THE HONG KONG TELEGRAPH.
HOW GERMANY HAS TREATED BELGIUM,
BY DR. ARTHUR TACQUIN.
One of the Physicians-in Ordinary to H.M. the King of the Belgians, Surgeon in the Red Cross Ambulance in the Royal Palace at Brussels.
EXTRA
HONGKONG, SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1915,
ring of the Antwerp forta Bel. gian infantry made a sortie to try to prevent the Germans bringing up their heavy guns. Our men were repulsed leaving 36 wounded on the field: Another gortie the next day was more successful, and they found our 36 wounded all dead, their skulla smashed in by the butts of the rifles of German regular soldiers. Photographs were taken and are in possession of the Belgian Headquarters staff.
The Reptile Press. Shut off from the world in Brussels, closely watched by swarms of German epics, wo were not able to realise what was hap pening in the country. We were ing havocke of all, and driving A heap of dead bodies, in a ter-deprived of the services of the
The following appeared in the were in, and, mind you, it was all London Field of February 13. done under the eyes of their of
"For 6 days and 7 nights to-ficers. gether raged be in this wise mak-
A Funeral Pyre.
A Personal Inspection.
a
to
Chaos and Ruins,
'.
a
*
Policy of" Frightfulness."
The tremendous flames which the town crier that nobody would method is not always successful; Thero is nothing to show the sites meds:
the
whole valley do any harm to them, and all that in several banking establishurate, of the private houses, abope, and are up, reflected by the they had to do was to lodge the for instance, the managers refused hotels I used to know. I make quiet waters of the river soldiers and supply them with categorically, prefering to die, my way, climbing over mountains the deafening noise of tumbling focd.
The oxyhydric lamp is employed of debris towards the charming. A little later motor cats arrive, for choice by the thieves; looks country house of an old friend brickwork, the crackling of burn- ing roofs and beams, the cries of amongst them vehicles with drawn are thus out out.in a few moments, of mino, Dr.......It is entirely in the inhabitante mad with terror, blinds fall of officers sud armed giving free access to the contents. rains; nothing remains but gaunt. the shouts of the German bar-soldiers.
Another method consists in burst pieces of wall, rising spectre-like barians, the bellowing of animals The officers go to the town hall, ing the door open by means of a from the banks of the Meuse. that could not sacapo, and, over an armed guard is stationed at dynamite cartridge. They also Lackly the proprietor has been able use hammer and chisel. After to fly before the walls threatopod all this pandemonium the sharp the door, the authorities are ar. pracks of the rifles and machine rested and detained as hostages. the looting, fire is set to the houses, to orush him in their fall. Among guns, the bursting of incendiary Woe to them, they are made and for this part of the business the ruins I do not meet anybody bombs, and the deep booming of responsible for the good behavi- the armies of the Kaiser. have but women and children in moura- the cannon on the rocky heights. our of their town; let but one special companies called the "In- ing, who walking about in a mad Nothing more tragic surely, than civilian fire a shot and they will cendiary Companies." These aimless fashion, like shades that euch a sight, which must have be shot. The officers proceed to soldiers are pastmasters in the bave returned from the beyond; surpassed in horror the burying appropriate the funds in hand at art of starting the conflagration of the entire male population has“. of those Roman towne by Vesuvius, the town hall; they order the house in a few moments. They been shot or taken into German the common people to take up rible state, was piled up, and on post, telephone, the telegraph, and the destruction of St. Pierre safes to be opened. Very soon are provided for this purpose captivity. But German soldiers,
and the railway, their lodginge and showed them- the top of it the German officer and
