homeless.
34
The City of Ypres had one of the most wonderful and most ancient halls in Belgium or in Europe. It is now a mass of ruins, deliberately destroyed.
The City of Rheims in France was noted the world over for its glorious Cathedral. The Cathedral was built in the 14th century, and has been described as a poem in stone. It is closely associated with all French history, for when France had kings they were all crowned there. The windows were filled with exquisite stained glass of ancient date and marvellous colour. Wars have been raged around Rheims many times in the past, but the worst Vandals have always been careful to abstain from damaging this ancient glory. Not so the German Army, which has ruthlessly bombarded and destroyed it, though at the time of its destruction it was filled with German wounded soldiers, who were being healed by French doctors and nursed by French nurses. The Vandals of yore, ignorant and uncultivated, might have been forgiven for destroying this temple, but what forgiveness is there for a nation that prides itself on its Kultur, and yet which deliberately destroys one of the noblest monuments of human art?
The keeper of a wine-shop, The French town of Senlis was invaded by the Germans. named Simon, angry at seeing his native town invaded, took a gun and fired at German The Germans, not content with shooting troops, killing one man and wounding another.
Simon, which they were justified in doing, also shot his son, which was contrary to International Law; worse still, they seized the Mayor of the town and a dozen of the principal inhabitants, who knew nothing of the deed, placed them against a wall and shot them all. They then destroyed the town by fire. Thus does Prussia spread its German
Kultur. Could barbarians do any worse?
By the side of these outrages the criminal attack made by German warships and aeroplanes upon undefended English coast towns, where no soldiers but many innocent people were killed, may be counted as comparatively insignificant.
British and French aeroplanes have also flown over German territory, but in every case they have attacked German military and naval positions, and never unprotected German towns. Britain and France stand for the support of International Law. Germany for its destruction.
In barbarous warfare no All war is evil, but there is civilised war and barbarous war. distinction is made between combatants and non combatants; all are slain, men, women and children In civilised warfare soldiers fight soldiers, but respect the people. Germany has filled her cup of iniquity to the full in Belgium. Her Kultur is proved to be the basest barbarism, Thousands of non-combatant Belgians have been slain, two millions have been driven into exile, their homes burned to the ground, their goods looted as if by brigands, and all they possessed torn from them or destroyed. A quarter of a million of Belgians fled over the sea to England for safety. Over a million are being fed and clothed in Holland, a neutral country which, at enormous cost, keeps every one of its soldiers armed and on guard on its frontier, ready to defend itself, not against the suffering Belgians, nor against
35
England, but against the nation Germany, whose honour it sees to be so unworthy of trust, and whose immoral Kultur stands out as the rankest barbarism.
The instances given above are taken as samples out of vast numbers of cases, and the worst have not been related, for it would be too great a shame to put them in print. The treatment of Belgian defenceless women, old men, and babes is too gross for discussion.
Were these the acts of individual soldiers some excuse might be allowed, though even in such cases officers have responsibility for the deeds of their men. But these are the organised deeds of the German army, done under the orders of the highest German authorities.
The Kaiser himself is responsible for them all, for he has given utterance to commands that fully attest his desire that these horrible acts should be committed. In an earlier chapter on the Kaiser some of these sayings are given, and one of them which relates to the Chinese has especial interest for China. In that he described himself as Attila, and his soldiers as Huns Attila was the leader of the ancient Huns, who were the scourge of Europe, as they were of Asia. In like manner the Kaiser ordered his Huns to slay Chinese without pity. No other Western nation has harboured such cruel designs.
If Germany be successful in destroying the laws, which civilised nations have laboriously built up for their redemption from savagery, let not China think that she will profit thereby. For if Germany, or any other Power, be allowed to divest itself of law and honour, then woe to any nation that withstands it. No treaty will stand, no contract be anything but a "scrap of paper," no promise be sacred, but China and all the world must stand anxiously under their frightful and increasing burden of armis, one nation sleeplessly eyeing the other, because honour is dead and good faith is buried. Law binds the world together. Destroy it, and the world is shattered. War at best is an evil thing, but lawless war is brigandage and piracy. Alas! for China and the world if the Prussian doctrine that "might is right" be allowed to prevail. This doctrine has been broken down in every civilised nation by the strength of the law. In like manner it must be broken down by the strengthening of International Law, and to no nation will this be a greater gain than to China.
Germany will not go unpunished for her crimes, for law is divine, and divine law is inexorable. They that trust in the sword and not in rectitude will perish by the sword, the sword of divine justice.
14
As the British Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith, has said :-
"If I am asked what we are fighting for, I reply in two sentences. In the first place to "fulfil a solemn international obligation, an obligation which, if it had been entered into "between private persons in the ordinary concerns of life, would have been regarded as an obligation not only of law but of honour, which no self-respecting man could possibly have "repudiated. I say, secondly, we are fighting to vindicate the principle which, in these days **when force, material force, sometimes seems to be the dominant influence and factor in the "development of mankind, we are fighting to vindicate the principle that small nationalities
496
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.