GERMAN CORPSE FACTORY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19439, 27 October 1925, Page 7

GERMAN CORPSE FACTORY

THE CHARTERIS CON-

FESSION WHAT IS THE TRUTH? BRITAIN TO BIND OUT. By Telegraph—Per Brew Assn.—Copyright LONDON, Oct. 25. Mr Baldwin is intervening in the Chartcris controversy, but nothing will bo done until General Chartcris’ return. Tho official viewpoint is that no Government could do other than disavow responsibility for the invention. It is pointed out that the report that tho Germans were utilising human corpses arose from a statement in Germany's own newspapers. The “LokaJ Anzeiger’s” war correspondent on April 10, 1917, referred to the great corps, conversion establishment at Evergicourt. The word used was “Kadaververwertungsanstalt. ” Similar statements appeared in other German new* papers.

The British captured and photographically reproduced an order of the Sixth Germany Army, dated DecembeJ 21, 1916, reading: “It is necessary to again draw attention to the fact that when corpses are delivered to the corpse utilisation establishment details are to accompany them, showing which troop units they are from, date of death, illness, also information regarding epidemics.’ ’

A search of the War Museum failed to reveal tho forged diary to which General Chartcris’ speech referred. In a newspaper despatch Sir Syd. noy Low, ex-member of Lord North. eliffe’s Propaganda Committee, states, “Our main guiding rule was to teD tho truth, not. the whole truth, which was impracticable during war time. W« did not invent or knowingly circulate falsehoods. Accordingly lam utterly confounded at General Chartcris’ stunning declaration that he, when one of the heads of the Intelligence Departement, deliberately forged one of the [most terrible indictments of German brutality and callousness. When tha Germans explained that the corpse factory disposed of animals and not hunian beings, I accepted the denial. The question was never settled because the Germans refused to allow neutrals to examine the fat from the corpses. It General Chartcris’ version is correct wn owe Germany an apology, which should be freely and frankly given.” A Tank Corps officer, in a letter to the “Dispatch,” recalls that during the battle of St. Quentin in 1918 he found an underground tunnel near St. Quentin Canal containing huge vats, one of which contained throe naked German corpses bound with wire, and another three-quarters full of an unspeakable ; horrid liquid in which was a body stripped to tho waist. Ho says that he firmly believes that it was a corpse con- | version factory, although the Germans [stated that it was a kitchen which a shell had destroyed.

DELIBERATE INVENTION IN CAUSE or PROPAGANDA. PRESS CORRESPONDENT’S ALLEGATION. Received October 26, 7.5 p.m. (Sun). LONDON, Oct. 25. The “Daily News’ ” New York correspondent rebutes General Chartcris’ assertion that he incorrectly reported tho corpse factory story. He asserts that he telephoned General Chartcris, who admitted the accuracy, adding that tho story was an isolated instance of a deliberate invention in tho causa of British propaganda. LLOYD GEORGE SCEPTICAL “STORY COULD NOT BE TRUE.” LONDON, Oct. 25. Received October 26, 7.5 p.m. Mr Lloyd George, interviewed, said 44 We knew the story could not bo tru< Therefore it was never officially issued I did not believe it, and will not now? MEANING OF “KADAVER” APPLICABLE ONLY TO HORSES. Received October 26, 7.5 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 25. The Hon. C. F. Masterman, then head of the Propaganda Department, said he examined the story and found that the word ‘'kadaver” did not apply to human beings, only to horses. SAW THE VATS A GENERAL CONVINCED Received October 26, 7.5 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 21 General Campbell says he visited St Quentin tunnel and saw vats. He wal convinced bodies were being refluet down. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.