Part 19

As to Case: I also extended my medical activity during the whole of the day to the wounded inhabitants of Dinant. In one case I treated a young girl with a shot wound in the head, and allowed her a separate room in the house where I had set up my place for dressing-station, so that her parents could be with her. As towards the evening that part of the town in which my hospital lay came under heavy artillery fire, I had the girl carried to a safer part of the town. This was in the street where the town gaol of Dinant is situated. The wounded girl, in consequence of her severe injury, lay at the point of death. In a column of inhabitants which was being sent across the Meuse was a clergyman, whom I recognised as such by his clothes. I begged him to take charge of her, and was witness how he gave her absolution. I was present the whole day (August 23rd, 1914) in Dinant, and did not notice any excesses on the part of the German soldiers.

Read over, approved, signed.

Signed: Dr.med. HANS MARX.

The witness was then sworn.

Signed: V. HAUGK, Lieutenant and Officer of the Court. Signed: HARTMANN, Non-commissioned Officer and Military Clerk of the Court.

APPENDIX D.--LOUVAIN

App. D.

War Office.

Military Inquiry Office regarding the Breaches of Rules and Usages of War.

THE UPRISING OF THE BELGIAN POPULACE IN LOUVAIN, 25TH TO THE 28TH AUGUST 1914.

_Summary Report._

1. The uprising of the town of Louvain against the German troops of occupation and the judgment inflicted on this town have found a lasting echo in the whole world.

In the first place, because Louvain is a town famous on account of its time-honoured University, its rich architectural monuments and art treasures, the fate of which would interest wide circles; principally, however, because of the action of the opponents of the German people, especially of the Belgian Government, who have circulated and spread abroad in the world by means of the Press, by their foreign diplomatic representatives, and by agents sent everywhere, reports of the events of August 1914, which were designed to prejudice public opinion against the Germans.

The Commission appointed by the Belgian Government for inquiry into the violation of the code of International Law and of the laws and usages of war, has tried by every means to throw the blame for the disturbances in Louvain on the German troops. In several reports it has brought forward the accusation that the German troops, in violation of International Law and without any reason, have attacked and ill-treated the--so it is alleged--unsuspecting and peaceful inhabitants of Louvain, have wounded and killed a great number, have plundered, desolated, and burned, and, in fact, completely destroyed the town.

These accusations are false; moreover, it has been confirmed that the German troops have acted in a manner free from reproach and have committed no deeds in violation of International Law. On the contrary, heavy blame attaches to the civil population of Louvain and the neighbourhood for having, by reason of their disregard of the rules of international law, and through their thoughtless and criminal action, inflicted injury on the German Army, and also, as the result, on the town of Louvain.

2. According to inquiries which were instituted, the events in Louvain occurred as follows:

On August 19th, 1914, the first German troops marched into Louvain and occupied quarters in the town. Intercourse between the inhabitants and the troops, whose number and composition were continually changing, appeared at first to be exceptionally good. No single case of excess occurred. The German troops behaved themselves in exemplary fashion, which even the Belgians recognised; further, the population of the town made such friendly advances that the German soldiers in Louvain felt so secure that many of them went about without arms (Apps. 2, 3, 7-9, 11, 18, 31, 36, 38, 40, 45, 48).

This peaceful picture suddenly changed on August 25th, 1914. On that day Belgian troops from Antwerp made a thrust in the direction of Louvain. The German troops in and about Louvain advanced to meet them; further troops were sent from Liège via Louvain to the front. The fighting took place on the road to Malines, near Bucken and Herent, in the vicinity of Louvain. The fight ended in the heavy defeat of the Belgians, who were thrown back in the evening towards Antwerp.

The inhabitants of Louvain, who had remained in secret communication with Antwerp even after the occupation of their town, and who had information of the impending attack by their countrymen, had apparently not reckoned on this result of the fight. They held the erroneous opinion that the projected breaking through of the Belgian Army must, with the help of English troops, be successful, and saw in the advance initiated by the Belgian troops a promise of success and also an encouragement to themselves to take part in the fighting (Apps. 1, 3, 45, 48).

Already before the fight had been decided, a German company of the Landsturm, which had been stationed at the north-western exit of Louvain, marched back towards 7 o'clock in the evening to a place situated at the east end of the town, near the station, in order to establish themselves there. During their march through the town everything was apparently still quiet. In the streets there were isolated ammunition and baggage columns, and several small detachments of German soldiers. There were no very large bodies of troops in Louvain at this time (Apps. 3, 7, 8, 38).

