The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-11-07
BRUTAlITIESTIRE BRITISH
PATIENCE WITH GERMANS AL
MOST EXHAUSTED.
Prisoners Go Free.-Immediate Re-
lease Will Be Insisted On AS
Part of Armistice Terms.

London Oct. 3O.-That the imme-
date release of all British prisoners
will be insisted upon by the govern
ment as part of the armistice terms
is confidently expected here. Sir
George Cave, the home secretary,
announced in the house of commons
yesterday that the same conditions
imposed upon Bulgaria in this matter
would be insisted upon in any truce
with Germany or Austria, and Gen
eral Allenby had been instructed to
follow the same policy in dealing with
the Turks.
There is plenty of evidence that
British prisoners have received worse
treatment throughout the war than
the others except the Russians.
Such a demand will be a very i'm
portant factor and it is not likely
that the other allies will show less
regard for their nationals who are
suffering in German camps. Events
since the German peace o%vertures
yer launched have not tended to in
still any spirit Of Cancellation, for
giveness or ~leniency toward the ne
my in British breasts.
The sinking of the Leinster fol-
lowed close On the German note. The
evacuation of Belgium and French
towns, for years under German rule,
has opened what has heretofore been
largely a sealed book of rumors and
authentic stories from truthful peo-
ple of German barbarities towards
the Inhabitants have been flooding
out.
Finally yesterdays discussions in
the house of commons of the treat
ment of British prisoners appeared
to have been about the last straw
breaking the back of British pa
tience-patience which the country
generally seems to think has been
carried too far. The Germans have
only themselves to blame that these
revelations came at a time, so un-
fortunate for German interests.
The topic was forced upon the
house by a strong demand by the
public for light upon the circum-
stances of what is termed German
bIackmail in refusing to ratify an
agreement drawn up for an equitable
exchange of prisoners unless the Brit
ish consented to go outside that sub
ject and give guarantees against the
deportation of Germans, to China.
Captain Craig, a member of the
house and himself an exchanged pris-
:oner, told with emotion of his expert
ences and the sights he had seen in
the prison camps.
Sir George Cave, the home secre-
tary, gave authentic details of
wholesale deaths of British soldiers,
kept ragged, starving and verminous
and compelled to work long hours in
salt mines and under fire at the
front. contrary to the rules of The
Hague convention, beaten and tor
tured and shot for petty or no Of
lenses.
Old parliamentary, reporters say
that they have never seen such a bit,
ter and strong feeling pervade the
house of commons. And the same
feeling has infected the whole
try. The only group of members who
held aleof was a handful of pacifsts,
who appear to object to any unpieas-
ant words about Germany more than
they object to the war.
The general nature of the mill
tary guarantees which the allies will
require has been outlined as the oc-
cupation Of strategical German bases,
as we'll as the retirement, of the Ger
man army on it's own soil. Mari
time guarantees are considered equal
~ important to Great Britain, their
nature thus far is only speculative,
but the internment of the German
submarines if not the surrender of
the whole fleet appears to be the
minimum terms which would satisfy
the British people. The sea is as
important as the land to this island
! nation, and the only detail in Presi-
dent Wilson's IA points on which
there is constant questioning is what
the president means by freedom of
the seas"
Sir George said that he held re-
ports which could not be read to the
house because of the character of
the atrocities. In one camp since
November, 1916, mor than 1900
prisoners of all nations had died.
Sir George said nine men purpose
ly drove picks into their feet in order