Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-10-10
REASONS WHY THE UNITED STATES
ISF|GHT|NG HUNS; "LEsTWE FORGET"
Written by Mary Roberts Reinhart
Published in Three SectionS-Section 8

The matched roof began to burn
and one whole half was burned before
we got II out. We got into the other
end of the building, and there we had
fighting, shooting at
close quarters. Our own artillery was
firing over our heads at the Germans,
but no achievements came up.
have learned since that they thought
we were all gone.
by midafternoon | had bullet |
wound in my leg; OF the 6 other OF |
GERS were wounded. and there were
only men out OF the 81 left who |
could fight. AS fast as the men were |
wounded we carried them to the Gel
lar.
AT p. M. II grew dark and the Ger
mans commenced to charge the build
Ing putting dynamite under the house
and blowing up one end of it. Most
of the time l was in the loft firing
down. Ny revolver was useless. but
had bayonet and a rifle.
We had no water and the wounded
men were thirsty. We had TO II md
Oh bodies to shoot.
Forced by Fire to Surrender
AT last, at $3.50 that night, there
were only six Of us left. The wounded
in the cellar were being burned. The
Germans had heaped stacks of straw
about the building and had set fire
to Il.
| II surrendered to a Prussian cav.
airy guard, who shook hands with the
SURVIVORS and treated us very we'll
We were order 20 come out one by
one. our arms in the air.
The next day they marched us
from La Basse TO Lens. Here, as
had been shot in the leg, asked for
conveyance, and was finally put in
Ihotor. From that time our llltreat.
ment began.
Ne were stood up in a market
slus re in Douay. with a sentry TO
! guard Us There we were insuted
and cursed by both German officers
anu soldiers. At night, although was
" ended. was put in an empty she'd
without even straw TO lie on. had
had no food all OF that day. But at
night some French women brought
one tin of sardines for IL men.
'All of our coats were taken away,
so we walked about to keep warm. AT
one place one of my officers was in.
suited by a German officer, who spat
in his face.
AT the railway we were lined up
and entrained, SO OF US being shut in
one small horse car built to hold only
six horses. with no windows and per.
fectly dark The bottom was several
inches deep in manure. AS the ear
was very small one there was no
room either to sit or to lie.
On Feet for Three Days
) For three days and three nights
we stood. | on my wounded leg. The
doors were not even opened for 80
houIs. There was no air whatever
and we were fainting.
AT Mons the doors were opened
and | was pulled out by order OF the
officer in charge of the station and
cursed in filthy language. Then hG
ordered a German soldier TO kick me
! wounded as was, back into the car
= He did this. and I fell sprawling il
the filth at the bottom of the car.
) AT the end of 80 hours they CAV,
us water and one slab of black breat
for each man"
In Crefeld, 35 miles from the Dutcl
! frontier. were 500 officers Conditions
were very bad there, and in The fol
lowing February Col. Vandelcur mad
. his escape, swimming canals and uT
\ dergoing terrible haTdships. On hi
arrival in England the king sent 70
9 him, and the immediate result wa
g that the king. through our ambdssi
Z dor to Germany, sent large sum
= be expended for British prisoners {
: war
z have been careful to give onl
Z such testimony as reached me direc
= The king and queen OF the Belgian
3 and Col. Yandeleur each told OF thes
I German inhumanitics to me. mysel
Z wrote them down at the time. The
Z are uncxaggcratcd, unemphasizcd, fla
I statements OF witnesses in the cas-
! against Germany.
: Not an Isolated Case
t so we have seen how the German
. conducted themselves in Belgium an
Z how they treated one British ONCE
Z which is by no means an isolated cas-
4 For--this not to me. but in Col. VA
deleur's statement to the British vi