The Soldier at the Western Front – The Use of Dum-Dum-Projectiles
Source 5: Cable from Kaiser Wilhelm II. to President Wilson
The German Kaiser defended in his note to the President of the US not alone the destruction of the Belgium town of Leuven as an act of forced self-defense of his soldiers, he also accused the French and British troops to have used ammunition banned by international law.
Cable from Kaiser Wilhelm II. to President Woodrow Wilson, September, 7th September 1914: “I feel it my duty, Mr. President, to inform you as the most prominent representative of principles of humanity, that after taking the French fortress of Longwy, my troops discovered there thousands of dumdum cartridges made by special government machinery.The same kind of ammunition was found on killed and wounded troops and prisoners, also on the British troops. You know what terrible wounds and suffering these bullets inflict and that their use is strictly forbidden by the established rules of international law.
I therefore address a solemn protest to you against this kind of warfare, which, owing to the methods of our adversaries, has become one of the most barbarous known in history.
Not only have they employed these atrocious weapons, but the Belgian Government has openly encouraged and, since long, carefully prepared the participation of the Belgian civil population in the fighting.
The atrocities committed even by women and priests in this guerrilla warfare, also on wounded soldiers, medical staff and nurses, doctors killed, hospitals attacked by rifle fire, were such that my generals finally were compelled to take the most drastic measures in order to punish the guilty and to frighten the bloodthirsty population from continuing their work of vile murder and horror.
Some villages and even the old town of Loewen, excepting the fine hotel de ville, had to be destroyed in self-defence and for the protection of my troops. My heart bleeds when I see that such measures have become unavoidable and when I think of the numerous innocent people who lose their home and property as a consequence of the barbarous behaviour of those criminals. Signed,
William, Emperor and King” Printed in: Charles F. Horne, Walter F. Austin (Hg.): source Records of the Great War, Volume II, New York 1923.