Among the inhabitants of the town who observed the march through of the Landsturm company were astonishingly large numbers of young men, apparently belonging to the wealthier classes, who stood about in the streets and retired slowly into the houses (Apps. 7, 10, 34, 46); women and children were not to be seen.

The return march through the town of the Landsturm company and other small bodies of troops most likely strengthened the inhabitants of Louvain in the belief that the Germans were beaten and retreating, and encouraged them to execute an apparently long-thought-out and prepared plan to annihilate the Germans during their retreat through the town. A little later, after the above company had arrived at the station square and settled themselves to rest, about 8 p.m. German time, rockets shot up in the town. Quite a number of soldiers saw first a green and then a red rocket appear against the dark evening sky (Apps. 7, 8, 12-17, 22, 38, 45, 46).

At the same time, in consequence of this signal, the inhabitants of Louvain began to open a furious fire from different parts of the town upon the German troops who were in the town-hall square, the station square, and the intermediate town quarters.

They shot with rifles, revolvers, and pistols out of cellars and out of the windows of the buildings, and especially out of windows in the roofs (Apps. 1-8, 7-13, 18-22, 24, 25, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 45-49); the firing sounded in several places as if machine-guns were in use (Apps. 2, 29, 38, 40, 42, 46, 49). The German soldiers were completely surprised at this attack. Many of them were wounded and some were killed before they could offer any resistance. Among the columns and the baggage sections, which had drawn up in the streets, confusion reigned, because the horses, who had shied from fright and were hit by the bullets and small-shot, broke loose and were galloping through the streets (Apps. 8, 18, 19, 37, 47).

An especially violent fire was poured upon the market-place and the first échelon of the General Command stationed there. Several officers and men were wounded or killed. The Staff of the General Command alone lost 5 officers, 2 officials, 23 men, and 95 horses (App. 1).

The fire was most violent in the Rue de la Gare and at the station. The Landsturm company, standing there between the baggage carts, was obliged to retire into the station in order to find better cover. A vigorous fire was also directed upon the troops drawn up at the Place du Peuple (Apps. 6, 20, 46).

The horror of this treacherous attack was increased by the darkness which had already fallen on the town, the street-lighting having been destroyed. The surprised troops tried to assemble, sought to defend themselves, and returned the fire. When this ceased for a moment they entered the houses out of which shots had been fired, by the order of their superior officers, and searched for the culprits. Several of these had been killed in the fight (Apps. 1, 3, 29, 37); others were found in possession of arms and were shot according to the usages of war, after having previously been found guilty of unjustifiable

## participation in the fight (Apps. 19, 20, 37, 38, 40, 41, 43, 44,

48). Many were able to escape through the back exits of the houses to

## participate once more in the continual recommencing street-fights.

While these fights were raging, the General in command of the XI. Reserve Army Corps, von Boehn, returned from the battlefield to the town.

This was about 11.30 p.m. On his way to the town hall he was several times shot at. So as to put an end to the street-fighting, he ordered a brigade of the Landwehr to enter the town, and had the Mayor and other distinguished citizens arrested as hostages. At his order they were led through the town and told to order the insurgents in a loud voice to cease their hostilities. Although accompanied by threats of severe punishment, these orders had no effect. The population continued to attack the troops. In their fury they even shot at the doctors, the hospital orderlies, and at the sick and wounded who were under the protection of the Red Cross (Apps. 9, 21, 25-28, 47). They paid so little attention to the Geneva Convention that they also fired out of houses from which flew the Red Cross flag (Apps. 29, 38); they even directed their fire against a military hospital (Apps. 25, 27, 28). On more than one occasion the use of explosives and bombs is vouched for (Apps. 36, 37, 46); it is proved also that hot tar was poured upon the German troops (Apps. 25, 29).

In some cases the population was even carried away to commit barbarous atrocities on German soldiers who had become defenceless. Private Hoos found in the cellar of a house the corpse of a German soldier whose abdomen had been cut open with a sharp knife so that the intestines were protruding (App. 35); one of the German soldiers had a revolting mutilation inflicted upon him by one of the inhuman inhabitants, in consequence of which he died (App. 37).

