INHUMAN GERMANS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 172, 29 December 1914, Page 7

INHUMAN GERMANS.

ATROCITIES IN BELGIUM". CLERIC'S INDICTMENT. ENGLAND AN ARMED CAMP. Christehurcli, Wednesday. After a year's absence Loin Cliristchurcli Canon Burton, vicar of St Michael's and All Angels', returned to this city to-day. During his stay at Home, Canon Burton travelled a good deal, anil visited Belgium, leaving that unJoitumitu country a Week or so lie for ■, the outbreak of war. lie was taken with the (jiii( t, genial character of the Belgian people, and is proportionately shocked to think of the terrible state to which they llave been reduced by the acts of their unprovoked enemy. Speaking regarding the German atrocities, Canon Burton expressed the opinion that there was no doubt whatever that many frightful cruelties had been perpetrated by the Germans in pursuance of their policy of making war in such a terrible i:uJhion as to cow their enemy. No doubt many of the stories told about individual atrocities were false and exaggerated, but, on the other hand, there was no lack of really authenticated cases which were sufficient to fully prove the charges made against the infamous enemy, lie had spoken to several of the thousands oi Belgian refugees who were Hocking to England, and the sum total of their awful stories was quite sufficient to ahow Uio inhuman methods of the Mcrinans. Canon Burton said lie knew an officer who was in tthe lighting round Mons. This officer had told him his own experience, which was sufficiently eiiastly. The officer was lying wounded'and helpless on the field When a German officer approached liirn, and, pulling out his pistol from i,i s holster, deliberately shot him through the chest. 'ldle Eng. lishnian fell back unconscious, and later on the British, force retook the ground and rescued him. There was no possible doubt as to the truth of the English officer's story, and there was also no doubt that it was not an isolated case. BRITONS AWAKE AT LAST. Canon Burton remarked on the calm that prevails regarding the war in Australia. and New Zealand, ami contrasted It with the feverish energy in England, and the wide and universal enthusiasm displayed everywhere. Every little village bad its display of bunting representing the allied flags, and the llag or England was practically an armed camp. A million men were leady totake the field when he left, and 2,<H)0,000 would be under arm 3 by March, u'ver ■- body was madly keen and there was not the slightest doubt that tihe English people, from the 'highest to the lowest were fully awake at last, and realised that they were in a light for their very existence as an Empire and as a nation. Tiiie women were behaving splendidly and were 'helping in every way they could. They bore up well against bad news and were firm and cheery through cverrthing. ' • FINE REQRUITING SPIRIT. There were lots of families in England who had all their men-folk at the front, and Canon Burton's brother-in-law had all his six sons with the forces. Recruiting was going on steadily and m a very satisfactory manner. A good instance of the keenness of the men came under Canon Burton's notice in connection with the (London Scottish Regiment. On a Friday a notice was rut up in London that another battalion of 1000 men was wanted, and by Monday the battalion was raised. This ■Has rwfore the regiment's famous charge. BRAVE BEARING OF WOUNDED. The wounded who came back from the front were well worth seeing, for their bearing was enough to hearten anybody up. Torn and battered about as some of them were, they were as cheery as possible, and from a bundle of bloody bandages one would hear the song, "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," or a laugh and a joke. These were no beaten men, I and they gave Canon Burton the impression of members of a winning football team,