Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-07-19
IN GERMANY
BELG|ANS ARE
MISTREATtD
Evidence Gathered to Show Inhu-
man Cruelties Practiced on De-
ported CiiviIians--Fettered and
Starved

The Belgian government has re-
ceived from various sources evidence
which accords in every detail proving
that deported Belgian civilians are
subjected Systematically to mistreat-
ment to bring them to forced labor
for the Germany army.
This evidence exposes insufficient
nourishment, cruel punishment, brutal
intimidation and hard conditions Of
labor under which a great many Of
the depOrted civilian become, while
a large portion return so reduced and
weakened that they are incapable OF
physical effort.
This is the regime of the camp of
Soltau, described by one of the men
who had been interned there and who
succeeded in escaping.
Men Starved and Exposed
Besides hunger the principal meas
ures resorted to i'll order to bring the
deported men to submission, were the
''supplice of the post" StOutly fet-
tered to posts, the men are exposed
to heat or cold, according to season,
for days, together with the food ra-
tions being reduced Systematically
until they reach the proportion Of
half a ration only for two days sub
sistence.
Another cruelty passed upon the
deported men to force them to work
is the "supplice Of the tank" or a Sc
we're application of the Turkish bath.
Several witnesses have confirmed this
fact, among them the son Of a manu-
facturer Of the region OF Antwerp,
who with several Of his comrades in
camp were shut up in small, heated
room to very high temperature
There was only room in the place for
them to stand erect, and so crowded
that they were scarcely able to turn
They were left there tWenty-fOur
hours Then they were led to fac
tory where they were asked ii they
would go to work. Upon their refusal
they were taken to field, Invested OF
their overcoats, shoes and hats or
caps and exposed in a snow storm an
entire day and entire night, with moth
ing to eat or drink and under abso-
lutte prohibition to make the slightest
movement. Some of them lost con-
exposure, and all of them were taken
TO uOSDICdlS CLO IOIlOW uS Ooy'
Pretended Executions
A number of witnesses called at
tention to the fact that frequently
groups of deported men have been
subject to simulated execution, some
times by firing squad and sometimes
by machine guns in order to overcome
the resistance and impress their COM
rades.
There is also another means of
constraint used upon the deported Ill
the form of pun shment camps where
reg. me is still more severe than IN
other internment camps, and where
those deported are forced to work IN
marshes often in most excessively
cold weather, dressed in nothing but
trousers, shirt and wooden shoes,
without food during the entire day.
Corporal punishment, the form OF
which is left to the discretion OF the
ia lers, is frequently employed, SUCH
as blows with the butt Of rifle, run
ming UP to a period of two hours with
out stopping; under menace OF bay
onets, in addition to the practice OF
tying men to the post.
From all evidence it appears GER
tain the mortality among men SUD-
jected to these digerent forms of mis-
treatment is alarming. The death OF
a great many of deported men IS
known in the occupied regions OF Bel
GUM.
Evidence regarding the camp OF
Soltau shows that the men are de-
prived of all diversions and d1strac-
ton and also refuse any kind or
spiritual consolation.