[From THE NEW YORK TIMES, Nov. 18, 1914.]
_The following letter from an American civil engineer, lately
in business in Belgium, whose reliability is vouched for by
the person named in his letter as having been associated with
him in business in Pittsburgh, has been received by_ THE
TIMES:
B----, ----shire, England,
Oct. 3, 1914.
_To the Editor of The New York Times:_
I have just read an article in your issue of Sept. 16 on the German
killings at Aerschot, Belgium. You suggest an investigation into this
crime. I happen to have a first-hand contribution, which I herewith
inclose.
The writer is an American citizen, civil engineer, late partner of ----
---- of Pittsburgh, Penn., to whom you can refer. When war was declared I
had an engineering office in Belgium. As the use of telegraph and
telephone was suddenly stopped there remained nothing but to close the
office. I therefore paid off my employes, among whom was a young office
boy, a Belgian, about 16 years old, frail stature, small build, almost
childlike appearance, but well educated and intelligent.
The inclosed narrative is a strict translation of a letter received from
the boy. This is, therefore, first-hand information, and my knowledge of
the character of the boy, as well as the ring in what he has to tell,
justifies me in vouching for the correctness of his narrative.
In reading these pages, you will note a weak point in our administration
of charity, which has been repeatedly brought to my attention. England
has every intention to act generously and warm-heartedly with the
Belgian people, who you may say have been sacrificed for the Allies.
They tender homes for refugees and transportation from Belgian shores to
England. They give out money liberally, but when this boy, utterly
without means, friends or papers arrived in Antwerp, there is no help
for him. If he had been smaller, somebody would have treated him as a
child and brought him along. If his father had not been dragged off into
slavery in Germany he might with an old aunt have represented a family.
Had he been able to preserve his legitimatization papers the Belgian
authorities would have given him some support. Had he been older, he
would have been enlisted in the defense of his country.
Here, therefore, is an individual, not small enough, not large enough,
not having relations enough and not having any documents. He was worthy
of help, but did not fit in anywhere. I am now doing my best to get
money over to him through the Belgian National Bank, also to get him
some sort of a paper, through the Belgian Legation in London, which will
enable him at least to cross the frontier to Holland, whence he might be
able to pay for his way to England.
I hope you will publish the boy's letter, _but it is necessary that you
suppress both his and the writer's name_. Should either be given and the
boy remain in Belgium, _it may cost him his life_. The mention of my own
may later on cause me difficulties with our German friends of liberty.
Yours truly,
---- ----.
[Inclosure.]
Translation of letter received from one of my employes, a young Belgian
boy of about 16 years of age. Received in England Sept. 28, 1914.
ANTWERP, Sept. 23, 1914.
Dear Sir: As you correctly said in my testimonial when you were closing
the office, the war has isolated Belgium. Really I can well say that I
have been painfully struck by this scourge, and I permit myself, dear
Sir, to give you a little description of my Calvary.
Your offices were closed in the beginning of August. As I did not know
what to do and as the fatherland had not enough men to defend its
territory I tried to get myself accepted as a volunteer.
On Aug. 10 I went to Aerschot, my native town, to get my certificate of
good conduct. Then I went to Louvain to have same signed by the
commander of the place. This gentleman sent me to St. Nicholas and
thence to Hemixem, where I was rejected as too young. I then decided to
return to Brussels, passing through Aerschot. Here my aunt asked me to
stay with her, saying that she was afraid of the Germans.
I remained at Aerschot. This was Aug. 15. Suddenly, on the 19th, at 9
o'clock in the morning, after a terrible bombardment, the Germans made
their entry into Aerschot. In the first street which they passed through
they broke into the houses. They brought out six men whom I knew very
well and immediately shot them. Learning of this, I fled to Louvain,
where I arrived on Aug. 19 at 1 o'clock.
At 1:30 P.M. the Germans entered Louvain. They did not do anything to
the people in the beginning. On the following Saturday, Aug. 22, I
started to return to Aerschot, as I had no money. (All my money was
still in Brussels.) The whole distance from Louvain to Aerschot I saw
nothing but German armies, always Germans. They did not say a word to me
until I suddenly found myself alone with three of the "Todeshusaren,"
(Death's Head Hussars,) the vanguard of their regiment. They arrested me
at the point of the revolver, demanded where I was going, and why I had
run away from Aerschot. They said that the whole of Aerschot was now on
fire, because the son of the Burgomaster had killed a General. Finally
they searched me from head to foot, and I heard them discuss the
question of my fate.
Finally the non-commissioned officer told me that I could continue on my
way; that they would certainly take care of me in Aerschot, as I had
been firing at Germans, and they would shoot me when I arrived. I would
have liked better to return to Louvain, but with an imperious gesture he
pointed out my road to Aerschot, and I continued. On arriving within a
few hundred meters of the town I was arrested once more.
I forgot to tell you that of all the houses which I passed between
Louvain and Aerschot, there were only a few left intact. Upon these the
Germans had written in chalk in the German language: "Please spare. Good
people. Do not burn." Lying along the road I saw many dead horses
putrefying. There were also to be seen pigs, goats, and cows which had
nothing to eat, and which were howling like wild beasts. Not a soul was
to be seen in the houses or in the streets. Everything was empty.
