15 JANUARY 1916, Page 3

The Times of Wednesday gave some details of the brave

challenge issued by Cardinal Mercier and the Belgian Bishops to the German and Austrian Roman Catholic Episcopate to establish a tribunal of inquiry into the allegations of atrocities, whether against Germans or Belgians. It is suggested that the tribunal should consist of three German Bishops, three Belgian Bishops, and a neutral President to be nominated by the Episcopate of Holland, Spain, Switzerland, or the United States. The challenge says : --

"You will summon before the tribunal whomsoever you wish. We shall ask to appear before it all the priests of parishes whers civilians, priests, monks, nuns, or laymen were massacred or threat- ened with death on the plea that 'some one had fired.' We shalt ask all these priests to sign their depositions on oath, and then, unless it is pretended that the whole Belgian clergy is perjured, you will be obliged to accept, and the civilized world will not bo able to reject, the conclusions of this solemn and decisive inquiry. And we add that you have the same interest as we in the constitu- tion of a tribunal of honour."

There does not seem to have been any answer from the German Bishops, nor do we sanguinely expect one.