The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-31
What %"Chomeurs0 Suffered.

Later in the midst or our own per.
pleNttlrs, when All diplomatic relations
between the Germans and us were
rTOkCu off, we were able to do no moro
for tho dCpurtcd chonlcurR Tho annex
to the legation, As we called the unOCCu-
pied residence of the Countess Iiedcr-
kcrCk across the street IN the Rue Bel
Hard which we had leased and wherein
were Installed the corps of clerks who
prepared the documents In the cases Of
the departed, was closed, and we could
do no more
Tho subject, however. was ever pres
cnt with the suffering, the misery, the
despair 1t c%ounotCd, and now the real
lty ot II was brought. more directly to
all of US by the few returning RrlEtauS
Who had been rcpatrtlted by III" Ger
mans They were pitIanlc objects "
German brutality, they were those for
the r'ost I,"rt. who had refused to work,
or whose physical condition made them
useless MS workers they were
brought back to- Belgium to die bro
ken, manned, helpless, hopeless, pale
"naCiatcd men whom Il few weeks in
the slave compounds IN Germany had
40 reduced 10y sickness. exposure aud
starvation hat they were nauled back
home and flung down IN their villages
to die
some uf the rolurnCu Ch0meurs who
were brought TO Brussels and taken to
hospitals had their feet frozen from en-
posture or were in suCn u state Of gan
grenc from mHltrcatment that II waS
necessary to Anputate their legs. Those
at Antwerp were returned at night, to
avoid notice, for their physical COndi-
ton was go pitiahIr MAT the Germans
seemed to be afraid Or ashamed to OK
hihit thoW as examples of their work.
The deported men when they got to
Germany would not work, they resort
ed to sabotage, "Ca CannN" and direct
actton'-deliberatclY ruined machinery,
they sang patriotic songs as they had
sung them when they went away, they
dcmOrAli2ed workshop and factory BY
shouting the Lion OF Flanders ut the
top OF their voices, And we began to
hear the story OF this triumph which,
when 1t did not cost them their lives,
left them broken, ruined men.
About seventy were returned from
the camp Of concentration at Soltau, re-
leased because they were i'll. They were
transported IN a cattle car which was
attached to a freight train, and in this
condition they spent three days and
three nights before they arrived ut their
destination, although express trains
cover the distance in from six to eight
hours.
At Soltau they had received as food
at & O'Clock In the morning "A COnCoC-
ton made of aCOrns with nothing else
al midnight half n liter OF soup. priu-
CipallY Of water, but with u few tur-
nips. carrots and hects; there were no
potatoes or other articles OF food. at
3 O'Clock $50 grams Of black bread. often
moldy; aud between 7 and s o'clock,
ngain a half "A liter Of sour like that
given at midday, but occasionally with Il
little bran or grits, with this abomi-
nahle diet the strongest became pale,
and It was not long before those with
feeble constitutions became III and died.
During the first week five wOrkmen
died and two went insane, one, tired
OF so much misery, tried to escape and
was shot down, The sufferinRs Of these
unfortunatcs were such that at night
they would steal from the Kitchens the
potato skins and waste from the tur-
nips and carrots intended for tho Ger
man personnel, aud dcvour them.
BESIDES the agony of suCh hunger
every possible means was employed Ia
compel them to sign contracts to work.
One day 40 workmcn were taken away
eight days later they ~reappcared at the
camp, They related to their comrades
that they had been taken to the grand
duchy OF Baden and there for two DAYS
they had been given abundant and eX
0CIlent food, they were told that II They
would agree to work they would receive
even better treatment, They all re.
fused, They We're then shut up In a
cattle car, where they were confined
for 50 hours, without release, and with
out God.
Another day the dcportcd men saw
an individual in the uniform of n ser.
geant OF the Eighth Belgian regiment
Of the line, who began to harrangu,
them in excellent Flemish and French
telling them that they were foolish Il
endure so much suffering when tn,
bOurgcOisG In Belgium continued Il
live well; that tho Belgian government
did not care what became of them ant
would not intervene to help them. tina
the neutral nations would do even less
and that this was only natural heCaus,
the neutral governments knew yer,
well, as did the allies, that the Belgian
wOrEmcn in accepting peaceful ON
plOyment in Germany were not commit
ting an act which would be considere,
as contrary To their patriotic sentI
ments None Of the wOrkmen, however
was seduccd by this talk, and two day
later they learned that the orator wa
a German disguised as a Belgian soldier
The camp Of the deported Belgial
civilians was near that of the imnria
Oncd Belgian soldiers, whose diet was
the sufferinEs Of their compatriots
the Belgian soldiers were allowed I
follow the coffin; although they them
solves did not receive sufficient nour
ishmcnt. they prufited by the occasio
to carry under their clothing boxcs q
conserve and bread which they gave I
the deportcd. At the camp at Sofia
alone there were II 900 deported who re
fused to work for the Germans.