Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-25
War Prisoners as Sl0ves
British Prisoner Soryof Lena German Mundon Factory

Amsterdam Letter in London Times.

which actually took place between the inter-
prefer and myself.
He said: IF you will work for us at
your trade (crucble steel smelting) we will
pay you Is marks (25s.) day, out of which
you must pay 10 marks for food and lodging.
You shall live in house in town with civil
ians and be allowed to wear civilian clothes
When your work is finished you may go
anywhere you wish, provided you are ac-
companied by the German in whose house
you are lodging. You can have any girl
you wish, provided she is willing, and there
is no reason why you should not be very
comfortable and have a lot of money saved
by the time the war is over. You will only
be required to work six days week, but if
at any time you work on Sundays you will
receive double pay"
"A very afluring prospect" | remarked
and then asked if could have the remainder
of the week to myself (two days., and also
go into the furnace to become accustomed
to the German method of work, which |
thought might be different from ours. The
interpreter readily complied with the re-
quest, and asked me to sign a paper. This
received rather automatically, saying Id
.slgn it on completion OF the first weeks
work.
Well my next two days were spent in
looking around the shops. The only pecu-
llarlty i noticed was the truth of the inter-
ereter's remarks concerning women. In
every branch of the works where a prisoner
was employed he had women and girls as
neighbors. The drilling, boring, slottng
and turning machines had, without excep-
ton, if operated by prisoner, MACHINE on
the immediate right and left operated by
woman or a girl. L questioned different
Frencllmen concerning what I'd been told
about the women, and learned that it was
quite true. AS many as 500 prisoners of war
were living with women, and were allowed
as much freedom of movement after work.
ing hours as the Germans themselves.
Mark you, don't censure these men; they
didn't voluntarily go to this work of paint
ing guns; they were forced and are not to
be blamed, but pitied. And do hope that
some day they will receive recognition for
the hopeless and futile resistance they put
up before they finally succumbed to the gem
tie persuasive methods employed by those
blasted German slave traders.
The food at these works is generally very
good during. the first month. Then you are
dleted as follows:
Breakfast-Coffee and 800 grams (about
l0h ounces) of bread
Dinner-Soup, very watery.
lea Time-Coffee, potatoes.
Supper-Soup or coffee and potatoes
The living accommodation is exactly as
in the lager-one large room, holding 200
or 800 persons. You have bed sack filled
with straw, and two blankets. Your straw
sack is quite close up to your right and left
neighbors Iou eat sleep and drink in these
barracks. The latrines are also inside, as
you are only allowed out under escort. But
il you have succumbed to the charms of
fraulein and are skilled workman and
willing, then, as I've pointed out you may
live together.
/ think have stated all the outstanding
features OF interest at such factory. Be-
fore concluding let me impress upon anyone
who may. read this story that it is absolutely
true, with the exception that I'm doubtful
whether the name of the firm is Henschalrs
or HenschePs, but it was an ammunition
factory in Cassel
My informant adds that he managed to
get out of this inferno without doing one
seconds work, but how is another story.