TIIE -MORNING OltEGONTAX, TJIUItSDAY, SEPTET rR"RR 17, 1914.
BRUSSELS FINDS
FRIGHT NEEDLESS
BELGIUM'S ROYAL COMMISSION AND NEW PHOTOS APH OF PRESIDENT, WHO RECEIVED THEM
YESTERDAY.
Hoover
Suction
Sweepers
$5 Down
$5 Month
Free
Sewing
Machines
$1 Down
$1 Month
Merchandimtt oT o Merit Out,"
a
Stories of German Atrocities
Dissolve Into Myths as
Army Marches In.
OBSERVER DENIES EXCESS
Associated Press Staff Correspond
ent Says He Failed to Authentic
Frightful Reports
Told Dy Belgians.
oate
NEW YORK, Sept. 16. An Associated
Press staff correspondent of American
birth and antecedents, who was sent
from the New York office and was
caught in Brussels at the time of the
Herman In vasiornand held as a pris
oner for several days before escaping
to Holland, has seul by mail the following-
story of his experiences:
"The night berore the Germans en
tered Brussels, when the Belgian civil
guards and refugees began pouring
into the city from the direction of Lou
vain, they brought stories of unspeak
able atrocities, maltreatment of old
men and children, and the violation of
women.
"In less than 24 hours the Belgian
citizens were chatting comfortably
with the German invaders, and the
allegation of German brutality and de
moniacal torture dissolved into one of
the myths which, have accompanied all
wars.
Rumors Xot Substantiated.
"Neither in Brussels nor in Its
environs was a single offensive act, so
far as I know, committed by a German
Boldier. In a city of more than half a
million people, invaded by a hostile
army of perhaps a quarter of a million
soldiers, no act sufficiently flagrant to
demand punishment or to awaken pro
test came to my attention.
"The frightful reports that had pre
ceded the German army into Brussels
included the disemboweling of old men
and the Impaling of children on lances
Just outside Louvain. Investigation
not only failed to substantiate these
rumors, but could not even discover
any one in the immediate vicinity who
credited them. An eye witness of un
impeachable veracity told me that the
worst behavior he had obserx'ed during
the first German entry into Louvain
(August 19). was that of a German
soldier who leaned from his horse and
kissed . a pretty Flemish girl who
brought him a glass of beer.
Single limtancc Mentioned.
"I marched for days with the Ger
man columns, often only one day be
hind the fighting, with the houses that
had been burned still smoldering, the
ground freshly broken by shell and
trampled by horses and men, and the
memory of the German advance vivid
in the minds of the Inhabitants. 1 in
terviewed an average of 20 persons in
each of a dozen , towns and found only
one instance of a non-combatant who
had been killed without a justifiable
provocation.
"It was said by some inhabitants that
the murdered man showed a pair of
binoculars; but a more probable ex
planation was that Knglish outposts
had concealed themselves in the house,
from which they pourel a rain of fire
on the first German invaders. . The in
ference that the shooting was done by
Belgian civilians may have inflamed
the Germans to reprisals. In that
neighborhood four houses had been
burned and one was still ablaze as I
passed on Wednesday, August 26.
Shooting Dune by Small Number.
"This town of Merbes-le-Chateau,
which had been the scene of an unim
portant skirmish between the Germans
and English on the previous Sunday,
was riddled with rifle shots. The
small number of windows Intact
showed that the Germans had made a
deliberate assault upon the residents of
the town. But the inhabitants them
selves admitted that all of the shooting
naa Deen done by a comparatively
small number of Germans, and that
the firing had not been begun until
Knglish soldiers who. had concealed
themselves In the houses, had fired first
upon the Germans.
"I have emphasized the one fatality
of the non-combatant because the news
or it traveled up and down the Sambre
and across -to Hantes-Wiberie and
fcolre-sur-Sambre, multiplying as it
went, and developing ghastly and in
human details until it seemed an un
answerable reproach to the whole Ger
man empire. With this one possible
exception, I did not encounter in Ni
velles. in Blanche, Buissiere or Solre-sur-Sambre,
or any of the other towns
I visited, a single incident of mistreat
ment of any sort by German officers or
soldiers. . ..
