Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-11-28
The CRIMES
|OFCERMANY
Abstracted From
Authenticated Official
Reports.
M A r T Y r DOM OF
, CIVILIAN PRISONERS

~ 46A&AAN 4S40AN LIMO |
DRIsONERs, as we'll as wounded,
have very often been massacred
on the field Of battle. As to the treat |
ment that prisoners-French, Bel
siAn.' Russian and English-have un-
dergone In German camps. it 10 a pitt
full tale that we do not intend to be-
gin here. Some day It must be writ
ten. With the actual evidence be-
fore us. the lot of the German prison
ers In England. Russia and France
must be compared with that of ours
In Germany. The most Indifferent
reader will feel his heart stirred within
him, and will hesitate to say whether
we are generous" or whether we are
fools"
After having burned villages and
shot tho inhabitants by dozens In some
places, and by hundreds In others,
they frequently deported all or a part
Of the survivors to Germany. 1t Is
impossible at this moment to estab-
lish the number Of those deported, but
they were sent off by tens Of thous-
ands. These unfortunate people, men,
women and children, who had seen
their houses blazing and SO many of
those dear to them fall under the
bullets Of the assassin, and who were
forced in some places to dig graves
for their victims, and in others to hold
a light for the executioners while they
were finishing off the wounded
these poor wretches are dispatched to
Germany. What a journey and Ahat
a place Of residence
We speak of those who have left
but what of those who have remained
in Belgium and France, under the
German heel? The time has not yet
come for writing this piece of history,
but we cannot refrain from referring
to the sufferings Of these children OF
the north, boys and girls. torn from
their families, carried off like bands
of slaves to other invaded regions to
be employed on forced labor. France
has appraised the neutral countries of
these facts.
Will they remain silent?
Let us quote one story among a thou
sand. "Our escort was commanded by
two German officers. They were un-
approachable. Anyone who tried to
speak to them was threatened with a
IcVOlNOIs All oioCh thcS We ihAoHs oSS
a drink, we were made to collect empty
meat tins which served as our drinking
cups until we reached Cassel. We
were abused and threatened where
ever we went. Sometimes they made
signs to us that they were going to
shoot us. or hang us, or cut our heads
off They threw filth at our heads and
spat in our faces. We were not going
to stoop before them: the disgrace was
not ours. 1t is they, not we, who are
degraded.
IAN officer who was present when
our march past took place aimed blows
with a riding whip at everyone with
in his reach. Until we arrived at the
railway, 1t was the same at every
place where we met soldiers. We
reached Marche after nine hours
journey. We were conducted to
room marked as having accommodation
for 100 soldiers. but they put 400 of
US in there. The people of the place
sent us slices Of bread and butter, but
1t was the Germans who ate them.
THE latter gave us CRUSTS OF
BRFiAD<TO EAT. We were abomin-
aably cramped; a few managed to
WAS so POISONOUS THAT THEY
COULD NOT REMAIN IN THAT PO-
SITION. At Melreux station we
changed guards. They drove us with
the butt-ends of their rifles to a spot
where a train of cattle trucks was
standing in the yard. and we had to
get IN. THE PREVIOUS OSCU-
PANTS HAD BEEN CATTLE. and
the trucks had been cleaned in a very
perfunctory fashion. There was
neither straw nor seats. Off we went.
Everv time we stopped at q station the
soldiers on guard there insultei us.
It was even worse when once we ar
rived In Germany.
They opened the doors on the plat
form side. and II we were on a line be-
tween two platforms, they opened the
doors on both sides so as to rejoice
German hearts by the sight of us.
They treated US like wild beasts in
menagerie, and the OFFICERS AND
SOLDIERS SET THE EXAMPLE
WHILE WOMEN AND CHILDREN
WE'RE NOT BEHINDHAND WITH
ABUSE. AND MADE THREATEN
ING GESTURES. Our guards were
applauded as II they were doing some-
thing heroic. At one station we saw
q woman looking out of her window
and shouting 'Hurrah!' The journey
took IS hours, and during the whole OF
that time we were only given food and
drink once, AND THAT THANKS
ONLY TO THE RED CROSS.
I'VE arrived at Wilhelmshohe (Cas-
seD, at 8 a. M, and were made to walk
quickly through the streets. Our ar
rival had been notified. and in spite Of
the early hour. a hostile crowd. abus-
i've and threatening. lined the route.
The old and the lame could not keep
up the pace at which we marched.
Their companions helped and dragged
them along. constantly beaten with
butt-ends. At length, we arrived at
the saol, where they shut US in the
cells In lots Of three or four at time.
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