GERMANY’S ROBBER ARMY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1909, 30 November 1918, Page 4

GERMANY’S ROBBER ARMY.

To implant a proper fear of tiermany iu (he nations still neutral, and to warn them of what their fate would be if they should side with the Allies, the Kaiser’s propagandists recently Hooded Spain with a remarkable eireuiar relating to Teutouie arts of fright fulness in the present Avar. It recites the quantity of plunder taken by the Herman forces in occupied territury, the number of churches damaged and destroyed, the amount of money wrung from the helpless inhabitants, and the studied mistreatment of English prisoners of war. One of the most shameless doetimcnts ever issued on behalf of any Government, it will only intensify the worldwide disgust for and dislike of militaristic , Germany, ft reveals not one glimmer of humanity or of the moral sense. ‘’The circular -peaks complacently of an ‘untold amount of war material captured on the batlielield,’ and of ‘incalculable booty in France and Belgium.’ The latter is enumerated as follows: —More than 5,000 watches, more than 18,000 pieces of underwear, exceeding 15,000 embroideries and women's handkerchiefs, 8,700 umbrellas and parasols, nearly 1,000 silver spoons, and 521!,000 bodies of champagne. Besides many art treasures, the Germans eonlisealed oil paintings in Belgium valued at nearly £120,000. The lying eireuiar says that, owing to the treachery of the Belgian priesthood, German soldiers were forced to teach a lesson to French and Belgian Gal holies; so they wantonly destroyed four cathedrals, and rendered eight unserviceable; destroyed 27 churches, and rendered 34 unserviceable. In Boland, also, they destroyed a large, number of churches for alleged military reasons. Charging the Belgian people with “stupid stubbornness,” (he eireuiar says that German others were furred to punish many rich individuals and wealthy cities. In the way of punishments, reprisals, and forced euutrihutiohs, a total of £5,000,000 was obtained for (he German Treasury. This included a Hue of £OOO imposed on Alsatian children who insisted on speaking French, and refused to study German. The circular admits that the English treat their war prisoners with notable kindness, hut says’ that the regime imposed cm the English prisoners by Hie Germans is one of extreme rigour, and. that several thousand English prisoners Imve died in consequence of disease, scanty food, and “oilier accidents” in Germany’s concentration camps. Thus are some of the worst stories of German atrocities confirmed by the advocates of the German cause.