But of the desire which lay
nearest our hearts---to get back to Brussels in time haply to witness
its occupation by the Germans--he would not hear.
"For your own sakes," thus he explained it, "I dare not let you
gentlemen go. Terrible things have happened. Last night a colonel of
infantry was murdered while he was asleep; and I have just heard that
fifteen of our soldiers had their throats cut, also as they slept. From
houses our troops have been fired on, and between here and Brussels
there has been much of this guerrilla warfare on us. To those who do
such things and to those who protect them we show no mercy. We shoot
them on the spot and burn their houses to the ground.
"I can well understand that the Belgians resent our coming into their
country. We ourselves regret it; but it was a military necessity. We
could do nothing else. If the Belgians put on uniforms and enroll as
soldiers and fight us openly, we shall capture them if we can; we shall
kill them if we must; but in all cases we shall treat them as honorable
enemies, fighting under the rules of civilized warfare.
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