namur, without -any previous notice given. The bombardment began about 1 p. m. and -continued for twenty minutes. The besieger was in possession of -long-range guns, which enabled him to fire upon the town before the -forts had been taken. Shells fell upon the prison, the hospital, the -Burgomaster’s house and the railway station, causing conflagrations and -killing several persons. - -On August 23rd, the German Army pierced the exterior line of defence, -and the Belgian 4th Division retreated by the angle between the rivers -Sambre and Meuse, while the greater number of the forts were still -uninjured and continuing to resist. The German troops penetrated into -the town of Namur on the same day about 4 p. m. - -On this day order was preserved: officers and soldiers requisitioned -food and drink, paying for them sometimes with coined money, more often -with requisition-certificates. Most of the latter were bogus documents, -but the townspeople were trustful and ignorant of the German language, -and so accepted them without making difficulties. - -Matters went on in the same way on August 24th till 9 o’clock in the -evening. At that hour shooting suddenly began in several quarters of -the town, and German infantry were seen advancing in skirmishing order -down the principal streets. Almost at the same moment an immense column -of smoke and fire was seen rising from the central quarter of the -place: the Germans had fired houses in the Place d’Armes and four other -spots, the Place Leopold, Rue Rogier, Rue St. Nicolas and the Avenue de -la Plante. - -All was now panic among the peaceable and defenseless townsfolk: the -Germans began breaking open front doors with the butts of their rifles, -and throwing incendiary matter into the vestibules. Six dwellers in the -Rue Rogier, who were flying from their burning houses, were shot on -their own doorsteps. The rest of the inhabitants of this street were -forced to avoid a similar fate by escaping through their back gardens. -Many of them were in their night clothes, for they had not the time to -dress or to pick up their money. - -In the Rue St. Nicolas several workmen’s dwellings were set on fire, -and a larger number, together with some wood-yards, were burned in the -Avenue de la Plante. - -The conflagration in the Place d’Armes continued till Thursday. It -destroyed the Town Hall, with its archives and pictures, the adjacent -group of houses, and the whole quarter bounded by the Rue du Pont, the -Rue des Brasseurs, and the Rue Bailly, with the exception of the Hotel -des Quatre Fils Aymon. - -No serious attempt was made to prevent the fire from spreading. At its -commencement some of the townspeople came out at the appeal of the -Fire-Bell, but they were forbidden to stir from their houses. The Chief -of the Fire Brigade, though the balls were whistling round him, got as -far as the site of the disaster; but an officer arrested him in the -Place d’Armes, and then, acting under the orders of his superior, sent -him away under an escort. - -The Germans, with the object of justifying their proceedings, alleged -that shots had been fired against their troops on the Monday evening. -Every circumstance demonstrates the absurdity of this statement. The -juxtaposition of observed facts and the sequence of concordant evidence -lead to the conclusion that the incidents at Namur were deliberately -prepared, and merely formed part of the general system of terrorism -which was habitually practised by the German Army in Belgium. - -Fifteen days back the people of Namur had given over to the Belgian -Authorities all the firearms that they possessed. They had been -informed by Official Notices as to the tenor of the Laws of War, and -had been invited by the Civil and Military Authorities, by the Clergy -and the Press, to take no part with the belligerents. The Belgian -troops had evacuated the town 36 hours before the conflagration. The -people, even if they had possessed weapons, would not have been so -insane as to rise and assail the masses of German troops who crowded -the town and occupied all its approaches. And how can anyone account -for the strange fact that, at all the five points at which the alleged -rising was supposed to have broken out, the Germans were found in -possession of the incendiary substances which were required for the -prompt burning of the place? - -The disorder which followed helped the pillage in which the German -Army habitually engages. In the Place d’Armes houses were thoroughly -sacked before they were set on fire. In the quarter by the Gate of St. -Nicolas the inhabitants, when they returned to their homes, found that -everything had been plundered; in one case a safe had been broken up -and 17,000 francs worth of securities had disappeared. - -On the subsequent days, though things were comparatively quiet, pillage -continued. In several houses where German officers were quartered, -the furniture was broken up, and wine and underclothing (even female -underclothing) was stolen. - -Our witnesses have detailed to us several outrages on women. In one -case we have evidence concerning the rape of a girl by four soldiers. A -Belgian quartermaster of Gendarmes saw the daughter of the proprietor -of the hotel in which he was staying outraged by two German soldiers, -without being able to intervene for her protection, at four o’clock in -the morning. - -Many inhabitants of Namur perished during the fire and the fusillade. -Some aged people were left in the burning houses: others were -killed in the streets, or shot in their own dwellings. In all, -seventy-five civilians perished in one of these ways or another on the -23rd-24th-25th August. - -We may mention, without detailing, the arrest of hostages, and the -brutal treatment to which the most distinguished inhabitants of the -town were exposed during the early days of German occupation. - -Namur and the seventeen neighbouring communes were subjected to a war -contribution of fifty million francs (£2,000,000), which was afterwards -reduced to thirty-two millions, on condition that the first million -should be paid within twenty-four hours. The deposits at a private bank -(the _Banque Generale_ Belge) were