During the joint expedition to Peking, all the other contingents were
horrified at the cruelty of the German troops. I have heard how on one
occasion a number of Chinese women were watching a German regiment at
drill, when suddenly the commanding officer ordered his men to open fire
upon them. When remonstrated with, he replied that terrorism was humane
in the end, because it made the enemy desire peace. For some reason,
these atrocities were not very widely known in England; and no one
dreamed that such infernal crimes would ever be perpetrated in European
war. But such are indeed the calculated methods of Germany; and her
officers began to order them as soon as her troops crossed the Belgian
frontier. The German military authorities advise that terrorism should
be used sparingly when there is danger of reprisals. Accordingly, though
many abominable things have been done to civilians in France and Russia,
and to ourselves when opportunity offered, the worst atrocities were
committed in Belgium, because Belgium is a small country, which had
dispensed with universal military service in reliance on the
international guarantee of her security. These events of the first month
of the war are in danger of being forgotten, now that Germany is
contending on equal terms against the great nations of Europe. But they
must not be forgotten. We are fighting against a nation which thinks it
good policy to massacre non-combatants, provided only that the sons and
brothers of the victims are not in a position to retaliate.