what de la Martinique by the erup the main body of troops arrives; with special bombs, which they happy and well satisfied with selves the while about the tombs placed a little óhild-alive, mind ever ñows came through, tion of Mont Palee. These rains they spread over the town. They throw through the windows into their work, come and go, armed bean twisted and are no longer corpses; they are the rifle the tobacconist's shops, in- the rooms. They also garry small to the teeth, as if they feared nots and monuments of the dead. you-with its little lege wedged bad During this time, besides an in-in by the corpses. Then they perverted by the papers who skeletons of towns and villages, vade inne and taverns, All at pastilles composed of picrate of of revenge by the few miserable finit number of houses standing photographed the gruesome ex- had bent their necks to the yoke and their photographs convey but once a few shots are heard; potassium. Further more, they survivore who have entered again apart from others, the goodly hibit. The other case was an of Prussian despotis. These in- a very poor idea of the tragio general uproar. Under the threat are armed with rifles that throw the houses spared accidentally. andifies and buildinga of the noble unhappy mother, who had fled to famous sheets never breathed a reality. Those scenes ought to of being shot the inhabitants are burning fuses. There is method And-height of ireny-sentinele captains in old time, adorned still the street with her child in her word of the atrocities committed have been perpetuated by the ordered to leave their houses as in their way of working as the with bayonote guard the ruined Ceriain town. At each step women and and beautified with the spoiles of arms. She was taken, and despite outside the capital by the barbar- cinematograph, but the barquickly as ever possible. Soldiers, following will show. enemies, the stately temples also her supplications, her baby was one hordes. Hence my resolution borians, conscious of the infamy revolvers in hand, ran from soldiers armed with axes go from children speak to me and tell me to housé shooting house to house, and make little of the terrible scenes they have of the gods, vowed and dedicated killed before her eyes, and she was to have a look round the country of their deeds forbade strictly from house
"We have no longer. by the auntient kings first, and made to bary it for the amuse-even at the risk of being shot, or, the first moment the entered through the windows and the holes in the doors, others follow witnessed. afterwarde in the Paniek and the ment of the soldiers who sur- at the very least being sent to Balgisa soil, threatening dire gratings of the cellars. They and push a strip of celluloids home, no longer a family; they' French ware
burned all on a rounded her. Cases of outrage German fortress.
punishment, any photographs of forse everybody to come out into through these holes; a third lot have killed all our friends." The light fire and in one word, what have been so common that no
the savage scenes they enacted. the open-women, children, aged pour paraffin or petrol over it all, nahappy creatures lead me to the Boever remained from old time single village or town has escaped, I wanted to see for myself, I This constitutes an irreparable people, invalida, sick people; no- and last of all comes, those who places of execution, where their loss for the history of humanity body is spared. Like animals, set fire to the celluloid. The fatners or their brothers have been worth the seeing and memorable in many cases the frantic woman wanted to gather information from and for civilisation, for these they are roughly put in droves and whole house is very soon in flames; shot; the walls against which they was consumed. This fire beheld or girl has been held down by the the very mouths of the survivory, photographs would have been taken to the railway station, or lamentable erica ring out from have been lined up still show the he daily out of Maecenas high soldiers for the pleasure of their from those who sawin shortfrom toure; and taking joye (as he sayd officers. "Often the members of witnesses who lived to tell the such an embodiment of the horrors whatever big building there may those who have taken refuge in bloodstains and the traces of the himselfe) at the beautiful flame the victim's family the husbands, tale, for the barbarians had not of war that the mere mention of be. The are told that civilians have the cellars and cannot escape. bullets, which have smashed that it made," chaunted the win- the mothers, or the children, were killed every Belgian and there war would have made the nations fired on soldiers, and that they Others who have got away are bricks and stone, People show ning and destruction of Torie in tied hand and foot and made to are still a few left to accuse them of the fature tremble.
