Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-02-11
BRITISH DESCRIBE
HUNS BRUTALITY
Systematic Cruelties Are BE,
ing Practiced Against Ital-
ian Prisoners
CONFIRMED BY AGREEMENT
Dying at Fast Rate From
Starvation or Dysentery in
German Camps.

LONDON. Feb Reuters Linn
tied has received copies of sworn
statements from British soldiers who
have returned from German prison
camps and hospitals regarding syste-
matte brutality practiced hy the Ger
mans upon Italian prisoners. These
> Jeports empnate not from -sne partic-
ular center, but como from more than
"A dozen different parts OF Germany.
They have been confirmed by lnde-
pendent testimony. The reports are
OF recent origin, as the soldiers who
gave the testimony left Germany only
recently, "A majority OF them having
been released from prison camps
about II month ago.
Regarding the camp at IangenEa o.
liza, Saxony. testimony has been re
celNed from more than dozen inde-
pendent sources. In November about
1000 Italian prisoners were brought
In and placed in a separate part Of the
camp behind barbed wires Accord
Ing to the reports they were unncoes-
sarily knocked about by under off
GERS and guards with rifle butts and
scabbards The Italians appeared
famished and used to rush for thoir
soup. The Germans however, stabbed
them with swords and bayunets, Kill
ing or woundlng many Of them.
Seven or eight Italians died from
starvation In the camp every day. One
Italian testified that he had been flf-
teen days on the Journey to the camp
and had had only three meals during
all that time.
Many Die Daily.
There II a strong feeling among the
English prisoners that something
should be done Tor the italians, who
are dying at the rate OF six or seven
n day thru statY9tion-or dysentry
From the bulmcn. Westphalia,
camp there are reports from many
independent witnesses concerning tho
way the Italian prisoners are mis-
treated II ia stated that the prison
ers were myched all thca way from
Italy With ASsod bat bread. They
also were knScked, about and other
wise treated with inhumnnity. Eng
l,sh prisoners gave them their GER
man ratiOns.
one witness said that three or four
weeks before he left Dulmcn two or
three hundred italian prisoners ar
rived there, All OF them were virtu-
ally starved. II saw German sentry
draw his bayonet against these men
and beat Jhem.' said the witness.
In Cassel II - reported that the
Italians are treated worse than the
British. being pushed about or struck
hy German corpOrals At Mannheim
the same brutality Is regularly prac-
tlced. one witness said the Italians
rushed madly for food and some of
them were bayonettcd The Germans.
this report said were giving them
only half ratlons.
Suffering From Cold.
At Munster Il was testified the he
hHNior Of the Germans to the Italians
had hecome much worse since the re-
cent large capture of Italians. The
prisoners suffered very much from
cold and were wrapping themselves IN
blankets whenever they could The
trutal conduct and bullying OF DER
mans set In only recently one wit
ness said he saw the italians knock ed
down frequently and hit with tho butt
cnd Of rifles This treatment was not
due particularly 10 the bad conduct
of the prisoners. but simply because
they were Italians These men have
one ration of soup ana bread daily.
Similar evidence comes from Zerhst
Anhalt. where italian prisoners. after
five days' Journey without food, were
driven back with drawn swords as
they were going Ia get their soup al.
lOwance Another witness tegtified
that at liemelu camp the Ybillans
we're nearly starved and fought among
themselves for a piece Of bread
thrown to them by British prisoners.
A. Freidrlchsfelde. province OF
BrandenburR. the treatment Of the
Italians was equally harbarous. Here
scntrlos shot Italians for trying 20 get
food from the British prisoners.
Equally revolving stories come from
IlammclburEh, Stedal. Soltau. Lin
burg and Hamburg