A
o
DRIVEN TO ATROCITIES, GERMAN
COMMANDER TELLS CORRESPONDENT
By E. ALEXANDER POWELL.
By Cablo to The Chicago Tribune.
Headquarters In tho Field of the
Klntu Imperial Army, Chateau Lafero,
near Renalx, Belgium. Throe weokB
ago tho government of Belgium re
quested me to place before the Ameri
can pcaplo a list of Bpeclflc and au
thenticated atrocities committed by
tho German armies upon Belgian non--combatants.
Today General von Boehn, com
manding tho Ninth Imperial field
army, noting mouthpieco of tho Ger
man general staff, has asked mo to
placo boforo tho American people tho
German version of the Incidents In
question.
So far as I am awaro I am tho only
correspondent In tho present war who
lias motored for an entire day through
tho ranks of the advancing German
army, who hns dined as a guest of the
German army commander and his
staff, and who has had tho progress
of the army on tho march arrested in
order to obtain photographs of tho
Gorman troops.
This unusual experience came about
In a curious and roundabout way.
Invited by General Von Boehn.
After an encounter In the streets of
Ghent last Tuesday between a Ger
man military automobile and a Bel
.glan armored car, In which two Ger
man soldiers were wounded, American
VIco Consul Van Heo persuaded the
"burgomaster to accompany him Im
mediately to the headquarters of Gen
eral von Boehn to explain tho circum
stances and ask that tho city should
not be held -responsible for the unfor
tunato affair.
In tho courso of the conversation
with Mr. Van Heo General von Boehn
remarked that copies of papers con
taining articles written by Alexander
Powell criticizing the German treat
ment of tho Belgian civil population
Jiad como to his attention and said ho
regretted he could not have an oppor
tunity to talk with Powell and glvo
lilra tho German version.
Mr. Van Heo said by a fortunate
-coincidence I happened to be In Ghent,
"whereupon the genoral asked him to
Tiring mo out to dinner tho following
day, and Issued a safe conduct through
the German lines.
Though nothing was said about a
photographer, I took with mo Pho
tographer Donald Thompson. As there
was some doubt regarding tho pro
priety of taking a Bolgian driver Into
tho German lines, I drove the car
myself.
1 In Midst of Kaiser's Men.
Half a milo out of Sottehem our
'Toad debouched Into -the great high
way which leads JLJirough LUlo to
Paris. We suddenly found ourselves
in tho midst of the German army. It
was a night never to bo forgotten.
Tar as tho eyo could see stretched
.solid columns of marching men, press
ing westward, over westward.
The lu'my was advancing In three
mighty columns along three parallel
Toads. These dense masses of mov
ing men In their elusive blue gray
uniforms looked for all tho world like
three monstrou3 serpents crawling
.-across tho countryside.
American flags which fluttered from
our windshield proved a passport In
themselves and as wo approached tho
closo lotked ranks they parted to let
us through.
For fl.o solid hours, traveling al
ways at express train speed, wo mo
tored berweon tho walls of the march
ing men. In time tho constant shufllo
of boots and the rhythmic swing of
jsray-clad arms and shoulders grow
maddonlas and I became obsessed
with the fear that I would send tho
car plowing Into the human wedge
on either side.
MIIbs of'German Soldiers.
It seerjed that tho ranks"nevor
would end, and as far as wo were con
cerned tlti?y never did, for wo never
saw or hourd tho ond of that mighty
column.
We pas.itd regiment after regiment,
brlgado alter brigade of Infantry, and
after them hussarB, uhlans, cuiras
siers, field batteries, more Infantry,
moro Held guns, ambulances, then
siege guns, each drawn by 30 horses,
engineers, telephono corps, pontoon
-wagons, armored motor cars, more
uhlans, the sunlight gleaming on their
forest of lances, more Infantry In
spiked helmets, all sweeping by as
irresistible as a mighty river, with
their faces turned toward France.
