New York Times Current History: The European War from the Beginning to March 1915, Vol 1, No. 2: Who Began the War, and Why?Various
History
New York Times Current History: The European War from the Beginning to March 1915, Vol 1, No. 2: Who Began the War, and Why?
Various
World War, 1914-1918
From Senlis we went to Clermont, which is the headquarters of the left
wing. There I had the great good fortune to be introduced to Gen.
Castelnau, who showed me his maps and the way a battle was fought on
paper. This is one of the greatest privileges I think I have ever
enjoyed, and the curious part of it was that their way of working in the
military art is very similar to the way we plot and scheme as
architects. The General interested me as a very fine, simple citizen.
Among other things he said to me:
"My dear Sir, how is it possible to fight with these people? They
seem to have no mercy, no decency. It really seems impossible to
know how to meet them."
He had with him several of his staff officers and one of them was
charged with making a report upon the atrocities committed. He allowed
me to read several of these reports and showed me photographs of one
incident that impressed me greatly. These photographs this officer had
taken himself and in order to prove that he had seen the incident and
was on the ground he was himself in the photograph. This special
happening was as follows:
In some little town to the east the Germans had taken out sixteen
peasants and field laborers. They bound their hands either in front or
at the back, tied them in bunches of five, cut their suspenders and
unbuttoned their trousers so that escape was impossible and shot them in
an open field. The report contained the names and ages of these poor
chaps. The oldest, I remember, was 67, and several were over 50. The
French had been able to get no explanation whatever of what had
occurred, as the village was absolutely deserted. The persecution of
women seems to be quite prevalent.
From here we returned to Paris, passing by Creil and Chantilly without
any incident, arriving in Paris at about 8 o'clock at night.
WHITNEY WARREN.
* * * * *
WHO BEGAN THE WAR, AND WHY?
THE SOCIALISTS' PART
* * * * *
[Illustration: EMIL VAN DER VELDE,
Belgian Minister of State and Chairman International
Socialist Bureau.
(_Photo from Wiener Agency._)]
HOW INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISTS ARMED AGAINST EACH OTHER.
Concluding Remarks of Emil Vandervelde, Belgian Minister of State,
Chairman International Socialist Bureau, in Harlem Casino, New York,
Sept. 21.
You in the United States represent the International within a nation.
You have undertaken to do what no nation of Europe has ever
accomplished. You have taken the men and women and children of all
nationalities and molded of them one uniform nation of peace.
This meeting here tonight is a demonstration of this. The International,
unfortunately divided by war, has not been seen in Europe in weeks. I
find it again in the United States. These United States, which are to
be, not merely the United States of America, or the United States of
capitalism, but the United States of the Socialism of the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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