GERMAN CORPSE FACTORY.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1925, Page 1

GERMAN CORPSE FACTORY.

MUSTER V ST I LI/ UNSOLVED. [Australia A S '/.. Cable Association.] LONDON. Oct. 20. Mr Baldwin is intervening in the Charteris controversy, but nothing is to he done until (tenoral Charteris returns. The official viewpoint is that the Government could not do otherwise than disavow responsibility lor the invention. It is pointed out the report that the Germans were utilising human corpses arose from a .statement in Germany's own newspapers. The “l.okal Anzieger's” war correspondent on the 10th April. 1017, saitl there was a great corpse conversion establishment tit Kvergnicourt. The word used was Kadaververwert ungsa nsta hit. Sim.” statements appeared in other German newspapers. The British captured a photographically reproduced order to the Sixth German army, dated 21st. Nor. 1010. reading that it. was necessary to again draw attention to the fact that when corpses wen* delivered to the corpse utilisation establishments, details are to accompany them, showing which troop units they are from, the date, death and illness, also information regarding epidemics. A search of the war museum failed to reveal the forged diary to which General Chatteris's speech referred in the newspaper despatch. Sir Sydney Low. an ox-member of Lord Northclilfo's propaganda committee. stales: “Ever the main guiding rule was to tell the truth, hut not the whole truth, which was impracticable during war time. \Ve did not invent or knowingly circulate falsehoods accordingly. I am utterly confounded at General Charteris’ stunning declaration tlmi he. one of the heads of the intelligence department, deliberately forged one of the most terrible indictments of German brutality and callousness. When the Gormans explained the corpse factory disposed of animals, and not hitman beings T accepted the denial. The question was never settled because the Germans refused to allow neutrals to examine the vat for corpses. If General Charteris’ version is correct, v.c ewe Germany an apology which should lie fully and frankly given.” A tank corps officer in a letter to the “Dispatch" recalls that during the battle of St. Quentin in 1018 he found an underground tunnel near St. Quentin Canal containing huge vats, one whereof contained three naked German.-. The corpses were hound with wire. Another vat was three quarters full of an unspeakably horrid liquid, whereon was a hotly stripped to the waist. The officer says he firmly believes it, was a corpse conversion factory. although Ilit! Germans slated it was a kitchen which a shell had destroyed.