confiscated. On the petition of its -directors the concession was made that the sum seized should count -towards the war contribution. - -The immediate neighborhood of the town was the scene of many similar -acts of violence. In this part of the province many mansions and -villas were systematically pillaged. One citizen of Namur saw his own -furniture from his country house going to the rear on a German cart. -The plunder was all sent off to Germany. - -At Vedrin a boy was shot because he was found to have in his possession -an empty German cartridge case. Twenty-six priests and members of -religious orders were shot in the diocese of Namur. - - -(II.) MASSACRE AT TAMINES. - -Tamines was a rich and populous village situated on the Sambre between -Charleroi and Namur. It was occupied by detachments of French troops on -the 17th, 18th and 19th of August last. On Thursday, the 20th August, -a German patrol appeared in front of the suburb of Vilaines. It was -greeted by shots fired by French soldiers, and by a party of the Civic -Guards of Charleroi. Several Uhlans were killed and wounded, and the -rest fled. The people of the village came out of their houses and -cried: “Vive la Belgique!” “Vive la France!” In all probability it was -this incident which caused the subsequent massacre of Tamines. - -Some time afterwards the Germans arrived in force at the hamlet of -Alloux. They there burnt two houses and made all the inhabitants -prisoners. An artillery combat broke out between the German guns posted -at Vilaines and at Alloux and the French guns placed in a battery at -Arsimont and at Hame-sur-Heure. - -About 5 o’clock on 21st August, the Germans carried the bridge of -Tamines, crossed the River Sambre, and began defiling in mass through -the streets of the village. About 8 o’clock the movement of troops -stopped, and the soldiers penetrated into the houses, drove out the -inhabitants, set themselves to sack the place, and then burnt it. The -unfortunate peasants who stopped in the village were shot; the rest -fled from their houses. The greater part of them were arrested either -on the night of the 21st of August or on the following morning. Pillage -and burning continued all next day (22nd). - -On the evening of the 22nd (Saturday) a group of between 400 and 450 -men was collected in front of the Church, not far from the bank of the -Sambre. A German detachment opened fire on them, but as the shooting -was a slow business the officers ordered up a machine gun, which soon -swept off all the unhappy peasants still left standing. Many of them -were only wounded and, hoping to save their lives, got with difficulty -on their feet again. They were immediately shot down. Many wounded -still lay among the corpses. Groans of pain and cries for help were -heard in the bleeding heap. On several occasions soldiers walked up -to such unhappy individuals and stopped their groans with a bayonet -thrust. At night some who still survived succeeded in crawling away. -Others put an end to their own pain by rolling themselves into the -neighboring river. - -All these facts have been established by depositions made by wounded -men who succeeded in escaping. About 100 bodies were found in the river. - -Next day, Sunday, the 23rd, about 6 o’clock in the morning, another -party consisting of prisoners made in the village and the neighborhood -were brought into the Square. One of them makes the following -deposition:-- - -“On reaching the Square the first thing that we saw was a mass of -bodies of civilians extending over at least 40 yards in length by 6 -yards in depth. They had evidently been drawn up in rank to be shot. We -were placed before this range of corpses, and were convinced that we -too were to be shot. - -“An officer then came forward and asked for volunteers to dig trenches -to bury these corpses. I and my brother-in-law and certain others -offered ourselves. We were conducted to a neighbouring field at the -side of the Square, where they made us dig a trench 15 yards long by -10 broad and 2 deep. Each received a spade. While we were digging the -trenches soldiers with fixed bayonets gave us our orders. As I was -much fatigued through not being accustomed to digging, and being faint -from hunger, a soldier then brought me a lighter spade, and afterwards -filled a bucket of water for us to drink. I asked him if he knew what -they were going to do with us. He said that he did not. By the time -that the trenches were finished it was about noon. They then gave us -some planks, on which we placed the corpses and so carried them to the -trench. I recognized many of the persons whose bodies we were burying. -Actually fathers buried the bodies of their sons and sons the bodies of -their fathers. The women of the village had been marched out into the -Square, and saw us at our work. All around were the burnt houses. - -“There were in the Square both soldiers and officers. They were -drinking champagne. The more the afternoon drew on the more they -drank, and the more we were disposed to think that we were probably -to be shot too. We buried from 350 to 400 bodies. A list of the names -of the victims has been drawn up and will have been given to you (the -Commissioner). - -“While some of us were carrying the corpses along I saw a case where -they had stopped and called to a German doctor. They had noticed that -the man whom they were conveying was still alive. The doctor examined -the wounded man and made a sign that he was to be buried with the rest. -The plank on which he was lying was borne on again, and I saw the -wounded man raise his arm elbow-high. They called to the doctor again, -but he made a gesture that he was to go into the trench with the others. - -“I saw M. X---- carrying off the body of his own son-in-law. He was -able to take away his watch, but was not allowed to remove some papers -which were on him. - -“When a soldier, seized with an impulse of pity, came near us, an -officer immediately scolded him away. When all the bodies had been -interred, certain wounded were brought to the Church. Officers -consulted about them for some time. Four mounted officers came into -the Square, and, after a long conversation, we