I was then arrested when a short distance from Aerschot. There were with
me two or three families from Sichem, a village between Diest and
Aerschot. We remained in the fields alongside the road, while the
Prussian regiments with their artillery continued to pass by. When the
artillery had passed we were marched at the point of the bayonet to the
church in Aerschot. On arrival at the church the families of Sichem
(there were at least twenty small children) were permitted to continue
on their way, and the non-commissioned officer, delighted that I could
speak German, permitted me to go to my aunt's house.
The aspect of the town was terrible. Not more than half the houses were
standing. In the first three streets which the Germans traversed there
was not a single house left. There was not a house in the town but had
been pillaged. All doors had been burst open. There was nothing, nothing
left. The stench in the streets was insupportable.
I then went home, or, rather, I should say, I went to the house where my
father had always been boarding. You know, perhaps, that my mother died
twelve years ago. I did not find my father, but according to what the
people told me he had been arrested, and, with five other Aerschot men,
taken to Germany--I do not know for what purpose.
I got into this house without any difficulty, because the door was
smashed in. I stayed there from Saturday, Aug. 22, up to Wednesday, the
26th, a little more comfortable. There was nothing to eat left in the
house. I lived on what a few women who remained in Aerschot could give
me. I was forced to go with the soldiers into the cellars of M.X.,
director of a large factory, to hunt for wine. As recompense I got a
loaf. It was not much, but at this moment it meant very much for me.
On Wednesday, Aug. 26, we were all once more locked up in the church. It
was then half-past four in the afternoon. We could not get out, even for
our necessities. On Thursday, about 9 o'clock, each of us was given a
piece of bread and a glass of water. This was to last the whole day. At
10 o'clock a Lieutenant came in, accompanied by fifteen soldiers. He
placed all the men who were left in a square, selected seventy of us and
ordered us out to bury the corpses of Germans and Belgians around the
town, which had been lying there since the battle of the 19th. That was
a week that these bodies had remained there, and it is no use to ask if
there was a stench. Afterward we had to clean the streets, and then it
was evening.
They just got ready to shoot us. There were then ten of us. The guns had
already been leveled at us, when suddenly a German soldier ran out
shouting that we had not fired on them. A few minutes before we had
heard rifle firing and the Germans said it was the Aerschot people who
were shooting, though all these had been locked up in the church and we
were the only inhabitants then in the streets, cleaning them, under
surveillance of Germans. It was this German who saved our lives.
Picture to yourself what we have suffered! It is impossible to describe.
On Aug. 28 we were brought to Louvain, always guarded by German
soldiers. There were with us about twenty old men, over eighty years of
age. These were placed in two carts, tied to one another in pairs. I and
about twenty of my unfortunate compatriots had then to pull the carts
all the way to Louvain. It was hard, but that could be supported all the
same.
On arriving at Louvain I saw with my own eyes a German who shot at us.
The Germans who were at the station shouted "The civilians have been
shooting," and commenced a fusillade against us. Many of us fell dead,
others wounded, but I had the chance to run away.
I now took the road to Tirlemont, marching all the time among German
camps. Once I was arrested. Again they wanted to shoot me, insisting
that I was a student of the University of Louvain. The Germans pretend
it was the student who had caused the population in Louvain to shoot at
them. However, my youth saved me, and I was set at liberty.
I arrived in this way, making small marches, sleeping under the stars,
at a small village, St. Pierre Rhode, six miles from Aerschot. This
village had not been occupied by the Germans. A benevolent farmer took
me in, and I lived there peacefully until Wednesday, Sept. 9. On that
day the Germans arrived. They took us all with them and we had to march
in front of them to prevent the Belgians from shooting. After one hour
they gave us our liberty.
The Belgians had now retaken Aerschot. I returned there as quickly as I
could. Only a few houses were still burning. It was Sept. 10. I left
again in the afternoon at 4 o'clock, taking a train, together with the
railway officials, and arrived at 6 P.M. in Antwerp, where I now stay
without any resources.
All my money, the 20 francs which you presented me and my salary for
five weeks, as well as my little savings, are lying in Brussels, and I
cannot get at them. I cannot work, because there is no work to be got. I
cannot cross over to England, as, to do this, it is necessary that there
should be a whole family. In these horrible circumstances, I
respectfully take the liberty of addressing you, and I hope you will aid
me as best you can. I swear to you that I shall pay you back all that
you give me. I have here in Antwerp no place, no family. The town will
not give me any aid, because I have no papers to prove my identity. I
threw all my papers away for fear of the Germans. I count then on you
with a firm hope to pay you back later.
Please accept, dear Sir, my respectful greetings.
---- ----.
* * * * *
_Special to The New York Times._
PITTSBURGH, Penn., Oct. 17.--The Pittsburgh civil engineer mentioned as
the former partner of the writer of the letter to THE TIMES citing acts
of the Germans in Belgium, is well known here. He was informed by THE
TIMES correspondent tonight that he had been named by the writer of the
letter as likely to testify to his trustworthiness and was asked if he
cared to say anything regarding this. He replied:
"While I have no idea what my former partner has written to THE TIMES, I
would credit his statements, whatever they might be."