Our own Press Bureau issued on the 25th August the following statement
to the English Press:--
“The Belgian Minister has made the following statement:--
“In spite of solemn assurances of good will and long-standing treaty
obligations, Germany has made a sudden savage and utterly unwarranted
attack on Belgium.
“However sorely pressed she may be, Belgium will never fight unfairly
and never stoop to infringe the laws and customs of legitimate warfare.
She is putting up a brave fight against overwhelming odds; she may be
beaten, she may be crushed, but, to quote our noble King’s words, ‘She
will never be enslaved.’
“When German troops invaded our country, the Belgian Government issued
public statements, which were placarded in every town, village, and
hamlet, warning all civilians to abstain scrupulously from hostile acts
against the enemy’s troops. The Belgian Press daily published similar
notices broadcast through the land. Nevertheless, the German authorities
have issued lately statements containing grave imputations against the
attitude of the Belgian civilian population, threatening us at the same
time with dire reprisals. These imputations are contrary to the real
facts of the case, and as to threats of further vengeance, no menace of
odious reprisals on the part of the German troops will deter the Belgian
Government from protesting before the civilized world against the
fearful and atrocious crimes committed wilfully and deliberately by the
invading hosts against helpless non-combatants, old men, women, and
children.
“Long is the list of outrages committed by the German troops and
appalling the details of atrocities, as vouched for by the Committee of
Inquiry recently formed by the Belgian Minister of Justice and presided
over by him. This committee comprises the highest judicial and
University authorities of Belgium, such as Chief Justice Van Iseghem,
Judge Nys, Professors Cottier, Wodon, etc.
“The following instances and particulars have been established by
careful investigations, based in each case on the evidence of reliable
eye-witnesses:--
“German cavalry occupying the village of Linsmeau were attacked by some
Belgian infantry and two gendarmes. A German officer was killed by our
troops during the fight and subsequently buried at the request of the
Belgian officer in command. No one of the civilian population took part
in the fighting at Linsmeau. Nevertheless, the village was invaded at
dusk on August 10th by a strong force of German cavalry, artillery, and
machine guns.
“In spite of the formal assurances given by the Burgomaster of Linsmeau
that none of the peasants had taken part in the previous fight, two
farms and six outlying houses were destroyed by gun fire and burnt. All
the male inhabitants were then compelled to come forward and hand over
whatever arms they possessed. No recently discharged firearms were
found.
* * * * *
“=Nevertheless, the invaders divided these peasants into three groups;
those in one group were bound, and eleven of them placed in a ditch,
where they were afterwards found dead, their skulls fractured by the
butts of German rifles.=
“=During the night of August 10th German cavalry entered Velm in great
numbers. The inhabitants were asleep. The Germans, without provocation,
fired on M. Deglimme Gevers’ house, broke into it, destroyed furniture,
looted money, burnt barns, hay and corn stacks, farm implements, six
oxen, and the contents of the farmyard. They carried off Mrs. Deglimme,
half naked, to a place two miles away. She was then let go, and was
fired upon as she fled, without being hit. Her husband was carried away
in another direction and fired upon. He is dying. The same troops sacked
and burned the house of a railway watchman.=
* * * * *
“Farmer Jef Dierick, of Neerhespen, bears witness to the following acts
of cruelty committed by German cavalry at Orsmael and Neerhespen on
August 10th, 11th, and 12th:--
“=An old man of the latter village had his arm sliced in three
longitudinal cuts; he was then hanged head downwards and burned alive.
Young girls have been raped and little children outraged at Orsmael,
where several inhabitants suffered mutilations too horrible to describe.
A Belgian soldier belonging to a battalion of cyclist carabiniers, who
had been wounded and made prisoner, was hanged; whilst another, who was
tending his comrade, was bound to a telegraph pole on the St. Trond road
and shot.=
“On Wednesday, August 12th, after an engagement at Haelen, Commandant
Van Damme, so severely wounded that he was lying prone on his back, was
finally murdered by German infantrymen firing their revolvers into his
mouth.
“On Monday, August 10th, at Orsmael, the Germans picked up Commandant
Knapen, very seriously wounded, propped him up against a tree, and shot
him. Finally they hacked his corpse with swords.
“In different places, notably at Hollogue sur Geer, Barchon, Pontisse,
Haelen, and Zelck, German troops have fired on doctors, ambulance
bearers, ambulances, and ambulance wagons carrying the Red Cross.
“At Boncelles a body of German troops marched into battle carrying a
Belgian flag.