German Barbarism: A Neutral's IndictmentMaccas, Léon
History
German Barbarism: A Neutral's Indictment
Maccas, Léon
World War, 1914-1918 -- Atrocities
In Greece the newspapers were unanimous in stigmatising German vandalism.
_Nea Hellas_ wrote: “In the name of art, in the name of the Parthenon
half destroyed by the fire of the Venetian Morosini, Greece, the mother
of civilised nations, appeals to belligerents to respect treasures of
art, and asks the Germans to cease to dishonour their country.”
In Spain the destruction of the cathedral of Reims partly destroyed the
long preparation of Spanish opinion which had been carried on in favour
of Germany. The indignation of Spaniards was faithfully expressed by an
article in the _Libéral_, in which the following words occur: “It seemed
that the universal anathema heaped upon the Germans after the destruction
of Louvain would have restrained their acts of unjustifiable destruction.
The Emperor appeared to feel sorry in his letter of apologies addressed
to the President of the United States; but his soldiers surpassed
themselves, and the appalling barbarism of their achievement is
unexampled in history.”
Finally, in America not only the general public but the Government were
profoundly moved by the news of the bombardment of one of the finest
cathedrals in the world. The American Consul at Lausanne was instructed
by his Government, on the day after the crime, to go to Reims and make
an inquiry on the spot. As for American newspapers, the following are
extracts from them—
The _Tribune_ said: “The destruction of the fine monument of the Middle
Ages is an act of vandalism which puts German military methods on a
level with those of the Goths and the Huns. The crime of destroying this
venerable pile was committed by a nation which claims that its mission
is to impose its civilisation on the rest of the world. By violating the
laws of war, Germany is encouraging other nations to do the same.”
The _World_ said: “Prussian militarism has outdone everything previously
seen in the category of vandalism. Throughout the centuries, since the
destruction of the Parthenon, the world has known no such act.”
The _Sun_ said: “In spite of the regrets which Germany pretends to
express, we cannot fail to draw the conclusion that the cathedral of
Reims was the target of a deliberate attempt to destroy.”
BOMBARDMENT OF GERBEVILLER
The following are other examples of bombardments at this period, which
were carried out at places less known, but in which the aim to destroy
at any cost, by any means, and in violation of every law stands no
less emphatically self-condemned. Of the picturesque little village of
Gerbeviller there remains only a heap of stones, dust and ashes. The
Germans bombarded it mercilessly in the month of August. Possibly this
bombardment was due to necessity, but the precise aim of the German guns,
posted in the outskirts of the village, reveals the criminal design at
work. The village church was the chief object aimed at: it was burnt down
by shell fire, the pretty palatine chapel demolished, and the château
completely wiped out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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