Ripley County democrat., 1918-02-15
Deported Men and Prisoners Are
Driven Into Slavery by Ger.
man Authorities.
MAKE STARTLING DISCLOSURE
HolIander Tells How Deported BEL
elans and French Prisoners Of
War Are Compelled to Work
In Munitions Factory
In Essen.
ey W. J.L. klEHI..

CnpVHuuut oA haS SntLAH0 kNyWoO
The Hague, Holland.--A Netherland.
or who until four days ago was en-
ployed at Krupp's munition works in
Essen. Germany. makes the startling
disclosure that some 1000 Hollanders
are working at Essen in the munition
and war material factories. Most Of
these men get there through the machi-
nations of what this escaped" Hol.
lander calls "Seelenerkaufer''--C Cohen
& Ossendegner Of Rotterdam, who
seem to act as agents for supplying
Germany with greatly needed labor.
Eighty or ninety men day generally
find their why across the border by
means Of their agents, lured by the
prospect Of very high wages and good
food. What they find In reality and
how next to impossible II Is made for
them to return to their own country
is thus told In the Hollander's words:
No Return Pass Given.
sWhen this firm Of agents secured
my services they did not mention war
work." he said. II was given to under.
stand that field labor and trade work
was required. Also I was promised
that I could return any Saturday to
Holland to stay through Sunday. The
promised wages were high and food
was said to be plentiful. I accepted,
my pass was ready in few moments.
but did not know that the signatures
and vises required for my return to
Holland had been omitted, % they al.
ways are In the passes given By these
agents, no doubt because they know
perfectly well that after week In
Germany no single Hollander would
ever think Of returning there after his
weekend 10 Holland.
'.Soon after my entrance upon Ger
man soil OF Elten, where found sew
eral compatriots like myself, we were
met by on agent from an 'arbeits bu-
reau,' who secured our services for
shellmaking at Krupp's by telling US
that food was good there and wages
very high. He said that In other
branches Of labor food was but indif'
ferent and the wages nothing like
Krupp'a 80 We men went to Essen.
How good the food was there you can
Judge Of by the fact that my weight
was reduced by "A pounds while there,
"For breakfast. we received two
slices Of bread without any butter OF
fat whatever. For dinner potato soup
that left us hungry an hour after
eating. Then In the evening again
two slices Of bread like ut breakfast
II the Hollander felt too Ill or feeble
to work the Germans simply took away
his bed from under him to make him
get up, Oh, yes, there is doctor, but
he always diagnoses the same. You
can work-f you don't work you wonr
eat'--'nicht arbeiten--nicth essen OF
we used to put II.
"The laborers are housed by the 50(
together in barracks, which are bu,
fnsufiiciently warmed and imperfectly
cleaned. Typhus claims many victims
In the barracks where ! was housed
I found four men lying dead Of typhu'
beside my crib one morning. After .
few days Of this sort Of thing It Is moi
to be wondered at that many Holland
ers try In every way to get back t
their country, although the vises OF
their passes nre lacking. :
III they are captured they ar'
thrown Into prison for q fortnight OF
bread and water. II they survive they
are then drafted back to Krupp'A ant
set to work again. Production 4
pushed to the utmost. Numbers Of sol
diers are employed as a change from
the front, and these men are so afrait
OF being again sent to the front tina
they would rather work themselves Il
death at Krupp'A
Where peportsd 5eieIsns Work.
"Deported Belgians and French pris
oners Of war also work ut Krupps
Discipline Is strictly enforced. and an!
utteranees Of anti German views ar
at once punished.
II got the impression that German,
flung itself like mad Into munitioI
work as Its last card. But raw ma
terial Is getting scarce. especially cop
per. In Essen all copper faucets ant
the like had already been replaced b!
iron and tin. The general Idea in Ger
many IL that the war can be prolonge'
at the utmost for another half year. q
they are employing their last force
for a supreme effort. n
EVERY evening at Krupp's alarms I
made -'Flieger Gemeldet' lnirplanel
reportedl. Ali liRhts are then extn