South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-26
YANKEE TELLS
Of EXPERIENCE
IN HUN PRISON
Sent From Hospital Before
Wounds Healed and Put
to Work Digging Re-
serve Trenches.
BY HENRY G. WALES.
International News Service:


PARIS, Nov. 26.-Machine Gun
iner Philip Rosen of New York, 9th
infantry, who was captured while
defending the Marne bridgehead at
Chateau Thierry on June Z. during
the marines attack at Belleau wood,
was the first of the liberated Amer
lean prisoners to arrive in Paris.
His own uniform had been shot
away before he was captured and he
was attired in a French uniform
when he reached this city.
Rosen was wounded four times in
this bitter struggle, bullets penetrat-
ling his legs and stomach, and he
Iregained consciousness in a German
hospital in Laon. where he was at
tended by a captured British col
onel-surgeon.
In five weeks Rosen's wounds had
mot vet healed, but he was evacuated
from the hospital because the Ger
mans were emptying all their hos
pitals preparatory to the July Is
offensive.
Put TO Work with French.
The American, who could not then
speak a word of French, was sent
Ito a prison camp at Bruyeres, along
with 1900 French and it did not
take him long TO pick up the French
Language and learn TO talk it like a
native.
Rosen was put to work and from
dawn to darkness he handled am
munition and supplies When the
iGerman drive failed and the allies
began their counter attack on July
us. the prisoners were put to work
digging reserve trenches.
In September the American was
sent back to Mont Cornet. where he
was kept at work continuously dig
Iging reserve lines
The day before the armiStiCe was
lsigned CNov. 1O) a British airman
who had been bombing Marionburg
killing many Germans. was shot
down and he Informed ROsen that
the truce was to be signed the fol-
lowing day.
Didn't Wait for Rations.
At o'clock on Nov. II the Ger
man commander announced that
Ihostilities would cease and that pris-
IOneIS WOQiQ De EHltdStu.
The French captives waited for
the serving of ratiOns. but not
Rosen. He started for freedom on
the jump and Immediately began
passing the German troops retreat
ing in disorder The .bOches, think
ing that Rosen was a Frenchman,
gave him food. At Bailleul ROsen
saw German troops behead a Prus-
sian major and on every hand ar
ullerymen and transport drivers
were cutting traces and abandoning
their cannon and vehicles.
Soldiers drove off all the livestock
toward the Rhine and gathered up
all the poultry.
Gets Pair of Boots
other liberated captives joined
Rosen and soon there was quite a
party. Most of them were in their
bare feet but the former machine
gunner was able 10 secure a pair Of
boots from a dead German soldier.
Rosen crossed the front in the
IChimay-la CappeIe sector where the
German ar1nistice ENJOYS had trav-
ersed the lines. on the journey he
saw a German shoot down a starv-
ling Frenchman for pulling up beet
roots. 1t was a hike of 125 miles but
the American finally finished it at
st. Quentin. There he was fortunate
Ienough to get a lift on an American
army motor truck as far as Com
'piegne. Thence 70 Paris he travelled
10y train.
Saw No Other Americans.
The Germans did not treat me
ANY worse than they did the others.
but then they thought that I was
French. owing 20 my uniform said
I IRosen. The British cot the worst
Treatment OF all. The Italians and
Russians were ignored They had
neither food nor clothing and fought
like camp dogs for bits OF grub. I
never saw another American pris-
ioner during my captivity. They made
lus handle shells and dig trenches
so near 10 the front that frequently
we were under fire. But as the others
stood for IL, so did I.
The Germans lost their nerve
Rapidly after July. The under Off
GERS and enlisted men seemed 10
III n