This was tho Ninth field army and
composed the very flower of the em
pire, Including tho magnificent troops
of tho Imperial guard. It was first
and last a fighting army. Tho men
were all young. They struck me as
being keen as razors and as hard as
nails. Tho horses wore magnificent.
They could not have been better. The
field-guns of the Imperial guard were
almost twice tho size of any used by
our army.
Thirty-two Horses Draw Howitzer.
But the most interesting of all, of
course, wero tho five gigantic howit
zers, each drawn by 10 pairs of horses.
These howitzers can tear a city to
Vlecos at a distance of n dozen miles.
Every contingency seems to have
been foreseen. Nothing was left to
chance or overlooked. Maps of Bel
slum, with which every soldier is pro
vliv are tho finest examples of
topography I have oTer Been. Every
path, every farm building, every clump
of trees, and every twig Id shown.
At ono place a huge nrmy wagon
containing a comploto printing press
was drawn up besldo the road and a
morning edition of Deutscho Krelgor
Zcltung was being printed and distrib
uted to tho passing men. It contained
nothing but accounts of German vic
tories, of which I never had heard, but
It scorned greatly to cheer tho men.
Field kitchens with smoko pouring
from their stoveplpo funnels rumbled
down tho lines, serving steaming soup
and coffco to tho marching men, who
hold out tin cups and had them filled
without once breaking stop.
Covered Wagons Hide Machine Guns.
There wero wagons filled with army
cobblers, sitting cross-legged on the
floor, who wero mending soldiers
shoes Just na If they wero back In
their llttlo shops In tho fatherland.
Other wagons, to all appearances ordi
nary two whoeled farm carts, hid un
der their arched canvas covers nlno
machine guna which could Instantly
bo brought Into action.
Tho medical corps was as magnifi
cent as buslnossllko. It was as per
fectly equipped and as ofllclent aa a
great city hospital.
Men on bicycles with a coll of In
sulated wire Blung between them
strung a field telephono from treo to
tro so tho general commanding could
converso with any part of tho 50 miles
long column.
Tho wholo army never sleeps.
When half Is resting tho other half
Is advancing. Tho soldiers aro treat
ed as If thoy wero valuable machines
which must bo speeded up to tho high
est possible efficiency. Therefore, thoy
aro well fed, well shod, well clothed,
and worked as a negro teamster works
mules.
Only men who are well cared for
can march 35 miles a day week In and
week out. Only once did I see a mall
mistreated. A sentry on duly In front
of tho general headquarters failed to
salute an officer with Bulllclent prompt
ness, whereupon tho officer lashed him
again and again across the face with
a riding whip. Though welts xoso
with every blow, tho soldier stood
rigidly at attention and never quiv
ered. Finally Reaches Von Boehn.
It was considerably past midday and
wo wero within a fow mileB of the
French frontier when wo saw a guidon,
which signifies tho presence of the
head of tho army, planted at tho en
trance of n splendid old chateau. As
we passed through the Iron gates and
whirled up the stately tree-lined drive
-and drew up In front of the terrace a
dozen officers In staff uniform came
running out to meet us. For a few
minutes It felt as If we wero being
welcomed at a countryMiouse In Ameri
ca instead of at tho headquarters of
tho German army In the field. So
perfect was tho field telephono service
that the staff had been able to keep in
touch with our progress along the
lines and were waiting dinner for us.
After dinner wo grouped ourselves
on the terrace In tho self-conscious
attitude people always assumo when
having their pictures taken, and
Thompson made some photographs.
They probably are the only one3 of
tills war, at least of a German general
and an American war correspondent
who was not under arrest.
Then wo gathered about tho table,
on which was spread a staff map of
tho war area, and got down to serious
business. The general began by as
serting that tho stories of atrocities
perpotrated on Belgian noncombatants
wero a tissue of lies.
"Look at these officers about you,"
ho said. "They are gentlemen like
yourself. Look at tho soldiers march
ing past In the road out there. Most
of them aro fathers of families. Sure
ly you don't believe thoy would do tho
things they have been accused of."
Explains Aerschot Crimes.