are going to be shot in expiation. thrown back into the flames with me the traces of the projectiles in that Musition's habit wherein he witness the outrages inflicted on before the high court of justice
The unhappy innocent beings get out mercy. Thus soldiers have the gratings of the collars through was wont to sing upon the stage. their loved ones, Another and and history, I wanted In order to enhance still more mad with fear; nobody amonget been seen throwing little children which the soldiers massacred, from And because he would not miese, very prevalent form of oruelty, of see those widows and orphans. the sinister character of their them has fired a shot. They are into the flames in the presence of the street, those inhabitants that but lay fast holde upon all the which I have personal and I wanted to talk with them on the work of devastation, in order to all honourable citizens, including their mothers, nearly demented had sought refuge in their base- bootie and pillage which possibly irreproachable testimony, is this: scene of their misfortunes, on the terrorise still more the population, members of the best classes. At with grief. And all that took ments. There was not a single he could come by, even from when the Germans are using their rains of their homes, and in the to indulge still more in their lust Louvain-autely the most tragio place under the eyes of the officers spot in the town but bas witnessed thence also, having promised heavy siege guns, which are fired cellars where they have sought of destruction and to massacre irony of Fate a member of the who commanded their men to do a bloody drama. A young man tells me, "They have knocked in free leave to cast forth dead kar- from a distance by electric con- refuge, where they were still will greator ease the inhabitanis, Hague Peace Conference found such atrocious deeds.
the door of our house, my father kasses, and rid away the rammell tact, they have been in the habit of exposed to the bullets of the the Germans used for proference, himself accused like the rest. The of the ruines, looke what reliques tying unfortunate civilians with eavages, Surrounded by smoking and villages. These tortures of women and children; most of the night, for setting fire to towns men are now separated from the
gets killed in the hall, a ballet The pretext given for these hits my mother in the cheat; the remained of all their goods. and rapes, eto., in close proximity to debris, I wanted to reconstruct in destruction could be seen from them are led to the wall of ex- misdeeds is always the same: madmen enter the kitchen, they substance unburnt, he permitted the gan, so that when the dis my mind, the maddening, the afar, inspiring terror over a wide scution, and a machine gun mo wa German soldiers have been fired butcher my grandfather in his not one to goeunto it. Finally, charge takes place the concussion horrible, the tragic, experiences not only by receiving, but also by may break the ear drume of the which had fallen to the lot of those ares, lighting up the path of the them down. The remainder ate on by civilains. It has been easy chair, my grandmother sinka extracting Contributions from all victims. It is only a doctor who who lived to guide me around and Teuton armies, preceeded by the entrained in cattle trucks and proved at Louvain that it was the down in the corner with a smaali- parts, he beggered well neere the can realise the exoruciating pain to tell me Here fell my father
renown of their invincibility. In taken to Germany, where they German soldiers themselves who ed skall. I alone succeeded in provinces and consumed the and refined barbarity of this under the knife of the slaughter-san officers let the peasant wo- the worst description, and cruel-less the innocent civilina popals widow of Desire Quaillon (who the fields near Dinant, the Prus- are accused of being evildoere of killed each other; but neverthe-soaping Boross the roofe." The wealth of private persons,"
"-"treatment." In one case, which er over there is the callar into From the life of Nero," by I have mysolf authenticated, a which he had fled with my little man see the burning Diaant ly treated by all parts of the po- tion had to suffer terrible repris has been shot) leads me to her Suetonis translated by Philemon poor Catholic priest was stripped brother in his arms....
ale without any kind of prelimin. little house, which by a lucky through their field glosses, and pulation. On this naked and tied down astride one spot my husband was killed by beautiful, is it not ? That's what told them enceringly. "This is Holland.
Loat for Germany.
ary investigation. In other cases charce has not been burat down. I have personally satisfied myof the heavy siege guns. He died the Bavages...