City Destroyed by Cromlre.
"Buissiere particularly the lower
part of the city virtually had been de
stroyed by a crossfire from French and
German artillery. But here two days
after the battle women and children
were moving comfortably about the
town and not a single complaint was
uttered against German conduct.
"The town of Solre-sur-Sambre is a
small village about five miles south of
Buissiere. In this town 130 French
were killed and more than 100 wounded
were brought in in a single day. Au
guste Blariaux, Burgomaster, said that
he knew of no cases of German cruel
ties save distant rumors, whibh he had
learned to discredit. It ought to be
said to the credit of the Belgians that
they have not allowed their bitterness
toward the Germans to carry them into
unfair recrimination.
Provocation Hard to Welsh.
"Robert J. Thompson, American Con
sul at Aachen, visited Liege during
and after the capture of the forts. It
is the opinion of Mr. Thompson that no
outrage was committed by Germans
during the several days' fighting there.
There are, of course, reported outrages
beyond investigation, either on account
of their vagueness or because it is im
possible to weigh the provocation. It
is known, for instance, that 112 na
tives were killed in Penouchamp,' not
far from Ardennes: German soldiers
say that they were killed because they
fired on them from the roofs and win
dows of the houses.
"The history of the absolute destruc.
tion of the historic city of Louvain
with its cathedral and its university
is by this time well known.
"The German version of this is that
the inhabitants, under the direction of
the Burgomaster, established them
selves in the church, in which they also
installed a machine gun. They pro
ceeded to greet the Germans with a
deadly fire.
"The Belgians say, on the other hand,
that part of the German army, mis
taking one of their own retiring divisions-
for the enemy, opened fire
upon them, whereupon, deluded into
thinking this an assault by Belgian
civilians, the Germans razed the whole
city.
Belgian Accused of Treachery.
"I have not been able to acquire any
direct evidence in regard to these last
two instances, but the explanation gen
erally credited by disinterested per
sons is that the Belgians who had laid
down their arms according to the
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, , Photo Copyrighted Bain News Service.
TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT, COUNT LEWIS DE I-ECHTKRVKLDK, EMIL VAN DGR VELDB, HENRI CARTON DE
WIART AND PAUL HYMA.VS. BELOW, WOODROW WILSON.
Burgomaster's, proclamation on the
entrance of the enemy took them up
again ;when it looked as if the Ger
mans were retreating from the town
and opened fire from their windows
upon a retiring German train.
"The most authoritative German de
nial of German offenses comes from
Major-General Thaddeus von Jarotz
sky, military governor of Brussels,
who informed me that in numerous
cases he fiad been received with a pre
tense of friendliness by Belgian civil
ians, who later fired on the German
soldiers.
"In such violations of the rules' of
warfare, the General said, he punished
the offenders by burning the houses
from which the shots were fired.
Severities Half Excnaed.
."This explanation of the burning of
villages i3 given with such perfect
unanimity by all German officers and
men that to go into separate Instances
is unnecessary. It seems to serve as a
sort of blanket extenuation for all
German severities. I can only say that
in every case of reported outrage or
reprisal which was susceptible of in
vestigation, I have found either that
the outrage was a figment of the Bel
gian mind, or that it was more than
half excused by circumstances.
"I have actual knowledge of the
sniping by Belgian civilians at Manage
and other towns, and even the Belgians
admit that in a few instances they have
been guilty of this.
"A Belgian fugitive from a suburb
of Charlerol brought to Nivelle a story
of the Germans marching the priest
and several of the inhabitants before
the army as a protection against fire
from the houses. This has received
ample verification, but hardly comes
under the heading of atrocities.
Officers Expect Snlpins
"The prevalence of the Belgian prac
tice of sniping from the houses was
perhaps indicated by the warning of
the German officer who acted as guard
for five American correspondents, in.
eluding myself, who were being taken
as prisoners from Beaumont to Aachen
in an army train. We were advised
to lie down on the floor of the car, as
the Belgian snipers would shoot at us
from the houses. But there was no
firing.
