The sun., 1918-08-25
"Out of the
Jaws of Hunland"

anu ITlNate Jack Evans Oh their lnree
attempts TO escape from German prison
camps and their eventual success.
McMullcn and Evans tell the story in
book called ont Of the Jdus of Hunldnd.
They enlisted about the same time in the
same Canadian battalion and were cap
and each made his final MISUNDERSTANDING
from different German provinces and
reaching the Holland border-by crossing
the frontier near the same place and
within few hours Of the same time.
There was apparently a breaking out
fever prevalent among Canadian prison
ers at that time, for five of them from one
battalion succeeded in making their es-
capes from different prison camps within
a month Of each other
When Sniper McMullcn and Bomber
Evans enlisted in the Canadian forces
there was no such thing as the thorough
training and accumulation that the boys
now receive before being sent to the front
line. After brief period of training in
Canada and England the men were
shipped TO France; and there after few
hours rest they were sent for twenty four
hours instruction" on the fring line.
INSTRUCTION, it certainly was. The
next afternoon two or three chaps out of
our battalion were killed" But there was
need of men TO hold the thin lines of the
Allies against the overwhelming man and
muntion superiority of the foe-so in
etructiOn, in those days, went hand in
hand with fighting.
Corporal McMullen and Private Evans
were captured within n quarter of mile
Of each other, under very similar circum-
stances. They were both wounded, Evans
seriously, and both had about the same
experiences in German prison camps, be-
ing farmed out as laborers TO work in the
fields or coal mines. The account of their
separate escapes makes dramatic reading.
Caught at one time within few yards of
prison and at another within few yards
of the Holland border after DAYS spent
hiding in the scrub and making their way
under great hazards by night, they were
subjected to the fortunes of solitary con-
finement.
BY the gift of soap received in boxes
from England to the German sentries the
two men were able TO obtain maps and
compasses and even information about the
best part of the Holland border to make
for. The authors tell us, in the light Of
their experience, that 1--WE don't believe
there is German, that is, real German
German, but can be bribed to do anything
if the stake is big enough" They induced
their guards TO talk, and all of them ex-
pressed dissatisfaction with the war and
its conduct. The food given to prisoners
was execrable, and if it had not been for
the boxes sent from England many would
have died from manutrition, which actu-
ally happened with some of the Russian
troops. But bad as the food was, the
authors cheerfuly admit that it was no
worse than was served TO their guards,
and the civilians were receiving even
worse rations.
The young authors on several occasions
saw young girls and children of tender
age drafted from villages where they
lived and sent to parts of Germany where
there was shortage of labor. The whole
people, with the exception of the moneyed
classes who can buy special exemptions,
is conscripted to labor behind the lines.
MCMILLAN md Evans hol;oro that aso lo,.
as the army is fed and the people can
struggle along with enough to keep body
and soul together-unless conditions
change suddenly and unless some leader
arises who can gather around him body
of determined, fearless supporters-it
looks as though the German people would
continue to put up with their burden in
definitely" Of one thing they are conf
dent: the German soldiers and the German