Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-23
Scores Forced to Work in
Salt Mines While Being
Showered With Blows
MANY DIE NEAR FRIENDS
Hundreds Present Pitiable
Sight Upon Being Released
From German Camps

LONDON, NOV 30,
Pitiable conditions among British
prisoners of war who have been liberated
by the Germans since the signing of the
armistice are described by Reuters cor
respondent at French headquarters.
Thousands of these men. mostly British.
are entering France daily. The CORES
pondent writes:
II have never seen human beings in
such state of raggedness. hunger and
misery. When the camp at Forbach.
thirty-eight miles east of Metz, as well
as those elsewhere, was broken up,
the prisoners. most Of whom were cap
tured during the March offensive. were
told to clear out and seek help from
their Allies. They started to walk the
fifty or sixty miles to the Allied lines,
but were given no food and had no
money. They we're in shameful rags.
the soles dropping off their boots. Some
wore clogs and socks.
Many Die Near Friends
"They left the prison camps in tlroIes
of hundreds In charge of German Off.
GERS and soldiers who had deserted
The weather was very cold and many
died by the roadside within a few miles
from friends. When the survivors en-.
tered the French lines. French soldiers
who were hardened war heroes, were
Mortified to see men in such a plight II
Is not doubted that this suffering was
Intentionally imposed upon the British
Prisoners of other nationalities are
agreed that the British were treatet
worse than the others at all German
camps"
A further report of Sir Robert Young
er's committee dealing with the treat
ment of British prisoners in the coal and
salt mines of Germany gives narrowing
details Of brutal treatment by the Ger.
mans. This report says:
From testimony scarcely a month
old it Is evident that there Is no sign
of Improvement whatever in the treat
ment of prisoners in Germany. This
disgrace Is open and fragrant and the
only possible Inference is that Berlir
deliberately approves of it, There Is nc
doubt that work in the mines is inflicted
as punishment. Here is an extract from
letter. dated May 20 last, from a Brit.
ish private soldier:
I'VE have had little to eat since we
left Hamelin. Two of our number have
gone to the hospital with broken arms
and the remainder are suffering from
cuts on their heads and bruises as the
result Of fioggings they received at the
| last place. / fell In faint unable to
work any longer last Saturday and the
man in charge, a civilian, kicked me
back into my senses and kept me down
! in the mine sixteen hours after all my
! gang had gone up. If you could only see
the boys! They all look like dead men,
They are worked to DEATH"
Kicks, Blows and Insults
The record of daily promiscuou:
violence might be mucN further illus
trated. To scores of men who have
given evidence concerning the mining
camps, kicks, blows and insults becam'
a part of the normal routine. Here II
an example from the testimony Of a mar
who had been at one of the Hamelir
salt mines:
"In January, 1913, refused to com
plete my task, as 1t was a physical i'm
| possibility. / was taken out of tn
mine dressed only in shirt and drawers
It is too hot in the mine to wear any
thing else-and put for the night In
hut which was not weather proof II
the morning It was half full of snow
The next day I was taken TO the min
and again beaten until / had finished m.
task. j received nothing to eat from tn
time I went down into the mine on tn
first morning until 2 O'Clock the mex
afternoon"