with our wives and -children were made to fall into marching order. We were taken through -Tamines, amid the debris which obstructed the streets, and led to -Vilaines between two ranks of soldiers. Think of our mental sufferings -during this march! We all thought that we were going to be shot in the -presence of our wives and children. I saw German soldiers who could not -refrain from bursting into tears, on seeing the despair of the women. -One of our party was seized with an apoplectic fit from mere terror, -and I saw many who fainted.” - -When the cortege arrived at Vilaines, an officer told the unhappy -people that they were free, but that anyone returning to Tamines -would be shot. He obliged the women and children to cry: “Vive -l’Allemagne.” The Germans burnt, after sacking them, 264 houses in -Tamines. Many persons, including women and children, were burnt or -stifled in their own homes. Many others were shot in the fields. The -total number of victims was over 650. The Commission of Enquiry -devoted special attention to ascertaining whether the inhabitants of -the village had fired on the German troops. Every surviving witness -unanimously declared the contrary. They explained the massacre of -their fellow-villagers by the fact that the Germans attributed to the -inhabitants the shots which had been fired by the French skirmishers, -or perhaps to the anger produced among the Germans by the success of an -attack which had been made on them that night by the French troops. - - -(III.) PILLAGE AND MASSACRE AT ANDENNE. - -The town of Andenne is situated on the right bank of the Meuse between -Namur and Huy. It is connected by a bridge with the village of Seilles, -which is built along the river on the opposite, or left, bank. The -German troops who were wishing to invade the territory on the left -bank of the Meuse arrived at Andenne on Thursday, August 19th, in -the morning. Their advance guard of Uhlans found that the bridge was -not available. A regiment of Belgian Infantry had blown it up at 8 -o’clock on the same morning. The Uhlans retired after having seized the -Communal cash box at Andenne and brutally maltreated the Burgomaster, -Dr. Camus, an old man of more than 70 years. The Burgomaster had -several days before taken the most minute precautions to prevent the -population from engaging in hostilities. He had posted up everywhere -placards ordering non-resistance. All firearms had been collected in -the Hotel de Ville, and the local authorities had personally visited -certain of the inhabitants to explain their duty to them. - -The main body of the German Troops arrived at Andenne in the -afternoon. The Regiment halted in the Town and outside it, waiting -for the completion of a pontoon bridge, which was not finished till -the following morning. The first contact between the troops and the -people was quite pacific. The Germans ordered requisitions, which were -satisfied. The soldiers at first paid for their purchases and for the -drink which they served to them in the Cafes. Towards the evening the -situation began to grow more strained. Whether it was that discipline -was getting relaxed, or that alcohol commenced to produce its effect, -the soldiers ceased paying for what they were taking. The inhabitants -were too scared to resist. No friction took place and the night was -calm. - -On Thursday, the 20th August, the bridge was finished and the troops -defiled through the town in great numbers in the direction of the -left bank. The inhabitants watched them passing from their houses. -Suddenly, at 6 o’clock in the evening, a single rifle shot was heard -in the street, followed immediately by a startling explosion. The -troops halted, their ranks fell into disorder, and nervous men fired -haphazard. Presently a machine gun was set up at a corner and commenced -to fire against the houses, and later a cannon dropped three shells -into the town at three different points. - -At the first rifle shot the inhabitants of the streets through which -the troops were defiling, guessing what might happen, took refuge in -their cellars or, climbing out over the walls of their gardens, sought -refuge in the open country or in distant cellars. A certain number -of people who would not or could not make their escape were killed -in their houses by shots fired from the street, or in some cases by -soldiers who burst into their dwellings. - -Immediately afterwards commenced the pillage of the houses in the -principal streets of the Town. Every window shutter and door was broken -in. Furniture was smashed and thrown out. The soldiers ran down into -the cellars, got drunk there, breaking the bottles of wine that they -could not carry away. Finally, a certain number of houses were set on -fire. During the night rifle shooting broke out several times. The -terrified population lay low in their cellars. - -Next day, Friday, the 21st August, at 4 o’clock in the morning, the -soldiers spread themselves through the Town, driving all the population -into the streets and forcing men, women and children to march before -them with their hands in the air. Those who did not obey with -sufficient promptitude, or did not understand the order given them in -German, were promptly knocked down. Those who tried to run away were -shot. It was at this moment that Dr. Camus, against whom the Germans -seemed to have some special spite, was wounded by a rifle shot, and -then finished off by a blow from an axe. His body was dragged along -by the feet for some distance. A watchmaker, a Fleming by birth, who -had lived for some time in the Town, was coming out of his house on -the order of the soldiers, supporting on his arm his father-in-law, -an old man of 80. Naturally, therefore, he could not hold up both his -hands. A soldier stepped up to him and struck him with an axe on the -neck. He fell mortally wounded before his own door. His wife tried to -bring him assistance, was pushed back into the house, and had to assist -helplessly at the last agony of her husband. A soldier threatened to -shoot her with his revolver if she crossed the door-sill. - -Meanwhile the whole population was being driven towards the Place des -Tilleuls. Old