Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-24
my TOeluemonth
at Krupp Plant"
Dutch Engineers Amazing Story
Of Starvation and Cruelty
in Essen.
by VAN DER LINDEN
CopyEtSks. 1917, international News
. Bureau

| In all there were about forty OF us.
as found afterwards. all serving pun
ishmont sentences. and we were
marched on TO Il cantecn about Il mile
from where VIC wcro working.
Here. In tho present or the guards.
we were served with an apology for
meal. 1t wa" the FIRST food which
] had tasted since carly In the morn
ing. was raveuousiy hungry. and as
! ] entered the cantcen and saw the
StcaminS hot soup. and pile OF black
bread. cut up into portions my first
impulse Was TO snatch as much az I
| though it was. but the presence Of the
armed guards. who kept watchful
eye upon us. held me In check
We were ordered to pass in single
file before counter. at which each
man VAS handed a small portion OF
soup Of the customary thin. weak.
variety. and about two ounces OF bread.
Tcn minutes WAS granted us in which
to eat the meal" but in less than
! half that time all the portions had
disappeared. and here and there l heard
men asa ing for more.
You've had as much as you're going
TO get How much would you likHr'
ono Of the guards asked & prisoner.
who later discovered was 4 Russian
captured at WARSAW. and who had for
al
OF Imprisonment.
Realizing that no good purpose was
to be served by mourning the anger
OF the guards, remained silent. and
waited u zee what was to happen to
US next. when the ten minutes had
expired. NC were again lined up. and
In true military style marched out OF
the cantecn and back 70 the stok chole.
As entered tho building remarked
to the nonconilissioncd officer who WAS
In charge OF US that had been told
b. thc foreman our shift was going off
duty and took this 20 imply that
work had finished for the day.
some Of you No!lnnders have funny
! idcnc." said the man. Work never
finishes 81 Nruppa.'
WAS simply dead beat. for the
physical effort OF feeding furnaces Is
OF Itself Erca, strain, h-t tho strain
was increased by lack OF food. and
vas afraid that should fail at my
work. and receive further punishment.
The few hours that had ;oi!ed in the
s;okehoic had been sufficient TO show
rnc the Kind Of man who was in charge
and knew it would go hard with any
who dared 10 go SLOWLY at work. no
matter whether i'll or not. The non
com mss!oned officer. however. did not
seem 20 me TO be so harsh n man as
the foreman, so ] replied:
But men cannot put in their best
work unless they can obtain food and
rest"
Perhaps you'd like 20 reside ct the
Bristol?' said the guard with snecr.
You viii have TO do your work. or i
way viii be found OF making you."
After this ] maintained silence, and
took up my position at the furnace
! doors. where ] lsbored for three hours.
The heat vas intcngc. and several time 5
Was on the verge OF collapse. but
;he presence OF the brutal forcma n
urged ms or. If for second | stopped
To rest my weary limbs. the man
shouted and sworc at me. calling me
tho .i!thiest Of Saries. la,er dis
| covered that he had been specially
chosen for this work on accoun, OF
these qualifications.
IL was just after midnight whe n
again the armed guard made their ap-
ncsrance and once more we were lined
up and marched Off. other prisoners
taking our places In the stokehole. and
another foreman being placed in
| charge. This time we were marched
In the darkness. with guards on each
side OF US TO the barracks. whore