"This, of course, is not a brief for
the German army; it is an account of
German conduct as it appeared to an
impartial observer who had the rather
extraordinary opportunity of traveling
for days with the German columns
over a distance of more than a hun
dred miles through a dozen important
cities and towns.
"I witnessed numerous cases of the
most careful courtesy on the part of
German soldiers. In Brussels they not
only paid their cafe bills, but tipped
generously. , .
Captora Hungry; Prisoners Eat.
"German officers always turned to
the French prisoners with a pleasant
word and - treated them with every
consideration. A French Lieutenant
and two English officers traveled with
us in the prison train from Beaumont
to Aachen, a halting journey, which
took over 36 hours. German officers
went without food so that the prison
ers might be fed.
"I have seen perhaps half a dozen
cases of drunkenness in observing
nearly a million soldiers.
"If the conduct of the German sol
dier errs at all. it is on the side of a
too complete subordination.
"It is impossible for anyone who
has seen much of the German system
to believe in the tales of - deliberate
depredations and unsoldierly conduct."
BELGIAN REPORT IN
Commission Says Murder Was
Accompanied by Torture.
DESTRUCTION IS PICTURED
Allegations Divided Into Groups and
Are Declared Supported by Evi
dence Individual I n-
stanceaTfinuruerated.
(Continued From First Page.)
Troop Movement Denied.
MONTREAL. Sept 16. The Canadian
Pacific formally denied this afternoon
persistent reports that troops from
Australia, New Zealand and India had
been passing through Canada on their
way to Europe. The railroad officials
asert that no such troops have been
transported on their lines.
and looted valuables. They burned
his barn, hay, cornstacks, implements,
cattle and his farmyard. They car
ried off Mme. Deglimmeq, half naked,
to a place two miles away. She was
then released and as she fled was fired
on, without being hit. however. Her
husband was carried to 'a point In an
other direction and fired on; he Is dy
ing. The same troops sacked and
burned the house of a railway watch
man. .
"Farmer Jef DSerck of Neerhespen
is an eye-witness to the following
atrocities committed by German cav
alry at Oresmael and Neerhespen on
August 10, 11 and 12: An old man had
his arm cut In three longitudinal slices;
he was then hanged head downward
and burned alive. Xoung girls ' were
assaulted and little children outraged
at Oramael and mutilations too hor
rible to describe were inflicted- on oth
er inhabitants. Prisoners were hanged,
while others were tied to telegraph-
posts and Bhot.
Wounded Commandant Murdered.'
"After an engagement at Haelen,
commandant Van Damme was so se
verely wounded that he was lying
prone on his back. He was murdered
by German Infantry firing their re'
volvers into his mouth.
"Numerous wounded and unarmed
soldiers were ill-treated or killed by
German troops and in different places
doctors and nurses and ambulances
were fired upon.
"At times the Germans went into
battle with a Belgian flag. - .
"While digging trenches and with
the white flag hoisted. Belgian soldiers
were set on by Germans and shot.
"Another time, near a fort at Llncln,
a group of German Infantry hoisted the
white flag, and when the Belgian sol
diers approached them to take them
prisoners they were fired upon at
close range.
"The massacre of Aerschot:
"Aerschot, a town of . 8000 inhabi
tants, was invested by the Germans
the evening of August 19. No Belgian
troops remained behind. No sooner had
the-Germans entered the city than they
began shooting several ' inoffensive
civilians. In the evening, declaring
that a superior German officer had
been shot by the son of the burgo
master, or, according to another ver
sion of their story, that a conspiracy
had been hatched against the German
oommandant -by: the . burgomasterand
his family, the .Germans took bold ol
every man in the city, carrying them
SO at a time within some distance of
the town. There they grouped them in
lines of four men, made them run
ahead of them and fired on them.
killing them afterward with their
bayonets. More than 40 men were found
thus massacred.