men, the sick and the paralysed were all brought there. -Some were drawn on wheel-chairs, others pushed on hand carts, others, -again, borne up by their relations. The men were separated from the -women and children, then all were searched, but no arms were found on -them. One man had in his pocket some empty cartridge cases both German -and Belgian. He was immediately apprehended and set aside. So was a -cobbler who had a wounded hand; the wound was a month old. An engineer -was also put apart because he had in his pocket a spanner, which was -considered as a weapon. Another man seems to have been arrested because -his face showed his contempt and rage at what was going on. These -people were shot in presence of the crowd and all died bravely. - -Subsequently the soldiers, on the order of their officers, picked out -of the mass some 40 or 50 men who were led off and all shot, some along -the bank of the Meuse, and others in front of the Police Station. - -The rest of the men were kept for a long time in the Place. Among -them lay two persons, one of whom had received a ball in the chest, -and the other a bayonet wound. They lay face to the ground with blood -from their wounds trickling into the dust, occasionally calling for -water. The officers forbade their neighbours to give them any help. -One soldier was reproved for having wished to give one of them his -water-bottle. Both died in the course of the day. - -While this scene was going on in the Place des Tilleuls, other soldiers -spread themselves through the Town, continuing their work of sack, -pillage and arson. Eight men belonging to the same household were led -out into a meadow some 50 yards from their dwelling, some of them were -shot, the rest cut down with blows of an axe. One tall red-haired -soldier with a scar on his face distinguished himself by the ferocity -with which he used an axe. A young boy and a woman were shot. - -About 10 in the morning the officers told the women to withdraw, giving -them the order to gather together the dead bodies and to wash away the -stains of blood which defiled the street and the houses. About midday -the surviving men to the number of 800 were shut up as hostages in -three little houses near the bridge, but they were not allowed to go -out of them on any pretext, and so crammed together that they could -not even sit down on the floor. Soon these crowded buildings reached a -highly insanitary condition. The women later in the day were allowed -to bring food to their husbands. Many of them, fearing outrage, had -fled from the Place. These hostages were not finally released till the -Tuesday following. - -The statistics of the losses at Andenne give the following -total:--Three hundred were massacred in Andenne and Seilles, and -about 300 houses were burnt in the two localities. A great number of -inhabitants have fled. Almost every house has been sacked; indeed, the -pillage did not end for eight days. Other places have suffered more -than Andenne, but no other Belgian Town was the theatre of so many -scenes of ferocity and cruelty. The numerous inhabitants whom we have -cross-examined are unanimous in asserting that the German troops were -not fired upon. They told us that no German soldier was killed either -at Andenne or in its neighbourhood. They are incapable of understanding -the causes of the catastrophe which has ruined their town, and to -explain it they give various hypotheses. Some think that Andenne was -sacrificed merely to establish a reign of terror, and quote words -uttered by officers which seemed to them to show that the destruction -of the place was premeditated. Others think that the destruction of the -bridge, the ruining of a neighbouring tunnel, and the resistance of -the Belgian troops were the causes of the massacre. All protest that -nothing happened in the place to excuse the conduct of the Germans. - - -(IV.) SACK OF DINANT. - -The town of Dinant was sacked and destroyed by the German Army, and its -population was decimated on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August. - -On August 15th a lively engagement took place at Dinant between the -French troops on the left bank of the Meuse and the German troops -coming up from the East. The German troops were routed by the French, -who passed over to the right bank of the river following them. The -town had little to suffer on that day. Some houses were destroyed by -German shells, aimed no doubt at French regiments on the left bank, and -a citizen of Dinant belonging to the Red Cross was killed by a German -ball as he was picking up a wounded man. - -The days which followed were calm. The French occupied the neighborhood -of the town. No engagement took place between the hostile armies, and -nothing happened which could be interpreted as an act of hostility by -the population. No German troops were anywhere near Dinant. On Friday, -the 21st, about 9 o’clock in the evening, German troops coming down the -road from Ciney entered the town by the Rue St. Jacques. On entering -they began firing into the windows of the houses, and killed a workman -who was returning to his own house, wounded another inhabitant, and -forced him to cry “Long live the Kaiser.” They bayoneted a third -person in the stomach. They entered the cafes, seized the liquor, got -drunk, and retired after having set fire to several houses and broken -the doors and windows of others. The population was terrorised and -stupefied, and shut itself up in its dwellings. - -Saturday, August 22nd, was a day of relative calm. All life, however, -was at an end in the streets. Part of the inhabitants, guided by the -instincts of self-preservation, fled into the neighbouring country -side. The rest, more attached to their homes, and rendered confident by -the conviction that nothing had happened which could be interpreted as -an act of hostility on their part, remained hidden in their houses. - -On Sunday morning next, the 23rd, at 6.30 in the morning, soldiers -of the 108th Regiment of Infantry invaded the Church of the -Premonastrensian Fathers, drove out the congregation, separated the -women from the men, and shot 50 of the latter. Between 7 and 9 the same -morning the