"The fate that Belgium has called down upon herself is hard for the individual, but not too hard for this political structure (_Staatsgebilde_), for the destinies of the immortal great nations stand so high that they cannot but have the right, in case of need, to stride over existences that cannot defend themselves, but live, as parasites, upon the rivalries of the great." Prof. H. Oncken, in _Süddeutsche Monatsheft_, "South German Monthly." Would they have dared to defend such a policy if they could have seen the announcement sent out by the parish of St. Hadelin with its silent eloquence? This is an invitation to a service in memory of 60 men and women from one parish, of whom all but two were killed by the Germans in the massacre of August 5 and 6, 1914. The closing sentences are: PRAY TO GOD FOR THE REPOSE OF THEIR SOULS. Gentle Heart of Mary, be my refuge. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. St. Joseph, patron of Belgium, pray for us. St. Hadelin, patron of the parish, pray for us. Sainte Barbe, patroness of kindly death, pray for us. After reading such ghastly accounts, many of them written by German eyewitnesses, and knowing that similar tales were published widely in the German newspapers, it is difficult to read with patience such words as these: "The German Army (in which I of course include the Navy) is to-day the greatest institute for moral education in the world." "The German soldiers alone are thoroughly disciplined, and have never so much as hurt a hair of a single innocent human being." Houston Stewart Chamberlain, in _Kriegsaufsätze_, "War Essays", 1914. "We see everywhere how our soldiers respect the sacred defencelessness of woman and child." Prof. G. Roethe, in _Deutsche Reden in Schwerer Zeit_, "German Speeches in Difficult Days." II. HOSTAGES AND SCREENS. The massacres described above were a part of the German system of frightfulness. Another feature of this system was the use of civilians as hostages and for screens. In discussing the use of hostages the _German War Book_ (_Kriegsbrauch im Landkriege_) says: [Sidenote: Views of the German General Staff.] "By hostages are understood those persons who, as security or bail for the fulfillment of treaties, promises, or other claims, are taken or detained by the opposing State or its army. Their provision has been less usual in recent wars, as a result of which some professors of the law of nations have wrongly decided that the taking of hostages has disappeared from the practice of civilized nations. * * *