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Road to Liege, The Path of Crime by Gustave Somville August 1914 Hard cover
Road to Liege, The by Gustave Somville
The path of crime August 1914
Hard Cover
296 pages
Copyright 1916
CONTENTS
PREFACEV By M. Henry Carton de Wiart
INTRODUCTION
A CHALLENGE TO GENERAL VON BISSING I
Preliminaries - The LiCountryside - The Population-The Invasion-The Arrangement of this Book-Before the Forts-The Two Periods-The Fourth of August
PART I THE CRIMES OF THE INVASION
Chapter I SOUTH OF THE VESDRE 15 ON THE FRONTIER : Francorchamps-Hockay -Sart-lez-Spa. II. TOWARD THE SOUTHERN FORTS : The Drama of the Bridge of Chanxhe-At Poulseur-The Tragedy of LincVictims-Their Innocence -Lill: The Bloody Fortnight
Chapter II BEFORE FL 46 Battice : A Village Annihilated-The Destruction of Herve-La Bouxhe : A Scene of Extermination-A Halt at Soiron-The Signals from the Belfry of Olne-The Massacre of SaintHadelin (Olne)-Passing through For: Murder by Machine-gun-Roms: Between the Two Forts-The Battle and Massacre of the 5th and 6th of August at Retinne-Micheroux : "You are in Luck! -Soumagne : the Carnage at Fthe Bridges and at the Chartreuse-The Dead -Atrocities - Fl: Blackmailing, Murder, and Incendiarism-Heusay
CHAPTER III AROUND BARCHON 133 The Executions at Warsage--The Destruction of Berneau-Mouland-Jul: Blood and Fire-Judgment by Presumption-Here and There-The Crime of Bombaye-Queuedu-Bois : Point-blank Artillery Fire - At Bellaire - The Horrors at Barchon - The Atrocities committed at Blof a Victim-At Wandre : the 6th of August-The Fight at RabozSoldiers-The Executions in the PrMassacre of Bois-la-Dame-Murder in the Rue du Pont-Incendiarism-The Pig-Vis: A New Pompeii-Six Hundred Exiles
CHAPTER IV AROUND PONTISSE 185 Between Herstal and the Fort-VivegnisKultur at Oupeye-At Hermalle-sous-Argenteau - Haccourt-Hallembaye : A Delirium of Germanism-Herm. A Man-hunt
CHAPTER V THE GERMANS IN LI 206 The Tragedy of the Place de l'Universitdes Pde Pitteurs-A Melancholy Morning-The Palace - An Episode of the Terrible Night-Why ?--Executions at Cornillon-A Powder-trainIn Danger-Searching for Weapons-The German Red Cross - How they treated the University-Less than One per Cent.-The Occupation.
PART II CRITICAL REMARKS-THE DOCUMENTS
CHAPTER I A QUESTION OF CREDIBILITY 239 The Accused-The Accuser-BorussianismGermany's Aim-The Laws of War-The Philosophy of Force-Some Documents-I. The German Theorists of War-II. Barbarian Formula.
CHAPTER II SYSTEMATIC CALUMNIES 269 They will never dare-The Taking of Lithe Forts-The Jesuit Convent - Von Bissing - The Inspired Press - A Chaplain-In Berlin.
VOX POPULI 283
HOPE 289
INDEX 293
INTRODUCTION
A CHALLENGE TO GENERAL VON BISSING
PRELIMINARIES
THE Germans, in respect of the conduct of war, have formulated a doctrine of terrorisation which has no example in history. Their treatment of enemy populations is the result of putting this doctrine into practice. But the horror which they have thus inspired leads them to deny their crimes ; according to them they have merely conducted reprisals upon populations which have attacked them. So, having systematically pillaged, burned, and assassinated, they calumniate their victims ; they seek to dishonour them. This is the supreme offence-graver than all the rest, if honour is more precious than wealth, more precious even than life itself.
In this manoeuvre all the leaders of Germany have co-operated : the Staff, the Emperor, the Press, and the notables of the Universities. Either by system or in malice, through passion or in ignorance, from pride or sheer thoughtlessness, all have accused, vilified, and defamed the enemy. Consciously or blindly, all have participated in a campaign of lying, which, thanks to their exertions, has penetrated into the neutral countries, affecting, and sometimes even alienating, public opinion.
Among the agents of this propaganda the present representative of the Kaiser in Belgium has always distinguished himself.
On the 29th of August, 1914, at Munster, General von Bissing addressed the population of the seat of the Seventh Army Corps in a proclamation which contained the following words :
" If a blind and infuriated population miserably slaughters, in treacherous attacks, the valiant sons of our people, who go to meet death for their country, as well as the wounded, the medical officers, and the ambulance bearers ; if (armed) bands compromise the security of the armies on their rear, then self-preservation commands us, and it is a sacred duty on the part of military commandants, to combat them immediately by extreme measures. In such a case the innocent must suffer with the guilty. In their repeated communiquthe directors of our army have allowed no doubt to subsist in this respect. That in the repression of infamy human lives cannot be spared, and that isolated houses, flourishing villages, and even entire towns are annihilated, is assuredly regrettable, but this must not excite ill-timed sentimentality. All this must not in our eyes weigh as much as the life of a single one of our brave soldiers. That is self-evident, and, properly speaking, there is no need to say it.
Who speaks here of barbarism commits a crime. The rigorous accomplishment of duty is the emanation of a high Kultur, and in that the population of the enemy countries can learn a lesson from our army."
It was to Belgium that von Bissing was referring. None fitter than he, therefore, to hold it under his heel. He inherited the task from von der Goltz.
But perhaps the new Governor had modified his attitude. Months had elapsed since this monstrous tirade was delivered at Munster ; light had since been thrown on the acts of brigandage which accompanied the invasion ; and official reports, clear, precise, and supported by a thousand depositions and other documents, had vindicated the truth.
But no ! Hardly was he installed, when the new Governor repeated his
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