South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-28
ROSSITER TELLS
OF GERMAN CAMPS
Young Canadian Lieutenant
Address Large Audience
at High School.

Germany is with her kaiser in his
system of frightfulness, and is
ready to starve for a German peace.
declared Lieut.. Ivan s. Rossiter,
who talked for over two hours at
the high school auditorium Tues
day evening. Lieut.. Rossiter was
the fifth speaker TO be brought here
by the History club OF the school
and the sixth will be Dr. Newell
Dwight Hills, lecturer and author.
who viii deliver his famous lecture
on the German atrocities in Janu-
airy. Preceding the lecture. Rev. B.
r. Parker spoke briefly on the re-
Gently opened Y. w c. A cam
paign here.
Lieut.. Rossiter spent over a year
in the German prison camps and Sc
cured his exchange only because he
was physically unfit for military
service. Only the small finger of his
right hand is OF use TO him. one
finger being gone and the remain
ing totally useless. He was taken
prisoner in the terrible siege of
Sanctuary wood, for long a salient
point in the lines. No more dead
~ fighting has taken place in the
war than that which figured for
long at Sanctuary wood between the
English and Germans, resulting fin
ally in the capture Of a large num-
Der of the former.
ROssiter Among Captured.
Rossiter. with his chum, was
among the captured. Twice wound
ed. he was in a serious condition
from pain and loss Of blood. but
despite his weakness was forced
with the other English Swine" as
they were termed by their captors.
to walk miles to a point behind the
German lines The treatment they
received from the German Red
Cross differed markedly from that
accorded the German prisoners by
the allied Red Cross. The wound
ed were forced 10 wait until the
Germans had been cared for first,
and were then given perfunctory
and hasty attention.
Placed in charge of the Uhlans,
selves chiefly for their cruelty the
suffering men were forced TO keep
up without rest and were made 10
suffer intolerably from thirst which
was unsatisfied. When they were
shown the kindness of the Belgian
women and children during their
march through the cities, the latter
were severely beaten and abused by
the Germans.
Given Fairly Good Care.
Finally placed in a hospital, the
wounded English were given fairly
good care. Through their persistent
cheerfulness despite their suffering,
they won the good will Of the Ger
man nuns who showed them espe-
cial kindness. In one hospital they
were attended by a nurse whom
they termed the German Florence
Nightingale" and 10 whom Rossiter
referred as the only women in Ger
many whom he respected
Ore horrible phase Of the Ger
man cruelty TO the English prison
without the use of an anesthetic.
without the use of an anasthetic.
Rossiter himself was seized by four
men and held down while the sur
geons removed one Of his fingers
and five small bones from his wrist
The men are subjected 10 the most
excruciating agony. not because of
the lack OF modern methods of sur
gerry. but because of the inhuman
desire to make the despised English
suffer all possible pain.
Belgian FOrlOrn Country.
Belgium. under the German rule.
is a forlorn and unhappy country.
said Lieut.. Rossiter. He described
Antwerp as il is now. overrun by
the German infantry and i'm a state
OF desolation inconceivable. In the
hospital in Hanover where the pris-
oners were next taken. the disagree
able phases were enhanced by the
dangers Of proximity to the loath-
some diseases for which many Ger
man prisoners were being treated.
These cases were kept in the same
ward with the wounded men. and
one death from infection resulted.
There being no nurses in the hos
pital. all the work IN that ward was
performed by the able Of the cap
tured English The rations were in
sufficient to nourish the prisoners
and much of what they were given
they found t. impossible to eat.
Coffee OF burnt acorns and barley
uncooked fish, weak soup and linn
burger cheese constituted their fare
largely. In this relation, Lieut.
Rossiter stated that il is perfectly
true that the German people are
starving. and the women and chill
dren particularly are fearfully re-
duced The actual reports dare not
be published.
Contrast Between Camps.
There is a tremendous contrast
between the German and allied pris-
on camps. In the latter, the pris-
oners are provided not only with
comforts and the necessities. but
with amusements and all efforts are
made 20 keep them entertained and
contented In the German camps
the prisoners are literally starved
and forced 20 live under unspeak-
able conditions The fare is indie