In the face of these brutal attacks, the German soldiers had to protect themselves by energetic retaliatory measures. As had been threatened, the inhabitants who had participated in the attack were shot, and the houses out of which they fired were burned. It was impossible to prevent the fire from spreading to other houses, and thus some rows of them were destroyed. It was in this way also that the Cathedral caught fire (App. 4). A further spreading of the conflagration was prevented by our troops who, led by their officers, undertook the work of extinguishing the fire in a self-sacrificing manner (App. 46). Thanks to their efforts, only a comparatively small part of the town, _i.e._ the quarter between the station and the town hall, suffered. The magnificent town hall was saved through the efforts of our troops. The burning houses lit up the dark night and enabled our soldiers to meet the attack more effectively. Thus it diminished gradually; only here and there a few shots were fired during the night. The next morning, however, the attacks were renewed with great violence. The disturbances still continued on this and the following days, though the hostages were, on August the 26th and 27th, again led through the streets in order to exhort the inhabitants to keep the peace (Apps. 1, 37, 38, 40, 44, 45, 47).

That the insurrection did not break out accidentally, but was prepared long beforehand, can be proved, apart from the above-mentioned rocket-signals which announced the beginning of the surprise attack, by the following facts:

1. The circumstance that arms had been found in large quantities, though these, according to the declaration of the Mayor, had been already handed over on August 19th (Apps. 1, 20).

2. The observation that a great number of young men entered Louvain and dispersed in the town (App. 34). It was easy for them to take up quarters in the hotels and the lodging-houses left by the students.

3. Numerous stores of cartridges and explosives, which had been hidden there by the population, exploded in the burning houses (Apps. 1, 2, 6, 37).

In accordance with these facts, the attack evidently was carefully planned, and lasted for several days with the utmost stubbornness. The length of time during which the revolt against the German military force continued excludes any idea of spontaneous and excited actions on the part of isolated persons. The direction of the treacherous revolt must have been in the hands of highly placed persons. Everything points to the fact that the authorities had a hand in the organisation. The official headquarters of the Chief of the so-called Garde Civique were in Louvain; he was still in the town immediately before the rising, and the movement commenced there with the dispatch into Louvain of undisciplined young men not wearing any distinctive badge or uniform, who, together with soldiers transformed into civilians, concealed themselves in the houses in order, while invisible themselves, to fire at a suitable moment upon the apparently departing German troops.

The Belgian Government itself has never dared to speak about the regular troops having participated in these actions. We are here dealing with the perfidious deeds of francs-tireurs who were most readily received and offered hiding-places by the population of Louvain. The crimes of the Garde Civique will be unveiled to the whole civilised world in the classical case of Louvain (Apps. 1, 30, 45, 48).

Unfortunately a number of priests also allowed themselves to be carried away into misusing their influence upon the civilian population, and encouraging them to shelter the insurgents; it is certain that some of them even took direct part in the fighting (Apps. 1, 19, 34, 37, 38, 41, 42, 45, 48). Those who appreciate the authentic facts discovered by the German Government regarding the case of Louvain, facts which are not based upon hasty examinations of people labouring under strong excitement and possessing little education, by equally agitated examiners, but which are founded upon inquiries entered upon in a calm and quiet spirit, will be able to judge for themselves what value can be attached to other similar accusations on the part of the Belgians against the German troops.

In the case of Louvain the Official Belgian Commission of Inquiry has tried to account for the doubtless very embarrassing fact, so difficult to be explained away, of the shots fired in the streets by maintaining that the German troops had fired on their own soldiers. But it conceals the point that the firing lasted several days and was renewed continuously. This simple fact does away with the thread-bare attempt to explain the beginning of the street-fights.

While the Belgian Commission of Inquiry so lightly brushes aside the above-mentioned principal question of the violation of International Law, it seeks to calumniate the German Army by accusations in isolated cases. We have not been able to establish the truth of any of these cases; the impartial person must not overlook in this matter on what kind of evidence these cases are founded, nor how these accusations recede into the background, compared with the principal question of the origin of the street-fights. They are based on the depositions of the same persons who are responsible for the statement that Louvain was completely destroyed, and that of the whole town nothing but the town hall and the station remained intact, as is asserted in the third Report of the Commission and thus announced throughout the whole world.

The adjoining sketch shows how matters really stand with regard to the conflagration; in reality not one-sixth part of the town, but only the quarter in the proximity of the station, was destroyed by the fire (App. 50).

One of the few positive calumnies can be brought home, because it foolishly tries to cast a slur on the entire German Army Administration; according to the fifth Report of the Commission, a "large part of the booty (derived from the alleged looting) was forwarded in military waggons and later on sent to Germany."

This allegation is a pure invention, for what has to be forwarded in waggons and railway trucks is decided by the Army Administration, and the latter has never made any arrangements of the kind.

