WAR NEWS BY MAIL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2412, 18 March 1915, Page 6

WAR NEWS BY MAIL

; 'GERMAN ATROCITIES IN BELGIUM : NEUTRAL STATES REPROACHED | FOR SILENCE. ' In place ;of a leading article, tho ! Paris,;" Figaro" on February 9 printed ' » long extract from tho preface writf ten by M. Carton de Wiart to the book ; hj. M. Pierre Nothomb, entitled "The f Barbarians- in Belgium," which is i shortly to appear. In tlie course of it ' lie' writes : t-v "A great Power, with others, had in- : sistcd, first, that Belgium should ro- ! main for all time neutral, and then sudj tlenly demanded that we should violate ] this neutrality to its advantage and :■ against that of its co-signatories. Geri. Jna.ny, had assumed the duty of guaran-teeing-our neutrality, and, like a cowiard, leaped at our throats. Did his ; tory ever sea such flagrant perjury? ; Not without cynicism the German Chan- ! cellor rccognised as much on August ; 4 on the platform of tho Reichstag. ; InL' the fact of such a crime what have : tho • forty-two States that solemnly ; signed the first article of one of the JHague Conventions done or said? Is : the-.territory of neutrals inviolable? I "An agreement was also entered into 'at The Hague ■ by these States under . the title 'Laws arid Customa of Land . ,Warfare.' This agreement laid down ' certain absolute rules and defined a :minimum'of the exigencies imposed 011 j- belligerents in respect of human life and i tho; property of others. Of all thesa f regulations there 'is not a single one ; the nori-recognition of which by Ger- : 1 many has, not been clearly proved, r Hardly had'their armies crossed our j territories when they- mado, haste to L pillage, massacre, and outrage. Their i (proclamations, signed by civil or milii tary chiefs, made a system of atrocious collective punishment. . Thousands of ; non-combatants, including priests, old j men, women, and children, ivere shot or | tortured. Thousands of others worf> r taken prisoners to Prussia. Without : svny strategic necessity, undefended ■. .towns wero bombarded. Celebrated i churches, scientific and charitable ~es;- ; tablishments. and wonderful works of ; art were destroyed. Theft was organised 011 a large scale as a business. .That is'llo more war than assassination 5s a duel. It is a- terrible ;' tion of crimes against law and of san- | guinary atrocities. "In the face of these crimes, what ! have the States whose agreements have ; been so openly flouted said or' done? iWbere has an official voice been raised : in. protest? International law, the . Jaws of war, natural law —what is the use of these grand terms except to dupe : the weak and allow the strong to ap- : jpeal to them whenever they can gain ! Bo'mo advantage?"- '