Arizona republican., 1916-08-17
PRISONERS IF
 GERMANS NOT
 BADLY TREATED
[RepubIIcan A. p. Leased wlrel


 A TOWN IN EASTERN FRANCE, Tuesday. Augusht l5.-(Via Berlin and London. August 16.)-On account of the protests of France against forcible removal by German authorities of in- habitants of French cities in the occu- pied areas and representations that hardships have resulted, a correspond ent of the Associated Press investi- gated conditions under which civilians from Lille. Turcoing and Roubaix. quartered at various points in Eastern France, are living. The German au- thorties afforded every facility for the inquiry and permitted examination of official documents aeallng with the subject The proclamation posted by the Germans in Lille Roubaix and Turcoing said that since the English blockade made the problem of feeding the population of Belgium and the-oc- cupied part of France daily more dif- ficult. and since a call to agricultural workers by the German authorities had not been answered, the Germans were obliged tO move to the country certain parts of the population The proclaim ation was posted on April l0 and at midnight of April 24 the German troops aroused the inhabitants in certain quarters Of the three towns, telling them 10 assemble in front of their houses. Officers then picked the fol- lowing persons for transportation: Males of military age or bodied males who were not engaged in fixed trades or other occupations; whole families unemployed and without fi- nancial support. and unemployed fe- males. In all cases the instructions were 10 select persons familiar with agricultural work. The women were n dT fs..
 work for other families.
 German officers in charge of the | transportation admit that mistakes were made in a good many instances. but these have since been rectified. More than 2.0O0 men and women are said to have returned to their home towns since the transportation move ment began.
 Nearly 2l,000 persons were removed i from their homes. Those taken were i told that they would have ninety min | utes in which to pack sixty-five pounds ! of household utensils and clothing. At | the expiration of that time they were taken to the railroad station at abou, o'clock in the morning and were ex amined as to their fitness for farm work. They were then permitted tc return to their homes with orders to return to the station at o'clock in the afternoon to take trains for their des tinations.
 The correspondent visited four places , from which parts of the population had been taken. Three were villages in Eastern France and one was cant for males of military age. In the first village the leader of those who hao been removed had many complaints lie said the people he represented were not suited for farm labor and tha French farmers did not like to empIo, them for that reason. He asserted that the food was insufficient and the fare was monotonous In one house l the correspondent talked with one O three girls. She said their treatment had been good, but the villagers haC not employed them. so they were no earning money and were living on ra
 hons allowed them by the German authorities.
 In the next village the correspond
 ent talked with five young men, ageC from IS to IS years. They said they
 were earning their ,ul1 keep in addi ton to one to three francs daily by
 doing piece work on the farms Tn,
 food was good they said, and thei | A