Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-20
STORIES OF THE WAR
How Field Slaves Foil in Germany.

1 How Field Slaves Foil in Germany. I have just been listening to the | story of a young girl from Lille, who | las been repatriated after 32 months | under German rule, says Fred E. Pit | ney in Paris special to The New ! years old, belongs to one of the Lille 1 families that were wealthy before the | war. Naturally, she was not brought up to hard labor. On the contrary, uaEy brings to a young girl The | part of her story that purpose to tell l is that which deals with the six months she spent as field laborer 1 for the Germans. It will set the seal of lies on much the Germans have said about whom they took from the 1 French population to work in their fields and how the slaves were treated. It will also tell Amertn=sss what be- came of a .arge part of the food they sent to feed the Belgians.
 At ? o'clock in the morning of April 25, 1915. d guard of 10 German
 in Lille. The sergeant major in com
 nand said that the commander of
 Lille had demanded a certain number
 of young girls to work in the fields of
 the Ardennes. but not enough had
 presented themselves. and he had or
 dered requisition. Among the houses
 to be searched was my fathers, and
 was on the list to go with them"
 The girl tainted and was carried away in fainting condition by the German soldiers, Swhile her father and
 mother could only look on and sob. Her parents were not even allowed
 to go to the railroad station with her
 T was put in q cattle car with 30 other girls" she continued. The car had not been cleaned out since IL had carried its last load of cattle and we had to push the filth outside before Ex1 Ja- .ft tl. floor. There were 300 men and wo- men on the train; all in cattle cars, and in nearly all the cars the men and women were mixed together When we reached our destination the men and women had to live together promiscuously, s'eeping in the same room or stable, or wherever it might be.
 T slept in chicken house with half q dozen other girls and as many men. To one of the girls who com plained a German lieutenant said:
 " 2Mademosege, yoH should be proud. You belong now to the famous Sixth Corps, which is commanded by the Crown Prince Rupprecht of Ba- varia'
 'Tn fact, our papers of identity showed that we were attached to the
 Ten times during the journey we had to undergo medical examinations. | The examinations were of the most minute kind. We had to strip for l them. They seemed to be made for the | pleasure of the examining officers. | There could be no other reason for | doing 1t 10 times.
 Our destination was Auvillers les | F'orges, and we were kept there six | months. Our work was gathering in | the grain, thras shing it and digging | potatoes. We worked from in the | until sunset. We were told | that we would be paid for our work | and when I get back to Lille I was | given 9 francs and 45 centimes for | my labor.
 Not only did I sleep in a chicken | house, but we did not have enough to | eat. All the food we had was taken from that supplied by the Belgian Re lief Committee. We were gathering | he harvest for Germany and the Ger nan soldiers, but our food was stolen rom that sent by America to the Bel stans. There was one period when the suplies ceased to arrive at our vil- age. and during 12 days I lived on sfeenS fruit that l picked from the rees and on roots. But had to work n the fife ds just the same.
 The discipline was iron. We marched to the fields and back at light In ranks like soldiers. The least nfraction was punished by a prison with bread and water, and or what were considered more serious