"Three days ago, general," I said,
"I was In Aerschot. Tho wholo town
now Is but a ghastly, blackened, blood
stained ruin."
"When we entered Aerschot tho son
of tho burgomaster camo Into the
room, drew a revolver, and assassinat
ed my chief of staff," the general said.
"What followed was only retribution.
The townspeople only ot what they
deserved."
"But why wreak your vengeance on
women and children?"
"None has been killed," tho general
asserted positively.
"I am sorry to contradict you, gen
eral," I asserted with equal positive
ncss, "but I have mysolf seen their
mutilated bodies. So has Mr. Ginson,
secretary of the American legation
at Brussels, who was presont during
tho destruction of Louvaln."
"Of courso, thero always Is danger
of women and children being killed
during street fighting," said General
von Boehn, "If they insist on coming
Into tho street. It Is unfortunate, but
It Is war."
Data Startles General.
"But how about a woman's body I
saw, with her hnnds and feet cut off?
How about a white-haired man and his
son whom I helped bury outside Semp
stad, who had been killed merely be
cause a retreating Belgian had shot a
German soldier outside their house?
Thero wero 22 bayonet wounds on the
old man's face. I counted them. How
about tho llttlo girl two years old who
was shot whllo In her .mother's arms
by a uhlan, and whoso funeral I at
tended at Boystopdenberg? How about
tho old man who was hung from tho
rafters In his house by his hands and
roasted to death by a bonflro bolng
builtundor him?"
Tho general seemed somewhat
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
taken aback by tho amount and exact
ness of my data.
"Such things aro horrlblo, If truo,"
ho said. "Of course, on; soldiers, llkn
soldiers of all armies, tjometlmes got
out of hand and do things which wo
would nover tolornto If wo know It.
At Louvaln, for exnmplo, I sentenced
two soldiers to 12 years' penal servl
tudo aplcco for assaulting a woman."
Louvaln Library Incident.
"Apropos of Louvaln," I remarked,
"why did you destroy tho library? It
was ono of tho literary storehouses of
the world."
"Wo regretted that as much as any
ono else," nnswered tho genoral. "It
caught llro from burning houses and
wo could not savo It."
"But why did you burn Louvaln nt
nil?" I asked.
"Because tho townspeople fired on
our troops. Wo actually found ma
chine guns in somo of tho JioUBes."
And smashing his fist down on tbo
tnble, ho continued: "Whenever civil
ians flro upon our troops wo will
teach them a lasting lesson. If women
and children -Insist on getting In tho
way of bullets, so much tho worso for
tho women and children."
"How do you explain tho bombard
ment of Antwerp by Zeppelins?" I
queried.
Explains Zeppelin Bombs.
"Sjppellns havo orders to drop their
bomlis only on fortifications and sol
diery" ho answered.
"An a matter of fact,"- I romarked,
"they only destroyed private houses
and civilians, several of them women.
If on. of those bombs had dropped 200
yards nearer my hotel I wouldn't bo
smokljg ono of your excellent cigars
today."
"Thin Is a cnlamlty which I thank
God didn't happen."
"If ypu feel for my safety as deeply
as that, general," I Bald earnestly,
"you can make qulto suro of my com
ing to no harm by sending no moro
Zeppelins."
"Well," ho said, laughing, "wo will
think about It." He continued grave
ly: "I trust you will tell tho American
pcoplo through your paper what I,
havo t;ld you today. Lot them hear
our sld-i of this atrocity business. It
Is only Justlco that thoy should bo
made familiar with both Bides of tho
question."
I hao quoted my conversation with
tho general as nearly verbatim ns I
can remember It. I havo no comments
to make. I will leave It to my readers
to decide for themselves Just how con
vincing aro the nnBwers of tho Ger
man general staff to tho Bolgian ac
cusations. Photographs German Army.
Before wo began our conversation I
asked the general If Mr. Thompson
might be permitted to tako photo
graphs of the great army passing.
