The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-04
GERMANS DESERTED
DYING PRISONERS
Evidences of Cruelty, Espec-
tally to British, Multiply
on Inquiry.
SICK STARVED TO DEATH
Six Patients in Hospital at
Namur Found Dead
When Troops Fled.
SICK STARVED TO DEATH
by PERRY ROBINSON.

Special cable Despdtch to THE suS from the
London Times Serrice.
Copyri0ht. 1918: oil rights reserued
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY OF OccuPA-
TON, Dec. AT Iiege, Spa and Yer
viers one meets the same universal
disgust and loathing Of the Germans as
everywhere. One hears the same tales
of looting. espionage and impositions,
but the topic OF all others to which 1t
is impossible to refrain from returning
Is the German treatment OF prisoners,
especially the British.
In all the black history OF Germany's
conduct in this war there is nothing
viler than her treatment of the sick
prisoners in hospitals up to the time
of the armistice. I heard the same
tale several places, but know the facts
best as they occurred in Namur. Their
treatment of sick prisoners almost al
ways was bad. Their diet consisted OF
four ounces of black bread day with
coffee in the morning. rice soup at
noon ana teaspoonful OF jam every
forty-seven hours. Our doctors tell me
every prisoner was suffering and still
suffers from intestinal troubles. All
are emaciated and show evidence OF
negligence.
Abandoned Sick Men.
The eliminating crime was the last
when the Germans made no attempt TO
hand the hospitals over to any author
| ity or representatives Of the Allies
They did not even inform the pa
| tents or civilians where they were
going; they merely went away and
| left the patients alone. At Namur
there were dozen places used as hos
pitfalls OF the existence of which the
civilians did not seem even to have
been aware Of.
The consequence was the patients
were left entirely to themselves. Into
some hospitals the civilians pene-
trated the first day. Other patients
| remained absolutely unvisited fol
! forty-eight hours, when, driven by
hunger, some who could walk wen'
out on the streets to seek food. Their
| only did the citizens hear OF the stu.
! dtIOIl. " Hell tllcS ciitSiVu TIC hospi'
tails they found an almost incredible
state OF affairs.
| six Found Dead in Bed.
IN one institution six patients lay
dead in their beds. Their were clever
dead in the hospitals at Namur anc
seventeen in one institution in Nj
velles. The condition was very filthy
and evidences OF neglect were loath
some. The places were Uttered witt
dirty bandages and refuse, so the at
mosphere was terrible and the suffer
ings OF the patients too dreadful To-
words.
1t was five days after the Germani
left the hospitals before the frs
British medical officers arrived, ant
ten days before there was anything
like a proper supply OF invalid foo
and medical necessaries. Meanwhile
the residents OF the town did every
thing possible. Many worked in tn
hospitals regularly until the British
took them over.
An organization OF which the Catho
lie fathers were at the head did al
| possible to repair the German bar
barity Altogether there were so
prisoners In the hospitals at Manu-
and 200 more arriving In the tow
exhausted became patients OF al
the accursed things the Germans hav
done in war I doubt II anything ha
been so truly damnable as this.