Every Third Man Shot.
"They pillaged the whole town, tak
ing from private residences all they
could lay their nanus on. The follow
ing morning they took one man out of
every three whom they had arrested
the previous evening, and, leading
them outside the city, shot them.
Among these were, the Burgomaster of
the town. Mr. Tielemans. his lo-year-old
son and his brother.
"Then they compelled the remaining
villagers to dig holes to bury their
victims.
"For three whole days they con
tinued to pillage and set fire to every
thing in their way.
. "About ISO inhabitants of Aerschot
are supposed to have thus perished.
"The largest part of the city- is de
stroyed. ,
"The destruction of Louvain:
"The German army penterated into
Louvain. after having set fire to the
surrounding towns and villages.
"They took hostages; all the prom
inent men of the city were detained
Women and children were outraged
and ill-treated by the soldiers.
"Previous to the German Invasion
the whole city had been warned re
peatedly not to offer any resistance to
the German troops, or to oppose hostile
acts. More than that, all arms belong
ing to civilians, down to fencing- foils,
had been ordered deposited several
days previously in the City Hall, and
there was not a weapon found on any
civilian.
"On August 2o an engagement took
place in the neighborhood of Louvain
between German and Belgian troops.
The Germans, repulsed and pursued by
the Belgians, retreated toward Louvain
in full panic Many witnesses testify
that at that moment the German gar
rison' in Louvain was erroneously in
formed that Belgians were entering
the city. Immediately the German gar
rison stationed at Louvain withdrew
toward the station, where they clashed
with their own troops, which were
being pursued by the Belgians. Every
thing seems to point to the fact that
a contact took place.
Troops Bombard City.
"From that point, pretending that
the Belgian civilians had fired on
German troops, the Germans began
bombarding the city and kept up their
bombardment until 10 o'clock that
night. At the place where the affray
started not- a single body was found
of a civilian, proving that the popula
tion had not participated in the shoot
ing.
"The houses which had not taken
afire were set afire by rockets with
which the German soldiers were pro
vided. The largest part of the city of
Louvain. especially the Haute Ville,
that is to say, the part comprising the
modern houses, the cathedral of St.
Peters, the University Halls, with the
old and famous library of the univer
slty, its manuscripts, its collections
and scientific institutions, the theater
and many more buildings were at that
time consumed by flames.
"The fire continued for several days.
Numerous corpses of civilians covered
the streets and squares. An eye-witness
testified that in one - place he
counted more than 50 charred bodies;
many persons who had taken refuge
in their cellars trying to escape and
falling into the furnace of the blazing
ciiy.
"The fire started a little above the
American college: the city is entirely
destroyed, with the exception of the
city Hall and the station.
"The rrocedure of the Germans seems
to be the same everywhere. First of
all they requisition food and drink, of
which . they partake o the point of
New Voile Blouses
$1.50
The prettiest of new Autumn
blouses of plain and embroiderd
voile are here. The styles are
widely varied, too. They show
the new long set-in sleeves,
joined with, hemstitching, yoke
effects back and front, also
hemstitched. Collars of organ
die, tucked and hemstitched, of
self material edged with Ori
ental lace, and of pique, form
ing vest effect in front. The
sleeves are finished with cuffs to
correspond with the collar.
Trimmed down the front with
plain and fancy pearl buttons.
Third Floor
Sale Now of
Women's
Misses'
Children's
Knit
Underw'r
First Floor
First Autumn
Showing
C-B
A La Spirite Corsets
MODELS FOR EVERY
FIGURE
The present-day tendency to
ward extreme individuality ' in
dress makes every well-dressed
woman seem to be presenting a
different version of smartness.
If you are corseted in a C B
A La Spirite Corset, wear
ing the model designed for you
especially, you will rest assured
that your version of fashion de
notes a true realization of smart
ness and elegance.
The new models show the long
and medium-length hip, and me
dium and high bust with a slight
incurve at the waistline, with
light boning for medium and
slender figures and boned more
substantially for fuller figures.