Every
While the inhabitants are thus soldiers of the Belgian and Allied Everything has been sacked. energetic There are tricas of bullets every- self as to the truth of the following from the awful shock caused by corner of these ruined houses, Belgian bas to pay for trying to hunted down, and while some of armies had offered
whose blackened gables rise in a
them fly in all directions, the resistance in certain towns and where in the ceilings, the walls, facte, which are fairly typical of the terrible detonation. the mass of evidence I have German Civilians Help,
Following the trail of the Ger- looting for their houses takes villages. For that the German and the doors; the mirror over mute plaint to heaven, has wit- collected ::
Now, I am not squeamish, Inessed a sombre drama. I haveled throughout with rains, with farniture-vane, and vehicles of all the civilian population; but their as well sa' the window panes, man army across Belgium, mark-place systematically. Motor-vans, troops took systematic revenge on the fireplace has been smashed,
A number of towns in Belgium and in Morrocco. I know what little bodies had formed a living truction, the spectator is stricken as if it was moving day. Every inhabitants into impeding the/it goes by itself that they fire rifle have been, in the Belgian Congo seen those children whose poor nameless horror, death, and des- descriptions go from door to door. secret purpose also to terrorise the When the terms that they are rifle have been systematically destroy savages are capable of. As a rampart for the gallant battalions with awe. Is it possible that a thing of valus, furniture, worke military operations of the defend- and revolver shots: In a small
is a
doctor I thought I kuew what of the Kaiser. They showed me human agency could work 80 of art, pianos, paintings, snding troops. Thus whenever they room on the first floor I see a big little town was unfortified and is stand, but I have never seen lifted high over their heads, into time? It seems as if we followed taken away and despatched, to contains hostile troops, the po-bag been killed here, but why, an open place, but was defended militarism gone mad, nor known the jaws of death, in front of the the path of a wandering comst, Germany on the military railways, pulation flies, obstructing the in a sharp engagement by some to what lengths the blood-last fearless German soldiers. But the which, defying the fare of striking illustration of this is roads. The confusion resulting it is a mysterious tragedy, as the French infantry. The German and Sadism can carry a whole French spared their young lives, losses were heavy, and without army. The worst feature of what ceasing fire and rather losing the gravitation, paused too near the given in a letter found on the from the precipitate fight of inhabitants of this house had any provocation from the inhabit has been done in Belgium is that battle that killing women and it was We have no impree- His wife says in this letter along with them whatever they German bullets in the walls.
earth, nanihilating everything in body of a dead. German officer. thousands of people" ants, but in a spirit of revenge, it has nearly all been done children. And the same heroic ion that it ould not have been have safely received the beautiful can on all sorts of vehicles, greatly this is what was done: The in- deliberately and scientifically, and Teutons, who shielded themselves habitants were turned out of their under the eyes of the high com behind innocent victims like red-human beings who did all that, furniture you sent me, but I still hinders the movements of tropa houses and huddled into the mand. The soldiers are so dia-skine on the warpath, were de- but the vandals have left only want a grand for my drawing with stillery and transports. The following fact, chosen from
too clear, traces of their character: room....." If a house is looked A closer study of German pro publiq square and into the churciplined that these cutrages cocurcorated with the iron oroas, I have They have not only destroyed, a few strokes with an are soon ceadinge in Belgium soon leads to ong thousands of similar ones; ches and public buildinge. Then only when they are ordered, not seen it swinging from their but but looted and stolen, and the opene it. Thus you may see at the discovery that all thoir may give an idea of the refine one by one the houses were gone for military reasons, bat from a ton holes, the miserable bit of empty safer, raked out and turned Malines and Louvain superbly atrocions deeds have been pre-ment of an-heard cruelty with through, and all valuable removed desire to strike terror into the iron with which the Emperor re- and taken away in army transport bearts of the Belgian people.wards the climes of his barbarons upside down, mark where they carved dors of oak, the panele of meditated and planned a long which the Germans paraned their waggons. When this had been And to crash their spirit, or soldiers.
passed, All this has been which have been knocked in. time beforehand, that they are but work of destruction. M. Poncelet, done the town was set fire to in sometimes to gratify revenge, Historic Photographs.
