The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-07-11
A GERMAN PRISONER IN
ENGLAND TELLS OF THE WAR
Extracts from article in Boston
Transcript.l

(EXtracCS from drClcle III DoStoH
Transcript.)
This Boche really understood the
whole business. He was unlike any
other Hun I have seen. I suppose
you must call him a Boche because
he was born in Munich and was serv-
ing in the German army. But most
of his native Bochery must have
been purged out of him by living
among civilized people. He spoke
English, not a bit like a foreigner,
md altogether it was difficult to
realize he was a Hunt at all. For
years, he said, he had been dealing
in land and mines and things in ASn-
erica. He happened to be visiting
London when the war threatened.
He'd never taken out papers in the
States, and he was afraid of being
informed or something, so he skipped
out the day before war was declared
and got to Germany. For a long
time he was employed there on spe-
eia1 work, but when the Somme push
was on last year and men were need
ed, he had to join up. He had served
on different parts of the front. This
is what he told, quivering now and
again as he thought of it:
e'This war is the greatest crime
the world has wen seen. The crimes
that made the French Revolution are
nothing if you compare them with
the crimes of the beasts who are run-
ming Germany today, and keeping
this war going. They were only.
thieves and brigands when they be-
gan It, and thought they'd bring it
of, but now they're the bloodiest
mmderers by wholesale that the
world ever produced. There never
vas anything like it before. They
know perfectly we'll they've lost the
war; they've known for months that
the last chances they ever had have
gone. But they are too frightened
foe their own skins to admit it and
call a halt, and because they are
frightened of what the people might
do when they learned the truth, they
keep the thing going and sacrifice
many thousands of Germans every
single day and millions of money
what for? To shield the regulations
of a handful of princes and politi-
GINS. It's the greatest crime the
world has ever known. Here on this
front our people are being killed like
flies. Your artillery kills them in
punches. There isn't a minute of
the day but legs and arms are being
blown off. Our men would gladly
give themselves up to end it, but
you know they cannot. When there
seems to be a chance, there is al
ways an officer or non-commissioned
officers about. 1t is not only your
guns that kill. Many Germans fall
every day with German bullets in
them. They T diven like dogs to
the fighting. And to what end? Be-
cause u cursed Kaiser and the
creatures we call statesmen are
afraid of their lives for what will
Happen to them when the people
know it's all up.
-"But plenty of them know it now.
Many knew before ever was forced
10 join up. And perhaps I never
should have been made to join if I
had known less, and neve said a
word of what I know. I talked a lit
tie of what I knew. And that is
enough. In Germany today the man
who will tell the truth must be hus-
tied out of the way. That is why !
zee no hope for Germany, because
those who are left in the country
have no spirit, al do nothing. All
the strength of the country, such as
It is, is in the fighting lines-helpless
IS slaves. The others, there in Ger
many, they. are slaves; starving,
starving quietly, eve daring to say
q word. The few who speak soon
find themselves hustled into the front
Hne-and no more is heard of them.
They go on paying the price; thou
sands of lives every day, every single
day. The Central Powers casualties
now must be 100000 a week-all
for what? The crazy dreams of a
few bankers and merchants, and the
eowardly fears of a few politicians
and of-of Hohenzollerns. They
say the Hapsburgs, too; but the Aus
TRANS would be thankful to make
peace tomorrow, but they cannot.
They are so sacrificed by Berlin as
we poor devils here on the front. All
the bloody slaughter of this war,
with it's millions of money and thou
--J- 1f 1.,o, 1oe& o,,ac, cinr1a lo,,