The materials are particularly
pretty and dainty, in white and
flesh color. $1.00 to $5.00.
Fourth Floor
New Shapes of
Black Velvet
$1.95
$2.45
$3.95
$4.95
$7.95
Every express these days brings us new black velvet shapes. We.
ourselves, have no knowledge of what is coming. We have selected
amongst the many hat-makers, five or 6ix of the foremost millinery
houses who specialize on import millinery.
To them we give the privilege of expressing to us without order any
new shape or style created. That is why customers continually
find millinery that is new, different from what is found elsewhere.
Exclusive millinery at prices that are always attractive.
Come and see the new velvet shapes. Second Floor
When People Buy
Blankets in September
There Must Be a Reason
The reason is this: We are selling standard blankets now at
prices deeply lowered from our regular figures. We are doing this be
cause months ago we laid the foundation of this sale.
We purchased 3700 pairs of blankets from the best mills in America.
These were bought long before there was any thought of war, before
wool rose to such a high figure. For this reason we are enabled to offer
most attractive sale prices on blankets.
For this reason people are buying them by the half dozen.
The following quotations give you some idea of the reductions:
SIZE BLANKETS COTTON FLEECE B'KETS
X4.00 Wool Rlanhtx X2.79 85c Fleeced Blankets. .68c
$5.00 Wool Blankets $3.33
$6.50 Wool Blankets $4.79
$7.50 Wool Blankets $5.63
$8.50 Wool Blankets $6.45
$10.00 Wool Blankets $7.33
$12.50 Wool Blankets $9.45
$1.00 Fleeced Blankets 77c
$1.25 Fleeced Blankets 89c
$1.50 Fleeced B'kets $1.19
$1.75 Fleced B'kets $1.33
$2.25 Fleeced B'kets $1.79
$2.50 Fleeced B'kets $1.98
Fifth Floor
Marabou Collarette
Regular Price $12.50
$1.48
Fashion again decrees that mara
bou shall be the vogue for early Fall
neckwear. Today we offer very
retly soft marabou collars in black
and natural with silk tassel ends,
fecial, at $1.48. First Floor
Regular
$1.25 to $2.50
Oval Antique Gold
Picture Frames
From Cabinet
I to 14x18 Sizes
Many Styles
59
c
Sixth Floor
K
$1.00 ITALIAN
CASTILE SOAP 69c BAR
Genuine imported Italian
olive oil Castile soap, in
white or green.
3Y2-pound bar 69c
Although Castile soap has dou
bled in price since the war began,
we are offering this genuine import
ed Castile at a lower price than ever
before for this fine quality of soap.
We were fortunate in receiving a
large import order last week, placed
before the war was thought of,
which' enables us to sell this soap at
a figure so far- below the market
cost today. We cannot too strongly
advise our customers to purchase a
large supply, for it will in all prob
ability be many a day before Cas
tile soap can be bought at anywhere
near as low a price.
Imported Soaps
Cottan's imported violet soap, spe- i
cial. a cake 19c 8
Violet de IN ice soap 19c
Grenville soap, all odcrs. bx $1.00
Roger & Gallet's soap, all odors,
special . . . .25c
471 1 unscented soap 75c
Pear's unscented soap 12c
Pear's glycerine soap ,15c
Crown English bath tablets. all
odors (imported) v 20c
John Knight's (London) bath tab- S
lets, each 25c; dozen . .$2.50
Half size tablets 15c
Terebene shampoo soap 20c
English Hair Brushes
One-Fourth Off
$2.50 whalebone headache brushes,
special $1.39
$2.75 split horn brushes ..$1.98
$3.50 whalebone brushes, $2.69
$3.50 na.ural brushes, spl $2.23 3
Pearsons cushion brushes,
with double brisJes 69c
$1.00 Pearson's cushion brushes,
with single bristles 59c
Royal British Ivory
One-Fourth Off
This ivory is heavj in veight,
with fine grain, which closely re
sembles the genuine.
