d the town at the head of a
column, and while waiting for reinforcements was compelled to barricade
himself in a house, (Fig. 9:)

[Illustration: Figure 9.]

We arrested three civilians, and a bright idea struck me. We
furnished them with chairs and made them seat themselves in
the middle of the street. There were supplications on one
part, and some blows with the stocks of our guns on the other.
One, little by little, gets terribly hardened. Finally, there
they were sitting in the street. How many anguished prayers
they may have muttered, I cannot say, but during the whole
time their hands were joined in nervous contraction. I am
sorry for them, but the stratagem was of immediate effect. The
enfilading directed from the houses diminished at once; we
were able then to take possession of the house opposite, and
thus became masters of the principal street. From that moment
every one that showed his face in the street was shot. And the
artillery meanwhile kept up vigorous work, so that at about 7
o'clock in the evening, when the brigade advanced to rescue
us, I could report "Saint-Die has been emptied of all
enemies."

As I learned later, the ---- Regiment of Reserves, which came
into Saint-Die further north, had experiences entirely similar
to our own. The four civilians whom they had placed on chairs
in the middle of the street were killed by French bullets. I
saw them myself stretched out in the street near the hospital.

V.

Article 28 of The Hague Convention of 1907, subscribed to by Germany,
uses this language: "The sacking of any town or locality, even when
taken by assault, is prohibited." And Article 47 runs: "[in occupied
territory] pillage is forbidden."

We shall see how the German armies interpret these articles.

Private Handschuhmacher (Eleventh Battalion of Chasseurs Reserves)
writes in his notebook:

Aug. 8, 1914, Gouvy, (Belgium.)--There, the Belgians having
fired on some German soldiers, we started at once pillaging
the merchandise warehouse. Several cases--eggs, shirts, and
everything that could be eaten was carried off. The safe was
forced and the gold distributed among the men. As to the
securities, they were torn up.

This happened as early as the fourth day of the war, and it helps us to
understand a technical article on the operations of the mili