Letter from Otto Luening (Ger.) to Karl Wagner (USA)

 Aug 27, 1914

Excuse writing & spelling. Great hurry.

Dear Weezer, Whether this note will ever reach you I do not know. It will probably take four weeks if it reaches America at all. By that time everyone will know who has won this war. If you will think back you will maybe remember that about the middle of winter I said to Stiff & you one might expect war with Russia any minute. You laughed at me but I knew what I was talking about. You see, an officer in the GeneralStaB (staff) at Berlin had written to us that war with Russia could not be prevented, that the plan of battle was all mapped out & also that the army would be ready in 8 days to march into Russia. Naturally Austria, France & England would be entangled in the war & the result would be a great European war. Now Japan has butted in and one doesn't know what the result will be. However, I'm not writing a sermon & the real object of this letter is to write you the truth about the battles. From what I hear here, most of America is against Germany on account of Belgium. Germany could do nothing else than capture Luttich because the French were already in Belgium & the English were calculating to land troops in the Belgium coast. According to what I have heard, the French & English are cabling big lies to America in regard to the war.

The first important battle on the French border was Muhlhausen (near Switzerland). The French had busted thru & had fortified the village of Muhlhausen. Wurtemburg troops combined with others got the French out of their strong position & captured 700 soldiers & 50 officers, 2 batterys, 1 flag & several machine guns. Losses for the French, about 10,000 killed & wounded. German losses kept quiet. Then came Luttich. The Belgians had about 50,000 men in Luttich. Germany had six brigades of infantry (peace strength, very weak) with a small amount of cavalry & artillery. How many men, I don't know. Anyhow there weren't anywhere near the 120,000 men the French said there were. 4,000 prisoners for Germany. Now there has been a long pause in the operations. Day before yesterday, Wednesday, Barvarian Infantry whipped the French 55 Brigade Infantry. They chased them from Wieder, a distance of 15 kilometer to France I guess. Great losses for the French. The 5 French Cavalry division was thrown out of their strong position at Pernez near Namur. Large French losses. The Germans have taken Nancy & Brussels & this afternoon we received news that the Bavarian Crown Prince with a combined army of all the different German whipped the French near the border. 7,000 prisoners for the Germans. This makes about 25,000 prisoners for the Germans up to now. The one battle, I mean skirmish, which the Germans lost was near Shirmeck. The Germans lost some guns which had been spiked.

There hasn't been much doing at the Russian border as yet because those stinking skunks of Cosacks always run when they see a uniform, even if its only on a wash line. Yesterday 300 Cosacks & their offiers gave themselves up because they were so afraid of being killed. It may interest you to know that Zimmerman & Leib & Pongratz are serving. Pongratz is fighting the French.

Now I will tell you some of the appetizing things Belgians did to the Germans. All of this is true & I would swear to it.

Two ladies were trying to get out of Belgium. They had 1st class tickets & had to ride in the baggage wagon. At each station the mob collected & threw stones, shot, spit in their faces & maltreated them most frightfully. One stone hit the oldest lady (she was 60 years old) in the mouth & knocked out 3 teeth. The other one bled from her mouth, nose & eyes on account of being hit.

One other lady tried to get out with her 3 children. They shot her & played catch with the kids & at last killed them by banging them against a wall.

The civilians shoot the soldiers from behind while they are marching thru villages. One soldier was shot in the leg in such a manner. He dropped & the mob grabbed a hold of him & sawed off both of his legs with an ordinary saw while he was living!!! 5 wounded soldiers were brought into a house which was being used for Red Cross purposes. The next morning all had been stabbed!

One wounded soldier had been carried into a house which exhibited a Red Cross flag. The people threw him from the third story onto the pavement.

One soldier was found with his eyes cut out! One with his hands chopped off by an axe! And last & worst of all (it makes me sick to write it) they found one with his ears & nose cut off, his hands chopped off, his legs also, his eyes cut out & his tongue pulled out!

Well Weezer, I think I'll have to close now as it's getting late. These are only a few examples. 150 Germans have been killed in the above ways in Belgium & this is what they call civilization. You might copy parts of this letter & send them to some paper after having corrected it & having put it in readable English. the Germans & the American colony in Munich tell all foreigners to write the above things home so that other countries get a little truth. The bosh that has been circulating in America about a revolution in Berlin in nonsense & there isn't one soldier of the enemy's in Germany, outside of the prisoners. Root for Germany like the deuce. They're in the right. We haven't heard a word from American in 1 1/2 months. Be sure & write Gruss (Grease) Stiff & the rest including your Pa Jack.