The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1918-08-16
DESCRIBES BRUTAL
GERMAN PRISONS
French Soldier Tells How Huns
Fed Prisoners Food Even
Dogs Refused.
TREATEDWORsE THANDEAsTs
Rendered Half Insane by Hunger MeS
Fight Among Themselves for
Scraps of Food---sawdust
and Straw In Bread.


Bangor, Me.--Tn contrast with the
anxiety or willingness of the German
soldier to fall captive to the allies. so
often manifested, liz the declaration OF
CASTOR Julian Defoirdt of Woonsocket,
II. T., now visiting relatives here, that
he would much rather die fighting on
the front line than to go through such
pains and mIseries as he endured In
two years spent In German prison
camp. Defoirdt, who is twenty-f0ur
and well educated, was visiting In
France when the war came and very
soon he was In the ranks. On the Sec
ond day of his service at the front he
was wounded in the left ear by frag-
ment OF shrapnel and three days later
he was taken prisoner.
With many other prisoners he was
sent to the rear, and there they We're
loaded like so many cattle into freight
cars aud started on seven days ride
To the prison camp at Altengrabow.
".At every way station where the
train stopped" says Defoirdt, ssthe
German people gathered round and
threw stones and spat In our faces.
We were subjected to all sorts Of in
suits. Many of us were wounded, yet
we got no attention whatever, being
given scarcely food enough to keep us
alive and made to sleep ON the floors
Of the dirty freight cars.
When finally we found ourselves In
| the German prison camp conditions
were worse rather than better There
were about 25,000 men at Asiengrahow,
all nationalities mingled. We were
guarded by German soldiers who had
been incapacitated for service at the
front and who on account Of their
wounds were revengeful toward us.
Dogs Refused Prison Fare.
aTt would be difficult to picture In
words the awful conditions prevailing
la that camp. Our diet consisted for
the most part Of hot water and de-
cayed vegetables they called 1t soup.
Sometimes we were given herbs mixed
with grass to eat. Under such treat.
ment the strongest men soon fell sick
and were scarcely able TO move about.
The smell OF this soup often was SO
nauseatlng that men held their noses
while eating 1t. Dogs would take one
| sniff at 1t and refuse to eat.
AT times the men became so des-
perately hungry that they caught and
| ate rats and even dog. Occasionally
we were given herring broth, made by
boiling whole uncleaned herrings into
a thin liquid, the heads. bones and
scales of the fishes being served with
the rest. One of the prisoners was OPP
Grated on for appendicitis after his
transfer and four herring heads were
found lodged In his intestines.
II have seen prisoners, rendered half
insane by hunger. fighting among them
selyesAfor bits Of food. If ones ra.
tions were stolen or taken from him by
force and he complained to the guard
the answer would be: Why, are you
not all friends-allies? Surely there
| can be nothing to complain of When
| the neutral commission would visit the
camps the prisoners would be given q
| short cut Of frankfurter sausage and
lump of bread. so that 1t might ap.
! pear that they were fairly well fed.
sawdust Bread.
"This bread contained all sorts Oh
stuff. such as potato peelings, straw
and sawdust. All prisoners were made
/ to sign papers indicating their willing
ness to work. II they refused to sign
they were severely punished The men
supposed that they were to engage In
mines, salt mines and munitions fac
tories. refused to work In muni
| tons factory and was tied to post
for three hours. One group Of pris
oners who persistently refused tx
work were told that they would be
shot and were placed under specia
guard. At the end Of ii days, during
which they momentarily expected Il
be executed, they were told that theil
lives would be spared.
! while In prison slept on the same
cot for Is months and In all that timt
the straw was not changed. When
left the straw was as fine as dust ant
alive with vermin. After 18 months
/ at Altengrabow I was transferred K
Mersburg. After an exchange OF pris
oners had been effected was taken ii
Constance, whore was provided witt
d new suit OF clothes and was we'll fec
and kindly treated for eight days be
fore being turned over TO the allies
suppose this was done In the hope thai
in my new comfort and fhe Joy at be
ing released might forget the past.
i TN Switzerland / was taken Ii
charge by the Red Cross and kept Ii
the hospital there for Ia months. Hat
the Germans given me proper treat
ment for my wound I would have re
covered In a few weeks; as 1t was
after years OF neglect, dirt. selnistar
! vation and hard work, was I'm sucl
condition when released that for 1
time my life was despaired OF. Ever
now, after the best efforts Of the Rec
Cross physicians and nurses, the lef
side of my face Is partially paralygai
and I Can SEQ but Little with my Ief,
aaa
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y .s.s.1~rs