Africa

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 5, 4 August 1916, Page 6

Africa

First Edition.

The/following appeared in our Second Edition of yesterday :

HUN CRIMES. SHOCKING INSTANCES! RECORDED IN BLUE BOOK. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 1.20 p.m.) London, August 2. A Llue Book, detailing German atrocities in Africa based on reports from the Cameroons and East and South-west Africa, includes some shocking photographs of Natives with their hands practically severed and their body covered with great gashes. It contains hundreds of affidavits of eye-witnesses covering thousands of ' atrocities and murders, including men beaten to death, women in a pitiable condition with deep machete wounds on the shoulders, hands and legs, scores of cases of deliberate mutilations, women being killed with axes and bayonets. It is evident the German, European, and Native troops alike engaged in' a policy of murder and rapine. The Blue Book covers the German Army Order of October, 1914, accusing the Dualas of attacking the Germans, ordering the destruction of all villages." The Order ' continues:— "Prisoners must only be taken when caught red-handed. They can legally be tried and condemned to death."| Another order instructed the troops to kill every Native at sight. The German authorities explained in writ-! ing that the British may conquer the country, but they will find no inhabitants. All the cases-.of atrocities were against non-combatants, many being innocent women: and children.