A THING OF HORROR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 103, 24 September 1914, Page 3

A THING OF HORROR.

FIGHT BEFORE LIBUE.

uUEN FLUNG RUTHLESSLY AT FENCES.

MOWN. DOWN IX HUNDREDS. SPIRIT OF ATTACKERS BROKEX. The story of the attack upon Liege was cabled to America on August \l, before the las* mail left, by Count Rudolph Ehrenburg, who acted at Maastricht (Holland) as a war correspondent for a group of papers. He wrote:— Fugitives from the German army operating against Liege have given details of the advance into Belgium and the attack on Liege from the invaders' point of view . They belonged to a detachment which was overpowered by Belgian cavalry, and fled into Holland lo escape capture. They were disarmed by the Dutch soon after they exoss the frontier, and I understand they intend to emigrate 19 America. They have- had enough of campaigning and a country in which militarism is rampant. Here is the story of the march on Liege as related by the most intelligent one: — "We went by train to Herbesthal, ths last German town, the outskirts of which touch the frontier. We travelled in open goods trucks, and the journey was like a triumphal progress, everywhere acclaimed by the people. Old men came out to bless us, and women and girls passed alongside the train, encouraging us witih kind words, and more substantial gifts of food and drink.

NO RESISTANCE OX FRONTIER. "At Hcrbesthal we took to the road, land advance into Bcflgi&n territory. On the frontier itself there was absolutely no resistance, though I believe a iew stray shots were fired at our cavalry scouts, who preceded the main body. "After occupying the first Belgian town of Limburg, where locomotives and rolling stock were found, we continued our advance to Verviers, whicli was [ cleared of Belgian troops by our cavalry i before our arrival. The inhabitants of Verviers watahed our march into the town with terror, withdrawing into their houses and peeping from behind closed shutters, evidently fearing that w« would commit outrages. "Nothing of the kind happened, and we marched to the offices of the municipal- . ity and tore down the Belgian flag, which was replaced by a German flag amid tho cheers of our men. A proclamation of the annexation of Verviers aid the district was read in French outside the Town Hall, and posted in ail parts of the place. Martial law was proclaimed, and the residents were warned that any resistance to the German military authority would be punished j by summary execution.

"A German officer took over the administration of the town, and began by lequisiitioning food and otJ>©r supplied. and various kinds of subsistence for the German troops. . His orders were carried out meekly, even zealously, by the citizens of Vcrviers, who told some of our man quartered in the houses that they had received instructions from Brussels to offer no opposition.

DAYS OF HORROR. "Among the regulations enforced was o»e «ompelling the townspeople to be within doors by sunset, and not leave their houses before sunrise. They were forced to find quarters for our men, and hand over the bread from the bakeries, which wero kept working day and Bight, also to yield stored meats, groceries and eatables at all kinds to such an extent that the Belgians themselves were left in a sorry plight. Any kind of riolenoo against the civilian inhabitant* was strictly prohibited unless we were attacked. Then wo had orders to shoot without hesitation in self defence.

"After a few hours the Belgians got over the first fright and fraternised with the invaders as far as possible with t'Ge difference of languages. Then followed with astonishing rapidity tlie advance to Liege, the first part of the journey being done by train, but not far. The retreating Belgians soon began to tear up the permanent way. so We had to take to ths road again and march. The ujc of the. railway to and beyond Verviers caused our sudden appearance before Liege. "Tien we went through days of horror. I took part in the earler attacks on the Belgians defending Liege, and, though I am not ft coward, the. sights I saw and the wholesale slaughter of our men Hlled me with dread. Again and again we advanced, always in close formation, lying and shooting at an elevation given us by the officers, running forward and dropping again on our etonuuhs, sun tiuuing to lire and advance again, always nearer to the lines of our enemv.

MOVYBD DOWN IN HUNDREDS. "As wo pressed forward, our ranks kecams thinner and thinner. Shells i burst among us, killing and wounding, and such wounds were far worse than death itself, while the rifle fire of the Belgians mowed down our men in dozens, scores, hundreds. "Have you ever heen under fire, ever pHshed forward against the invisible enemy, with comrades dropping dead or mutilated all around you? Ever seen the effect of modern artillery trained on ttaijsps of human Icings? Ever s;vn lir.aps of dead nad heaps of wounded all mixed together? Kvcr heard the cries of fallen soldiers you were obliged to leave fo their sufferings in order to conlinue the battle? If not, you cannot imagine what we went through at Liege. Pome of our attacks were by day and .otflers by night. "Our officers, reckless in their bravery, led jus, urged us, encouraged us to t'te'.ow away our lives. I think then' was much needless bloodshed. We. marched straight towards the enemy's lines and toward hostile ariillery as if on a manoeuvre field. Jt wis uiaguiiicent, but not as war .should be conducted.

SPIRIT OF ATTACKERS IIROKKX. ''lf there "were moments when we broka and ran, it was because a further advance into the jaws of death was a sheer impossibility. After the first assault*, with their disastrous endings, the spiirt of the attackers was broken. Deep depression followed the buoyant courage with which we maivhed into I he enemy's country. The lack of enthusiasm spread through all the ranks, and retarded success, yet with relentless discipline we were required to hurl ourselves repeatedly at lines which seemed unbreakable. "Then, when only a fraction of our regiment survived, we moved to a dilrcrcut part of the battlefield, while fresh 11' oops were brought up to through the sani" course of action. It was comiron talk among out men till,n. hundreds of wounded were left for hours without any kind of adequate attention, for fue simple reason that it was impossible to reach them without almost certain death.

"Tbcir sufferings were heart-rending beyond the powers of description, and there were sights that even within the. din of battle shook our serves and struak terror to our hearts. The bravest of men may well be full of (ear on a modern battlefield." WHOLESALE CREMATION. The young German who told this tale of war was well educated and refined, a conscript from a middle-class family. His companions had similar things to relate. All agreed that the courage of the German rank and file was superhuman, and that they were needlessly exposed to a hostile fire when different tactics would have diminished the sacvific« of life. The wholesale cremation of the bodies of German soldiers killed in the fighting before Liege was also described by the fugitives who crossed the frontier into Holland. During two or thrw successive nights after the fearful carnage around the forts of Liege the Germans collected their dead and piled them in heaps of twenty or thirty each. Funeral services were held, and military salutes were fired over each heap, which was then burned.