The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-08-06
Bitter TORTURE GWEN
DEP0RIEQD BELGIAN men
Exposure to Cold, Systematic
Beating, Starvation Are
Among Wrongs.
WRECKS TELL STORY
Workers Sent Back, Broken
in Body, to Homes De-
stroyed by Germans.
WRECKS TELL STORY

Havre. -(Correspondence Of
the Associated Press.)-"Torture of the
post" "punishment in the tank" pre-
tended execution by q firing squad or
exposure to storms without being
properly clothed. are some Of the meth
DDS systematically used by the Ger
mans to compel deported Belgian civil
ians to labor for the German army, ac-
cOrdtng to evidence which has been re-
ceived by the Belgian government. An
other method Is to apply corporal
punishment often with the butt of a
rifle or to force the Belgians who re-
fuse to work for Germany to run for
two hours or less without stopping.
menaced all the time with a bayonet.
systematically Abused.
According to the government an
nouncement, this evidence accords in
nil details and shows that deported
Belgian civilians are systematically
subjected to mistreatment In ORDER 10
compel them to work. Under this
treatment many of the deportees sue
cumb. while a larger proportion are
so weakened that they become incapa.
BILE Of physical effort.
Ingenious Torturss.
. Tho torture Of the post Is de-
scribed as one of the principal meas
ures resorted to by the Germans.
Stoutly fettered to posts, the men are
exposed to heat. or cold, according to
the season, for days together during
which the food rations are reduced un-
til they reach the proportions Of a halt
ration only for two days subsistence.
The punishment in the tank" 10 a
severe 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 was shut
up in small room heated to n very
high temperature. There was only
room In the place for them to stand
erect close together and scarcely able
to turn. Thy were left there - hours.
Exposed in snowsterm.
Then they were led to a factory in
the neighborhood where they were
asked II they would go to work. Upon
their refusal, they were taken to a
field under military escort, Invested by
force of their overcoats, shoes. scarfs,
and hats or caps. and exposed In a
snowstorm an entire day and an en-
tire night, with nothing to eat or drink
and under the absolute prohibition to
make the slightest NOV ament. Some
OF them lost console usncss after n few
hours Of this exposure, and all of them
were taken to the hospital the follow
ing day.
The son of the Antwerp manufac-
turer, a stout, robust man at the time
of the deportation, was sent home q
complete physical wreck short time
(afterward and since has died from the
mistreatment He told his sufferings
to the physician who treated him. and
the Belgian government Is In posses
sion of the evidence as given to the
| doctor.
Two soldiers from Havre. the Lebris
brothers. who escaped from Germany
confirm this evidence regarding the
Turkish bath form Of punishment.
Mock Executions Used.
a number of witnesses call attention
to the fact that frequently groups Of
deported men have been the object o.
q simulated execution, sometimes b.
a firing squad. sometimes with ma
chine gunsT in order to overcome thei
resistance and Impress their comrades