soldiers gave themselves up to pillage and arson, going -from house to house and driving the inhabitants into the street. Those -who tried to escape were shot. About 9 in the morning the soldiery, -driving before them by blows from the butt ends of rifles men, women, -and children, pushed them all into the Parade Square, where they were -kept prisoners till 6 o’clock in the evening. The guard took pleasure -in repeating to them that they would soon be shot. About 6 o’clock a -Captain separated the men from the women and children. The women were -placed in front of a rank of infantry soldiers, the men were ranged -along a wall. The front rank of them were then told to kneel, the -others standing behind them. A platoon of soldiers drew up in face of -these unhappy men. It was in vain that the women cried out for mercy -for their husbands, sons, and brothers. The officer ordered his men -to fire. There had been no inquiry nor any pretense of a trial. About -20 of the inhabitants were only wounded, but fell among the dead. The -soldiers, to make sure, fired a new volley into the heap of them. -Several citizens escaped this double discharge. They shammed dead for -more than two hours, remaining motionless among the corpses, and when -night fell succeeded in saving themselves in the hills. Eighty-four -corpses were left on the Square, and buried in a neighbouring garden. - -The day of August 23rd was made bloody by several more massacres. -Soldiers discovered some inhabitants of the Faubourg St. Pierre in the -cellars of a brewery there and shot them. - -Since the previous evening a crowd of workmen belonging to the factory -of M. Himmer had hidden themselves, along with their wives and -children, in the cellars of the building. They had been joined there by -many neighbours and several members of the family of their employer. -About 6 o’clock in the evening these unhappy people made up their -minds to come out of their refuge, and defiled all trembling from the -cellars with the white flag in front. They were immediately seized and -violently attacked by the soldiers. Every man was shot on the spot. -Almost all the men of the Faubourg de Leffe were executed _en masse_. -In another part of the town 12 civilians were killed in a cellar. In -the Rue en Ile a paralytic was shot in his armchair. In the Rue Enfer -the soldiers killed a young boy of 14. - -In the Faubourg de Leffe the viaduct of the railway was the scene of a -bloody massacre. An old woman and all her children were killed in their -cellar. A man of 65 years, his wife, his son and his daughter were shot -against a wall. Other inhabitants of Leffe were taken in a barge as far -as the rock of Bayard and shot there, among them a woman of 83 and her -husband. - -A certain number of men and women had been locked up in the Court of -the Prison. At six in the evening a German machine gun, placed on the -hill above, opened fire on them, and an old woman and three other -persons were brought down. - -While a certain number of soldiers were perpetrating this massacre, -others pillaged and sacked the houses of the town, and broke open all -safes, sometimes blasting them with dynamite. Their work of destruction -and theft accomplished, the soldiers set fire to the houses, and the -town was soon no more than an immense furnace. - -The women and children had been all shut up in a Convent, where they -were kept prisoners for four days. These unhappy women remained in -ignorance of the lot of their male relations. They were expecting -themselves to be shot also. All around the town continued to blaze. The -first day the monks of the Convent had given them a certain supply of -food. For the remaining days they had nothing to eat but raw carrots -and green fruit. - -To sum up, the town of Dinant is destroyed. It counted 1,400 houses; -only 200 remain. The manufactories where the artisan population worked -have been systematically destroyed. Rather more than 700 of the -inhabitants have been killed; others have been taken off to Germany, -and are still retained there as prisoners. The majority are refugees -scattered all through Belgium. A few who remained in the town are dying -of hunger. It has been proved by our Enquiry that German soldiers, -while exposed to the fire of the French entrenched on the opposite bank -of the Meuse, in certain cases sheltered themselves behind a line of -civilians, women and children. - - -(V.) MASSACRES AT HASTIERE AND SURICE - -On August 23rd, the Germans entered the village of -Hastiere-par-dela.(1) They arrested Dr. Halloy, a Surgeon of the Red -Cross, and shot him. Crossing the street, they went to the house of -Alphonse Aigret, a butcher, drove out him, his wife and his children, -and shot him and his elder son. Next they went to the farm of Jules -Rifon, took him out of his cellar, where he had hidden with his -daughters, and shot him. They also killed the farmer Bodson and his -two sons, with ten other inhabitants of the village. The place was -then sacked, and the greater part of the houses burned. The number of -persons killed or wounded was very large. - -The ancient church of Hastiere suffered odious profanation. Horses -were stabled in it. The priestly vestments were torn and befouled. The -lamps, statues, and holy-water stoups were broken. The reliquary was -smashed, and the relics scattered about. Among them were some relics -of the Eleven Thousand Virgins of Cologne, which had escaped the fury -of the Huguenots of 1590 and the Revolution of 1790. The tabernacle -resisted an attempt at burglary, but two of the four altars were -profaned; the sepulchres at the altars were broken open and the remains -in them thrown out and trampled under foot. - -The parish priest of Hastiere, Abbe Emile Schogel, had taken refuge in -the crypt, with his brother-in-law, M. Ponthiere, a professor of the -University of Louvain, the wife and two daughters of the professor, two -servants, the schoolmaster of the village with his wife and family, and -other inhabitants. The Germans fired at them through the windows of the -crypt, and then forced them to come up to the road, where they were -brought before several officers, of whom some were intoxicated. Some -questions were put to the Abbe, but he was given no time to answer. -The women were then dragged apart from the men, and the priest, M. -Pointhiere, the schoolmaster, and the other men were shot; their bodies -were left lying on the road. All this happened on August 24th, 1914, at -about 5.30 in the afternoon. - -On this same day the village of Surice was occupied by the German -troops. At about 11 p. m. they set fire to some of the houses. Next -morning, about 6 o’clock, the soldiers broke open doors and windows -with the butts of their rifles, and forced all the inhabitants to come -out. They were led off in the direction of the church. On the way -several most inoffensive people were fired upon. For example, the old -choirman, Charles Colot, aged 88, was shot as he came out of his door; -the soldiers rolled his body in a blanket, and set fire to it. - -A man named Elie Pierrot was seized by the Germans as he was coming -out of his burning house, carrying his aged and impotent step-mother -(she was over 80 years of age), and was shot at short range. The clerk, -Leopold Burniaux, his son Armand, who had been recently ordained -priest, and another of his sons were shot before the eyes of Madame -Burniaux. She, with her last surviving son, a professor at the College -of Malonne, were marched off with the surviving inhabitants on the road -to Romedenne. In a garden below the road there was a dead woman lying, -with two small children crying over her. - -On arriving at Fosses the party were led to a piece of fallow -ground--they numbered between 50 and 60 persons of both sexes. “It was -about 7.15 a. m. when the men and the women were separated. An officer -came up who said to us in French with a strong German accent, ‘You all -deserve to be shot: a young girl of 15 has just fired on one of our -Commanders. But the Court-martial has decided that only the men shall -be executed: the women will be kept prisoners.’ - -“The scene that followed passes all description: there were eighteen -men standing in a row: besides the parish priests of Anthee and -Onhaye, and the Abbe Gaspiard, there was our own priest, Mons. Poskin, -and his brother-in-law, Mons. Schmidt, then Doctor Jacques and his -son Henri, aged just 16, then Gaston Burniaux, the clerk’s son, and -Leonard Soumoy: next them two men named Balbeur and Billy, with the -17-year-old son of the latter: last two men from Onhaye and Dinant who -had taken refuge in Surice, and two people more whom I did not know. -Mons. Schmidt’s little boy of 14 was nearly put into the line--the -soldiers hesitated, but finally shoved him away in a brutal fashion. At -this moment I saw a young German soldier--this I vouch for--who was so -horror-struck that great tears were dropping onto his tunic: he did not -wipe his eyes for fear of being seen by his officer, but kept his head -turned away. - -“Some minutes passed: then under our eyes and amid the shrieks of -women who were crying ‘Shoot me too; shoot me with my husband!’ and -the wailing of the children, the men were lined up on the edge of the -hollow way which runs from the high road to the bottom of the village. -They waved last greetings to us, some with their hands, others with -their hats or caps. The young Henri Jacques was leaning on the shoulder -of one of the priests, as if to seek help and courage from him: he was -sobbing, ‘I am too young; I can’t face death bravely.’ Unable to bear -the sight any longer, I turned my back to the road and covered my eyes -with my hands. The soldiers fired their volley, and the men fell in a -heap. Someone said to me, ‘Look, they are all down!’ But they were not -all shot dead; several were finished off by having their skulls beaten -in with rifle-butts. Among these was the priest of Surice, whose head -(as I was afterwards told) was dreadfully opened out. - -“When the massacre was over the Germans plundered the corpses. They -took from them watches, rings, purses, and pocket-books. Madame Schmidt -told me that her husband had on him about 3,000 francs, which was -stolen. Dr. Jacques had also a good sum on him, though his wife could -not say exactly how much. - -“After this some more German soldiers brought up a man named Victor -Cavillot, and shot him before he reached the spot where the others were -lying; they fired on him, and I saw him double up and fall into the -hollow way.”(2) - -The village of Surice was thoroughly sacked. The pillage began on -Tuesday night, and continued all day on Wednesday. The safe of Madame -Laurent-Mineur, a widow, was blown open with dynamite. Of the 131 -houses of the village only eight escaped the conflagration. - -This Report gives no more than an incomplete picture of the German -ravages and crimes in the Province of Namur. We lack detailed knowledge -of what went on in three of the six cantons which form the district of -Namur. The total of 800 persons killed and 1,160 houses burned in that -district may have to be largely increased. In the district of Dinant, -that town itself and 21 villages have been destroyed. In the district -of Philippeville 20 villages have been sacked, plundered, and more or -less burned down. In the whole province, which has 364,000 inhabitants, -nearly 2,000 unoffending people--men, women, and children--have been -massacred. - - * * * * * - -The Commission makes it a rule to limit its publications to a mere -statement of facts, thinking that no commentary could add anything to -their tragic eloquence. It thinks, however, that the evidence given -above leads to certain conclusions. - -It has been said that when Belgium makes up the account of her -losses, it may appear that war has levied more victims from the civil -population than from the men who were called out to serve their country -on the battlefield. This prophecy, which seemed contrary to reason, is -now confirmed as regards the Province of Namur. In certain parts of -it half the male adult population has disappeared: the horrors of the -conflagrations at Louvain and Termonde, of the massacres at Aerschot -and in Luxembourg and Brabant, are all surpassed by those of the -slaughter at Dinant, at Andenne, at Tamines, and at Namur. - -In this twentieth century