GERMAN ATROCITIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16665, 25 September 1914, Page 8

GERMAN ATROCITIES.

THE RHEIMS OUTRAGE.

'"Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services. (Received .September 24, 6.10 p.m.)' LONDON, September 23. Prince Henry of Prussia stayed at Rheims last week. As a guarantee for bis safety, four hostages passed the night in adjoining rooms. • After the iirst bombardment the German staff explained that it was due to envoys sent the previous evening not returning, the Germans concluding that they had been detained as prisoners.

COLD-BLOODED SLAUGHTER OF

PEASANTS

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Received September 24, 10.15 p.m.) LONDON, September-23.

The "Daily Telegraph" reports that the Germans captured fourteen unarmed peasants at Lebbeke, tied them together against a'wall and bayoneted •Khem. Their,limbs were afterwards cut

«JX. The famous tapestries in the nave of f?heims Cathedral were removed before ts destruction.

CATHEDRAL NOT' COMPLETELY

DESTROYED.

THE GERMAN VERSION. LONDON, September 23. • An eyerwitness describes Rheims • Cathedral as not completely gutted. It s possible to restore the main features Df the outline. ... The official German version is: "Since the white flag was hoisted on the spire, the Cathedral was respected by our artillery. We discovered that the French were using the spire as an observation post, therefore it was necessary to remove the postj which . n-as done by field artillery. Heavy irtillery was not allowed to fire. Hie bombardment, ceased immediately the post was removed. The French alone are to blame for misusing the white flag."

"CULTURE SPREAD BY BAYONET."

Received September 25, 12.25 a.m.) Lord Rosebery. in a speech in Midtothian, said:—"We are fighting igainst tho Prussian military caste, *hose policy of aggression is unGerman. If the principle that might is right, which treats treaties with scraps of paper, is allowed to become the principle of Europe, the world will get very near damnation. Louvain, Malines, Senlis all attest ihat German culture, which is spread >y the bayonet."