The most celebrated2 German writers on international law, Heffter, Klueber, Geffcken, have taught that the State which declares war can neither keep enemy subjects who happen to be on its territory nor their property, for as they came into this territory in reliance upon public law and have received permission to stay there, they can avail themselves of the tacit promise made by the State that every freedom and safety are guaranteed them for their return. If the State wishes them to go, it must allow them a reasonable time to go away with their property; if not, enemy subjects, who are subject to the regulations of the police and of public safety have the right, so long as they respect these laws, to appeal for protection to them. In any case deliberate ill-treatment of enemy subjects cannot be permitted.
This principle, by the confession3 of the Germans themselves, condemns4 the methods to which Germany has resorted by empowering her officials to behave cruelly to French and Russian subjects who happened to be in Germany on the 3rd August, and by tacitly approving the behaviour of the mob to them.
The fear of spying, of which it appears that all these people were suspected, perhaps because of the audacity5 which the Germans themselves showed in resorting to it in foreign countries, was invoked6 by the Germans as the excuse for all these outrages and the justification7 for all these annoyances8.
German Misconduct towards People Incapable9 of Espionage10
Nevertheless, ill-treatment could not be justified11 in this way. As a precaution against spying, foreigners may be compelled to leave a country en masse. A straightforward12 and honest supervision13 may be exercised over them at their departure, but no one has the right to allow them to be struck, nor to expose them to the clamours of a mob, nor to speak to them as if they were prisoners in the dock. Only definite suspicion falling upon individuals would justify14 such conduct, and by justifying15 it would give, in addition, the rights of arrest and cross-examination.
People who are merely being brought back to their own country in case of war have the right to be shown every consideration by the authorities.
In all the disgraceful situations which German officials and private citizens brought about in Germany in their dealings with enemy subjects of Germany, we can, therefore, see merely the expression of a cowardly hatred16 of everything that belongs to the powers hostile to Germany, powers which the Germans think they are hitting when they insult and ill-treat their peaceful and harmless citizens. The same feeling which animated17 German officials against the Dowager Empress of Russia, against the Grand Duke Constantin, against the ambassadors, ministers and consuls19 of Russia and France, could only assert itself with still greater fury, devoid20 of all consideration and all scruple21, against plain French citizens or Russian subjects. In this letting loose of evil passions there were manifested features of grotesque22 arbitrariness. For example, such was these people’s whim23, every woman who wore spectacles was subjected to a more[32] minute search than other travellers, on the ground, it was alleged24, that there was more likelihood of her being a spy!
How the Germans treated Russian Travellers
Thirty-two Russians belonging to the highest aristocracy, who were passing the summer at Baden and other bathing resorts, were arrested at Hamburg and detained for several days. Thanks to the intervention25 of the Spanish consul18, M. Veler, they were able eventually to continue their journey; but at Neumunster, M. Schebeko, on the authority of a telegram from Berlin, was suddenly arrested in the train, compelled to get out of the carriage guarded by soldiers with fixed26 bayonets, in the midst of a crowd shouting “Shoot him!” He was then dragged off to prison, where he spent twenty-four hours in a dark cell, in the company of malefactors under the common law.
The Countess of Vorontsoff, daughter of the Viceroy of the Caucasus, went so far as to protest. Immediately the soldiers, in a rage, forced themselves into her carriage, pushed her with the butt-ends of their rifles on to the platform and began to search her. It was only with great difficulty that the travellers were able to resume their journey, which, from Baden to the Danish frontier, lasted seven days. At Reudsburg station they were again dragged from their carriage and carefully searched: at the Fleusburg station they were detained for four hours under a guard of armed soldiers. Other Russian travellers of note were at first brought to the frontier town of Eydtkuhnen, and then dispatched again to Mecklenburg, and the Island of Ruegen.
The travellers were fearfully crowded together. Some of them were put into cattle-trucks and had nothing to eat or drink. Even women were not spared blows with the fist and with the butt-ends of rifles, nor threats of death. Several had to make long marches on foot between rows of armed soldiers, and at stopping-places had no shelter but pig-sties. A large number of men aged27 from seventeen to fifty were stopped.
Husbands were taken away from their wives, children were harshly treated, and left alone at the stopping-places in spite of the cries of their mothers, who were forced to continue their journey.
In the sanatorium at Frankfurt, which was filled with a large number of foreigners, especially Russians, several of whom had just been operated on, shameful28 behaviour of the same kind took place. The sanatorium was cleared in twenty-four hours. A woman who had just been confined was sent to Berne, where she arrived in a dying condition. Her baby died on the way.
After stories like these, we can easily imagine what bad treatment travellers of less distinction had to endure. The vicissitudes29 through which they passed not merely astound30, but revolt, the hearer. The Russians who were brought to Sasuitz, for the most part robbed of all that they had, agreed to make the following declaration—
“Those who wish to do so may take the boat to go back to Sweden. Those who do not wish to return to Sweden will remain here, as prisoners of war, until the end of the war. The women will sew linen31 for our soldiers, the men will be employed in making trenches32. Whoever departs from the appointed place where he is to stop will be brought before a court-martial and will be shot. We do not guarantee regular food.”
How the Germans Behaved to French Residents and Travellers
The French were no more spared than the Russians. At Kembs, fronting Istein, the German authorities blew up with dynamite33 Monsignor Kannengieser’s dwelling-house. The noble prelate, who was almost blind, was shamefully34 ill-treated, because (such is the statement of the Liberté de Fribourg) he had in his possession plans of Istein.
As for French travellers going back to France, their journey was checked at any moment by the police, who stopped them for long hours, if not for whole days, at every station. Several found that they were treated like regular prisoners; on the slightest suspicion they were shut up in dark cells, and in order to intimidate35 them or to drag confessions36 out of them, they were threatened with death. Those who were not stopped by the police were unmercifully beaten by the crowd, who loaded them with insults.
At Hanover a child who was wearing the inscription37 France on the ribbon of its hat was dragged from its mother and ill-treated.
At Donaueschingen a certain number of women were compelled by the German military authorities to discontinue their journey, and were brought to a school, where they had to sleep on straw.
They got the benefit, however, of the sole and only act of charity which was performed during the whole of this time in Germany towards an enemy subject, for the Princess of Fürstenberg, whose castle is at Donaueschingen, hearing of their condition, had beds given them in a hospital of which she is patroness.
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1
outrages
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| 引起…的义愤，激怒( outrage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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4
condemns
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| v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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6
invoked
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| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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annoyances
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| n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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espionage
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| n.间谍行为，谍报活动 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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justifying
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| 证明…有理( justify的现在分词 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护） | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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consuls
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| 领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次） | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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intervention
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| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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astound
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| v.使震惊，使大吃一惊 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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33
dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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34
shamefully
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| 可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地 | |
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intimidate
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| vt.恐吓，威胁 | |
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36
confessions
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| n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔 | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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