the people of Namur have had to live through -all the frightful details of a mediæval war, with its traditional -episodes of massacres _en masse_, drunken orgies, sack of whole towns, -and general conflagration. The “exploits” of the mercenary bands of the -XVIIth Century have been surpassed by those of the national army of a -State which claims the first place among civilized nations! - -The German Government cannot deny the truth of these facts--they are -attested by the ruins and the graves which cover our native soil. But -already it has set to work to excuse its troops, affirming that they -only repressed, in consonance with the Laws of War, the hostile acts of -the Belgian civil population. - -From the day of its First Session our Commission has been trying to -discover what foundation there might be for this charge--a charge -which seemed very unconvincing to anyone who knew the character of the -Belgian people. After having examined hundreds of witnesses--foreigners -and natives--and after having exhausted every possible means of -investigation, we affirm once more that the Belgian people took no part -in the hostilities. The supposed “France-Tireur” War, which is said -to have been waged against the German Army, is a mere invention. It -was invented in order to lessen in the eyes of the civilized world the -impression caused by the barbarous treatment inflicted by the German -Army on our people, and also to appease the scruples of the German -nation, which will shudder with fear on the day when it learns what a -tribute of innocent blood was levied by its troops on our children, our -wives, and our defenseless fellow-citizens. - -Moreover, the chiefs of the German Army have made a singular error -when they try to influence the verdict of the civilized world by this -particular argument. They seem unaware of the fact that the repression -by general measures of individual faults--a system condemned by the -International Conventions at which they scoff--has long been condemned -by the conscience of the nations of to-day. Among those nations -Germany appears for the future as a monstrous and disconcerting moral -phenomenon. - - (Signed) COOREMAN, - _Minister of State, President_. - - COMTE GOBLET DE AVIELLA, _Vice-President, - Minister of State and Vice-President of the - Belgian Senate_. - - CHEVALIER ERNEST DE BUNSWYCK, - _Chief Secretary to the Minister of Justice_. - - ORTS, - _Councillor of Legation to H.M. the King of the - Belgians_. - -FOOTNOTES: - -(1) Testimony of the Right Reverend Monsignor X---- annexed to the -proceedings of the Session of Dec. 18, 1914. - -(2) From the testimony of Mademoiselle Aline Diericz, of Tenham, -annexed to the Report of the Session of Dec. 18, 1914. - - - - -THE GERMAN MILITARY CODE - - -In 1902 the Historic Section of the German General Staff published a -collection of works for the instruction and guidance of the officers -of the German Army. Among these works is a Manual upon “The Laws of -War on Land.” (“Kriegsgebrauch im Landkriege.”) The following extracts -from this manual show that the ideas of the German General Staff on the -conduct of warfare are diametrically opposed to the views generally -adopted by civilized countries. It is the systematic carrying-out of -these ideas which has caused the devastation and desolation of Belgium. - - It is by making a deep study of the history of wars that, “_one may - protect oneself against exaggerated humanitarian ideas_.” - - (Laws of War on Land, pp. 6 and 7) - - The claims of professors of International Law (in regard to a certain - point under discussion) “should be deliberately rejected in principle - as being opposed to the rules of war.” - - (Ibid page 46) - - The claims of certain professors of International Law in this respect - are absolutely contrary to the necessities of warfare, “and should be - rejected by military men.” - - (Ibid pages 44 and 45) - - An energetically conducted war cannot be carried on solely against - the combatant enemy and his defenses, but extends and should extend - to _the destruction of his material and moral resources. Humanitarian - considerations, such as respect for persons and property, can be taken - into consideration only provided that the nature and object of the war - adapt themselves to that course._ - - (Ibid page 3) - -The above extracts indicate clearly the spirit of the German military -class, namely, - - To protect themselves against humanitarian ideas, as against a - dangerous infection. - - To cast aside international law if found incompatible with convenience. - - To strike not only at the enemy’s armed forces, but to terrorise him - by striking at his “material and moral resources,” _i. e._ his home - and property, his wife and children. - -These injunctions of the German Code of 1902 have been fully carried -out in Belgium, and have converted the German army into “a horde of -barbarians and a band of incendiaries.” - -The “ethics” of the German Military Code have also been supported by -German jurists inoculated with the germ of the same “Kultur.” - -Meurer, in his book on the Hague Peace Conference, says that there is -no violation of international law “when an act of war is necessary to -support the troops or to defend them against a danger which cannot be -avoided by any other means, or when the act is necessary in order to -realize or assure the success of a military operation which is not in -itself prohibited.” - - (“Die Haager Friedenskonferenz,” II Band, page 14) - -In other words “Necessity Knows No Law.” It is the same doctrine -proclaimed by the Imperial German Chancellor, Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg, -and upheld by other German jurists such as Dr. Karl Strupp, who says: - - “A body of troops may be obliged to let their prisoners starve, if the - commander thinks this is the only means of carrying out an order which - he has received, for example, an order to reach, at a certain time, a - place indispensable for the proper conduct of the operations. - - “The stipulations of the Laws of War may be disregarded whenever - the violation of them seems to be the only means of carrying out - a military operation or of assuring its