organised systematically, and Whore it is impossible to get parts of a Machiavellian scheme, a factory proprietor, who had number of places. When every more often merely to satisfy ne
scientifically. Elading the atriot vigilance of
The follow through the door the thieves enter the one and only end of which is revived at Dinant the old craft of thing had been destroyed all the basest instincts of sexual savages. the German sentinele, I coking is a short skete of the by the windows. They smash the to crush their enemies. The wrought copper, wellknown under valid men were marched away, so I have portraits of the men who photographs of thoro ecceforth German procedure for destroying shop windows, throw the goods sacking of Dinant is without a the name of Dinanderie, was kil be taken as prieaners of war to ordered the systematio pillage and historic places, those looted vil profitably and with little risk an into the streets, and destroy doubt the triumph of Prussian led under particularly atrocious
oircumstances Torn away
from Germany. A number of the in- the burning of all the treasures of ages of which nothing remains open defenceless town. everything they cannot take. They savagery. It would require &. habitants, mostly old men, women, the University town of Louvain. but pieces of bricks and stones
was dragged break the windows and the crocke-whole book to give its fall big his home, he epito of
¿... into the street in and children, were shot down After they had seen that their reduced to ashes and twisted iron A few mounted men enter the ry, pour parrafin over the eatables, (tory.
the supplication of his wife and in cold blood to terrorise the rest. work was good they had then work. I have seen Pompeii and town; they prooood on the short- and let whole barrels fall of beer
A Scene of Desolation. his numerous children, who e 130 They were huddled together in selves.photographed in the Town Berculaneum, but if two thousand eat way to the town hall, where ran into the gutter if they have
out: Have pity on our father":" the Public Square and machine Hall, which was used as their gears have passed since their des- they encounter the authorities. not got time to drink it; in Arriving from Namur through Do not kill him; he is innocent : " guns were turned on them. In headquarters; and this photo truction; bith these towns are One of them speaks French, short, they destroy everything for the charming valley of the Mouse, The unhappy miu implored the the publio square alone more than graph is here reproduced. Then in a better state of preservation, generally a waiter, a barber, or the sheer pleasure of deit oging well known to the English officer in command to take him eighty women and fifty children you will see three German civilian than, for instacos, Dinant a few commercial traveller, who is and causing harm. Redskins tourist, I am thunder struck at further away in order to epsre were thus killed in cold blood. tourists who had themselves weeks after the German armies thoroughly acquainted with the coming down on the form of the sight of the vast heap of ruins his dear ones the spectacle of his My photographs of the xuins of photographed, revolvers in hand, ha i passed through it. Confronted to, and on that to having Wins collars zeceive a pastionlar that all, then, that is left of the or your wife and your children
sometimes even with a squatter could not do better. that spreade before my eyes. Is Dinant show how systematic was by a Belgian photographer they with these scena of destruct on, the destruction. By a curious ac- never paid. In many cases the turible beyond human imagine lived on the spot, making a pro- ly great abare of attention at the joyous town, where it was so good of your wife and
was the answer given, and a shot. cident the status of Light escaped outrages committed by Germanton, I go nit imposible table combination of working bande of the plundering thieves, to take a rest in the summer laid hice out in the street. Bach from harm. May that ecospo prove civilians who have followed the to analyse what I felt, such andspying. Hoannounces that the Scientific Burglary. time? Now she is dead an in- prophetic of a not too distant wake of the armies have been as as my motification. A thou main body of the troops is about They have several methods of finite sadness hangs over is the character of the Prussian future. The town wa
was carefully bad and as mad as those charge-ean thoughts came in my to arrive, assures the authorities opening tates. The first of them the ruins. What a disaster! I officers brought up according to the principles of “ German pillaged before it was burnt. Let able to the soldiers. But these mind I strove in vain to imagine of their perfectly pacific sentim is the simplest of all; it consiste find it difficult to find my way Kultar me give you two specific instances latter were bad enough. During the frightfal spectacle which the ents, and asks that the poof holding a revolver under the among the streets strewn with (To be Continued. of the state of mind the Germans the bombardment of the outer barning town must have offerred, pulation should be informed by nose of the proprietor. Hat this the ruins of the burnt-out houses.
od after having been pillaged:
stop us,"
Organisid Murder.
"
who carry
ever" remain aukcown,
wn have found fittened?
Barbarous Cruelty,
1"
11