Five minutes later Thompson was
whirled away In a military motor car
clceroncd by an army officer who had
attended tho army school at Fort
Riley. It seems thoy stopped tho car
besldo the road In a placo where tho
light -was good, and when Thompson
saw approaching n regiment or bat
tery of which he wished a picture ho
would tell the officer, whereupon the
officer would blow his whistle, and
the wholocolumn would halt.
"Just wait n fow minutes until" tho
dust sottles," Thompson would re
mark, nonchalantly lighting a cigar
ette, and tho Ninth Imperial army,
whoso columns stretched over tho
countryside ns far as tho eyo could boo
would stand In Its tracks until tho air
was sufficiently clear to get a picture.
Thus far tho only ono who has suc
ceeded In halting tho German army Is
thi' little photographer from Kansas.
Shew Thompson Gunnery.
As a field battery of tho Imperial
guard rumbled pnst, Thompson made
somo remark about the accuracy of
tho American gunners at Vera Cruz.
"Let us show you what our gunners
can do," tnld the officer, and gave an
order. Thero wero moro orders, n por
feet -volley of them, a bugle shrilled
harshly, (ho eight horses strained
against their collars, tho di Ivors
cracked their whips, and tho gun left
the road, bounded across a ditch, and
swung Into position In an adjacent
field.
On n knoll threo miles away an
ancient windmill was beating tho air
with Its hug wings. Tho shell hit tho
windmill fair and square and tore It
Into splinter?.
"Good wo.'k," Thompson observed
critically; "If those fellows of yours
keep on they'll bo able to get a Job
In the American navy after tho war "
In all tho a.inals of modern war I
do not believe there is a parallel to
this American '.var photographer halt
ing with an upraUod, peremptory hand
tho advancing nriiy, leisurely photog
raphlng regiment after regiment, and
then having a field gun of tho Impe
rial guard go Into action solely to
gratify his curiosity.
Find English headers.
According to a dlspaiMi from a Dally
Mall correspondent at Koucn tho Ger
mans havo been ablo, with seemingly
uncanny precision, to locate tho head
quarters of tho British general staff,
no matter where It moves.
Throughout ton days, beginning
when tho fighting was about Mono, tho
invadors poured shells close to tho
mooting point of the king's geaerals.
It was tho same thing when head
quarters wero at Dona! and Iundro
cles, whereupon Sir John French with
drow his position to La Cateau. There
it was tho targot of a terrific bom
bardment, which sot flro to tho town
and burned It. Tho next move was to
St. Qucntin, whero again tho British
headquarters wero a mark for the Ger
man fire.
FUNERAL SERVICES FOR THE LATE
Scono in tho Slstlno chapel at Rome during tho funoral services for tho
tho cenotaph and at tho left tho cardinals.
BEAUTIFUL L0UVAIN AS THE GERMANS LEFT IT
3wr Hi
First photograph to reach America
Germans, who nssert that tho citizens
Remarkable photograph, showing tho Ninth British lancers In the act of charging a Gorman battery, which thoy
took, though at heavy loss to themselvos. Tho lancors woro led by Lord Grcnfell, seen nt tho loft with sword extended.
FRESH MEAT FOR
Hoisting ono of a herd of 21 Hteors which wero taken nboard tho French
cruiser Montcalm In tho harbor of San Diego, Cal. Tho Montcalm, which Is
now In Pacific waters searching for Gorman cruisers, In unequipped with a
coin .storage plant, ami carries Just enough fresh beef for Immediate consumption.
Bhowing the beautiful city of Louvaln, Belgium, after Its destruction by tho
fired on the kaiser's troops treacherously.
HEROIC CHARGE OF NINTH BRITISH
FRENCH CRUISER
POPE PIUS X
lato Popo PIub X. In tho coutor is
iA
LANCERS
HEROIC DISPATCH BEARER
M. Bergen, a Belgian dispatch bear
er, who rodo 20 miles through tho
German lines to deliver a message to
Wlllobroeck fortress, near Mallnes,
and performed his mission, though se
riously wounded by Gorman bullets.