The slight importance the Commission even attaches to the tales dished up to them and unfortunately passed on without criticism is also shown in the fifth Report, which mentions the execution of Bishop Coenraets and Father Schmidt. The Commission even speaks about the "alleged" execution, and adds without further ado the fairy-tale that the compulsory spectators of this pretended scene were forced to show their appreciation by clapping. It is impossible to admit more forcibly that the hurriedly collected material was brought out in order to create a sensation whereby truth and justice would have to suffer. One must know, moreover, that--as can hardly have been concealed from the Belgian Commission--Mons. Coenraets, who is safe and sound, is living to-day with Professor Toels in Jirlen, Holland.

BERLIN, _April 10th, 1915_.

Military Inquiry Office, regarding the Violations of the Rules and Usages of War.

Signed: BAUER, Major. Signed: Dr. WAGNER, Councillor of the Supreme Court of Justice.

D. App. 1.

Court of Justice of the Government-General of Brussels.

Present: Dr. IVERS, Justice of Martial Law. Secretary, REISENER.

NOYON, _September 27th, 1914_.

The General commanding IX. Reserve Army Corps, General of Infantry v. Boehn, declared:

As to Person: My name is Max von Boehn, aged 66: Protestant.

It was made known to the witness that the Governor-General Field-Marshal General Baron von der Goltz had ordered an inquiry by the Court in order to establish whether a punishable offence in connection with the burning of Louvain could be charged to the account of German military persons, and, if so, to which persons; he states as follows:

As to Case: When the first échelon of the General Command entered Louvain on August 25th, the orders received were first briefly talked over, and the report to the Army Headquarters, dealing with the time of arrival of the troops of the 9th Reserve Corps, was prepared. The detraining had not yet been terminated when the report was received from the 18th Reserve Division that the enemy was advancing to the attack against Bueken, along the road Malines-Louvain. I went immediately by motor to the battlefield with the Chief and a part of the Staff. Here the action was principally sustained by the 18th Reserve Division. Our losses were only small. While the different portions of the 18th Reserve Division were advancing, the hussars and one part of the infantry were furiously fired upon by the inhabitants in Herent, as well as from the windows of the houses south of Bueken. They lost heavily. People caught firing were shot and their houses set on fire.

When I was on the point of returning to Louvain at midnight with the officers of my Staff, I was warned by the 17th Landwehr Brigade, which was resting to the north of the town, not to enter it, as infantry fire had been heard there. But, as it was necessary for the whole Staff to be in Louvain, I drove in my motor into the town, where we were very soon fired upon. I ordered the above-mentioned Landwehr Brigade to enter Louvain, and went with portions of it to the town hall, where the Mayor and other hostages were arrested. Under the protection of a detachment of infantry they were instructed to announce that if the firing out of houses continued, the hostages would be shot and the place set on fire by the artillery. It now also came to my knowledge that the first échelon of the Staff, after having entered the town, and being drawn up in the market-place, was suddenly assailed by a murderous fire from the surrounding houses.

The officers and men present, of course, returned the fire; nevertheless, apart from other officers, Captains of Cavalry v. Harnier and v. Esmarch, Captain v. Raven, 1st Lieutenant v. Oertzen, Lieutenant Risler, as well as several men, were wounded or killed. Nearly all the saddle-horses were killed or wounded, or had stampeded and could not be recaptured. The total loss of the Staff in dead, wounded, and missing amounts to 5 officers, 2 officials, 23 men, and 95 horses fully harnessed. Different houses in the proximity of the market-place had thereupon been set on fire. Shots had also been fired out of the hotel into which the hand-baggage of the Staff had already been taken. I therefore decided to move with the General Command to the station, and to remain there. The station had to be held, as transport trains were arriving at intervals of an hour. First of all, fresh horses were put into the waggons, and the Staff was rearranged. Owing to the foresight of the Commander of the Ammunition Column, Colonel Stubenrauch, assisted by the 1st Adjutant, Captain v. Kretschmann, the Staff was successfully reformed during the night in spite of the greatest difficulties, and held in readiness at the station. A portion of the Landwehr Brigade also remained here and one company of Infantry Regiment No. 163, in order to guard the further unloading of trains during the night. The heavy baggage of Reserve Regiment of Hussars No. 6 was fired on when moving out of the cavalry barracks, and was forced to return. When, in the evening, the regiment of hussars had returned to the barracks, shots were fired into the buildings from all the surrounding houses. Peace was only restored when all the houses had been set on fire and the inhabitants shot, in so far as they were found with arms in their possession. Numerous explosions of stored cartridges and explosives proved that the attack had been carefully planned and prepared. The next morning the regiment of hussars was able to leave the barracks without any losses, but a patrol of the 1st Squadron in Rotselaer was fired on suddenly by about 50 civilians, and, as a result, 2 hussars were wounded and 1 horse killed.