$2.75 mirror; $1.S8
$3.50 mirrors $2.69
$5.00 bonnet miners $3.69
$1.75 .rays $1.29
$1.25 buffers 94c
$3.00 concave hair brushes $2.23
$4.00 con ave hair brushes $2.98
$2.00 jewel boxes $1.48
$1.50 hair pin boxes 98c
$2.50 pin cushions $1.48
$2.75 puff boxes $1.91
Face Powders
Imported face powders
can no longer be imported.
Roger & Gallet's Violet de Parme.
,,box 5f?c
Vera Violette 98c
Peau de Espasne 98c
Coty L'Origan or Jasmine . . $2.00
D'er Kiss Powder 75c, $1.00
Djer Kiss Talcum, can 25c
Mary Garden Talcum 50c
Roger & Gallet's Violet Talcum
at 25c
Roger & Gallet's Bouquet des
- Amour Talcum 50c
Bourjois Vanity Powders and
Rouges S0c
Genuine Rice Powder 25c
La Noye Face Powder 50c
La Noye Liquid Powder", a bot
tle 50c and $1.00
La Noye Dry Rouge 50c
La Noye Rice Talcum 50c
La Noye Ric? Powder 25c
Charny's Myral Powder. .$1.00
Charny's Lyrtis Powder . .$1JZ5
D'Orsay's Face Powder. . .$1.50
Pinaud's Tivoli Powder . . . .50c
FRENCH POWDER PUFFS
35c Lamb's Wool Puffs 23c
50c Lamb s Wool Pufts 29c
French Chamois, each 10c
Imported Perfumes in
Bulk
No further importations.
Mary Garden, ounce $2.00
D'Orsay's Reve, Chevalier. Charme,
Rose Violet, Jasmine or Muguet,
ounce $2.00
Houbigant's Moss Rose, Honey
suckle. Violet Muguet, an ounce.
at $1.00
Bouquet Farnese, Ext. oz., $1.50
Houbigant's Ideal, ounce. . .$1.75
Coty's L'Origan, ounce . . . $2.50
Roger & Gallet's Violet de Parme
Indian Hay, Oleitte, ounce 75c
Charny's Myral or Lyrtis Extracts.
ounce $1.50
Charny's Myral or Lyrtis Toilet
. Water, bottle $1.00 1
Djer Kiss Extract, ounce. .$1.25
Drug Section. First Floor
drunkenness. They they begin to shoot
wildly from the windows of abandoned
houses, declaring that the inhabitants
have fired on them.
"Then the firing and shooting scenes
begin, and murder, and especially pil
lage and acts of cold cruelty, are wit
nessed. Neither age nor sex is re
spected. Cven where they claim to
know the perpetrator of the deed, they
allege, the Germans do not content
themselves with executing summarily
the culprit they wreak their ven
geance on the whole town. After a
first massacre, somewhat at random,
they shut the men in the churches and
order tn wonea to so back to their
homes and leave the doors open.
"In several instances the civilians
were sent to Germany to be compelled
there, it seems, to labor In the fields,
as was done in the days of slavery."
The Commission adds:
"Since collecting the above testimony
the following cables regarding the
same subjects were received from the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bel
glum: " "September 8 You- nave received
the reports of the commission of Au
gust 25 and 31. fMnce then a great
many localities situated in the VII-vorde-Malines-Lou
vain triang? an ex
tremely fertile and densely populated
district, have been parMally pillaged
and totally destroyed by fire. Their
Inhabitants have fled, while a number
of them, among them women and chil
dren, were arrested and shot without
trial and without apparent reason ex
cept to Inspire the population with ter
ror. This was done in Sempst, Weerde.
Elewyt. Hofstade. Wespelaer, Wllseie.
Bueken. Kppeghem, Houtehm, Theme
loo. Tlstelt, Melrode. Horent. At Wavre.
where the population was unable to
pay a levy of three millions, C6 houses
were set on fire. The largest part of
Cortenberg Is burnt. To excuse these
attacks the Germans allege that ar
army of civilians resisted Uiem.