success, or, indeed, of - supporting the armed forces, even though it be only one soldier.” - - (“Das Internationale Landkriegsrecht,” 1914, - pages 7 and 8) - -In short, according to the German idea, the recognized Laws of War, -as understood by civilized nations, are to be practised by Germany -only when found convenient. The alleged killing of one German soldier -in Aerschot led to the destruction of the whole town and the massacre -of many innocent citizens. It was contrary to Law, but it was in -accordance with the spirit of the German Military Code of 1902. - -The German Army invaded Belgium with the full intention, in case of -resistance, of carrying on a war of terror by means of massacre, -robbery and destruction--a war to “destroy the material and moral -resources of the enemy.” Moreover, the German officers were provided -with forms drawn up in the French language to facilitate them, -especially in their work of robbery and arson. - -They do not seem to have needed anything to facilitate them in their -work of massacre. - -These forms are found in a book published at Berlin by Bath, in 1906, -entitled “The Military Interpreter,” destined for the use of German -officers “in the enemy’s country,” which seems to be a French speaking -country such as Belgium or France, as the forms are drawn up in French. -The book contains, to quote its introduction, “the French text of the -majority of the documents, letters, proclamations and other forms which -may be needed in time of war.” - -Among these interesting documents we find the following form to be -used by officers when wishing to rob a whole city at once. It will be -observed that the pretended excuse for the robbery is supplied. The -document is as follows: - - “A fine of 600,000 marks, on account of the attempted assassination of - a German soldier by a .........., has been imposed upon the City of - O......... by order of........... - - “Fruitless efforts have been made to secure the remittance or - reduction of this fine. - - “The limit of time fixed for the payment of the fine expires tomorrow, - Saturday, December 17th, at noon. - - “Bank Notes, Coin, or Silverware will be accepted.” - -The general outline of this useful form was followed by General Baron -von Leutwitz when on November 1st, 1914, he imposed upon the City of -Brussels “an additional fine of Five Million Francs” on account of an -alleged altercation between a Belgian policeman, named De Ryckere, and -a German soldier. - -Here is another form, intended to give an air of justification to an -act of robbery: - - “The German authorities, having demanded a war contribution of two - million francs from the city of M........., because its inhabitants - fired upon the German troops when entering the city, and the - municipality having declared that it has not the necessary funds - and that it cannot find such funds among the citizens, the German - authorities demand a settlement by bills of exchange.” - -If the above demand failed to produce the desired results, the German -Commanders were provided with another form to be used as a “follow-up” -letter. This is a form of letter to be written by the Commanding -General to his subordinate, and the substance is to be communicated to -the recalcitrant citizens. - - “I acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 7th of this month telling - me of the great difficulties you think you will meet in collecting the - contributions. - - “I can only regret the explanations that you think proper to make on - this subject. The order in question (which comes from my Government) - is so clear and precise, the orders which I have received (on this - subject) are so explicit, that, _if the amount due by the City of - B......... is not paid the city will be burned without mercy_.” - -The foregoing form seems to have been substantially followed by -Lieutenant General von Niebur in his letter to the Burgomaster of Wavre -on August 27th, 1914. A fine of three million francs was imposed upon -the little town of Wavre for an alleged attack on the German troops, -and in his letter of the above date Lieutenant General von Niebur -declares that “_the City of Wavre will be burned and destroyed if the -levy is not paid in due time, without regard for anyone; the innocent -will suffer with the guilty_.” - -Here is another form for extorting money from a community: - - “On account of the destruction of the bridge at F......... I command, - as follows: - - “The district shall pay an additional contribution of ten million - francs, as a fine. This information is brought to the knowledge of - the public with the following notice, namely, that the manner of - distributing the assessment will be indicated later, and that the - payment of the said amount will be exacted with the greatest severity. - _The village of F......... has been at once burned with the exception - of certain houses reserved for the use of the troops._” - - The foregoing form recalls the Proclamation of General von Buelow to - the Municipal Authorities of Liege, on August 22nd, 1914, in which - he said: - -“_It is with my consent that the Commander-in-Chief has ordered the -whole town (of Andenne) to be burned and that about one hundred people -have been shot._” - -The scenes of horror and barbarism depicted in the Reports of the -Official Belgian Commission of Inquiry have not been brought about -by accident. They are the direct result of the orders given and the -doctrines inculcated by the German General Staff. - - - - - * * * * * - -Transcriber’s Notes - -The use of Roman numerals for the section headings was made consistent. - -Minor punctuation errors have been corrected. - -On page 18, “druken” was changed to “drunken.” (drunken orgies, sack of -whole towns) - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Martyrdom of Belgium, by Gerard Cooreman - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MARTYRDOM OF BELGIUM *** - -***** This file should be named 53636-0.txt or 53636-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/6/3/53636/ - -Produced by Cindy Horton, Brian Coe, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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