GERMANY'S GREATEST CRIME.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 232, 10 March 1915, Page 6

GERMANY'S GREATEST CRIME.

CHILDREN AS SOLDIERS. The dreadful position of a soldier call ed upon to fight against some of the very young men put into the field by th.? Germans is described in the Dyeu newspaper, of Petrograd, by a Russian officer. ''To me," he is reported as saying, "the most terrible thing about this war is the participation of children on the German side. lam not a young man, and I have seen many campaigns. Without being accused of boasting, I think I may say I have never experienced fear, yet j when I sec children of 13 and 14, and I | have to order my men to shoot or bayonet them, I lose my nerve. Near the village of R ,in i'oland, we had just can ied a German trench, and a momentary lull had occurred. It was dusk. Suddenly in front of me I saw a figure silhouetted against the sky. Instinctively I grabbed my revolver, and looked more intently at the figure. Then I saw the slender form of a mere boy, lie wore a sad and painful expression as he pointed his rifle at me and took deliberate aim. For one instant my sense of self-preservation seemed to have left me. I don't know why, but I simply stood and smiled at him. My right hand, in which I held my revolver, fell limp at my side. He also lowered his rifle and stared at me. I saw an evil sparkle in his eyes, and suddenly a shot rang out. He had fired and missed me, and again lie raised his rifle. Then I whipped cut my revolver and pressed the trigger, and the boy fell. I cannot yet rid myself of the sinister sensation I experienced in killing that child—for he was little move. I think it is the greatest crime the Germans have yet committed to allow these young boys to fight, even if they do volunteer."