[Footnote 123:  The author hopes to publish a complete translation shortly.]

In his introduction the Rev. Duhr states that the office of the Priests’ Society “Pax” in Cologne has taken great pains to expose and refute lies as fast as they have appeared.  The original documents are preserved in the above office and may be seen by anyone who cares to apply.

Probably one of the motives actuating the Society “Pax” and the Rev. B. Duhr was the intention to refute the accusations of cruel outrages by Belgian and French Catholic priests.  Whatever their motives may have been, one thing is certain, they have produced most convincing proof of German mendacity.  It is to be hoped that the “Pax” will give the world the benefit of all the documents in their possession.

Even the Kaiser had the audacity to state in his telegram of September 8th, 1914, to President Wilson that “women and priests have been guilty of atrocities in this guerilla warfare.”  For reasons easy to understand the reverend gentleman does not introduce the Kaiser’s name into his booklet, but in the introduction he remarks:  “Finally the refutation of such fairy-tales is a patriotic duty.  Nothing is more essential for us Germans, especially in war time, than unity; but this harmony is necessarily endangered by religious bitterness and strife.  Of a necessity it must cause deep pain and embitterment to our Catholic population when again and again ENTIRELY UNTRUE ACCUSATIONS are made against the priesthood of their Church.”

The Rev. Duhr’s exposure of what he calls “erlogener Schauergeschichten” ("lying horror tales”) kills most of the “fairy-tales” accusing the Russians, French and Belgians of atrocities on German soldiers.  A few illustrations will suffice to show the absence of all foundation for the charges against the Belgians; charges, we must remember, which the German soldiery believed, and which convinced them they were performing a holy task at Louvain, Tirlemont, Dinant, etc.

“On October 1st, 1914, a telegraphic agency (Wolff’s?) issued the following notice:  ’A high Bavarian officer writing from the front has informed the Muenchen-Augsburger Abendzeitung of this incident.  South of Cambrai a column of German motor-cars was attacked by a company of French cyclists.  For the most part the guard was killed by rifle fire, while the cars were all burnt.  Later a German patrol discovered the remains, and on investigation, found that the dead Germans had all had their eyes gouged out.’”

The reverend Father comments as follows:  “On following up this case, it was impossible to prove whether the patrol had seen rightly or whether they had really made the report at all.  So much is certain, however, that in the matter of eyes being gouged out, an absolute mania of gruesomeness broke loose.  An innumerable swarm of such horrible tales were told, passed on, and finally guaranteed as true—­AND YET THEY WERE ALL FAIRY-TALES.  A few cases will suffice.