THE WAY OF THE HUN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17862, 7 August 1918, Page 6

THE WAY OF THE HUN.

Still another hospital ship has fallen a victim to the ruthless and barbarian tactics of the Germans, and probably to-day there is rejoicing throughout Germany because a hundred or a .iundred and fifty wounded soldiers have been killed. Goethe put on record his own opinion that “ The Prussian was born a brute, and civilisation will make him ferocious.” ‘‘There is nothing that Kaiserism is not capable of trying in tho hope of victory,” is the deliberate verdict passed by Mr J. W. Gerard in his “ Face to Faca With Kaiserism,” and the American adds the warning that “ no trick and no evasion, no brutality, will be unti'ied by Germany in this war.” Civilised people are slow to become used to such barbarities, though it is nearly four years now since the Prussians revealed their true nature by their sacking of Louvain. Another, member of tliq American diplomatic service, Mr Gibson, who was secretary to tho American Legation at Brussels, has given us a first hand account of tlie destruction of Louvain in lxis fascinating “Diplomatic Diary,” which, though published in tho United. States a few months ago, has only just been made available to New Zealand readers. Mr Gibson gives a very intimate account of diplomatic life in the Belgian capital in 1914, and his story is full of the exciting episodes of tho G ci man invasion of Belgium, the siege of Antwerp and tho occupation of Brussels, but two of bis chapters, one describing a visit that he paid to Louvain while it was being burned, and the other giving the official account of the trial and murder of Miss Cavcll, stand out because of the. intensity of their tragic emotion He and three of his diplomatic colleagues drove through .the German, patrols into Louvain, along a boulevards that ‘‘looked as though it had been swept by a cyclono.” Some of the German soldiers were sodden with drink. The houses on either sido of them were either burnt or burning. “ Soldiers were systematically removing ivh.at was to be found in tho way of valuables, food and wine, and then setting fire to tho furniture and hangings. It was all most businesslike.” The officer in command of the destruction of this part of the town “ stood outside smoking a rank cigar and looking on gloomily.” Machine, guns were still at work in somo of the Btreets, and now and then dynamite was used to hasten the work of destruction. Smoko was rising iD clouds from the Cathedral roof. The diplomatic party met an officer from Hamburg, who was communicative. Orders had been given, he said, to raze the town till not one stone was left on another. Mr Gibson gives the burden of the German’s repeated statement: “We shall make this place a desert. We shall wipe it out so that it will be hard to find where Louvain used to stand. For generations people will oome here to see what wo have done, and it will teach them to respect Germany and to think twice before they resist her- Not one stone on another, I tell you—kein Stein auf einander! ” And this view was impressed again and again on the spectators Hie sacking of Louvain would make people respect Germany and think twice about resisting her. Mr Gibson adds a note that the true facts as to the destruction of Louvain, when they become known, “will startle the world, hardened though it ha 3 become to surprise at Geraan crimes.” At present

the details cannot be published without endangering the lives of people still in Belgium. We need not enter into the details of Mr Gibson’s other remar liable chapter, because they have already been, widely published and discussed, but the murdor of Miss Cavell showed the German in his true character, lying, blustering, hypocritical and utterly callous.