Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-11-24
RELEASED BRITISH PRISONERS PRESENT
 SORRY SPECTACLE

London, Nov. 23.-Pitable conditions among British prisoners of war who who have been liberated by the Ger mans since the signing of the armis- tlce are described by Reuters corres- pendent at French headquarters Thousands of these men mostly Brit 1sh, are entering Branch daily The correspondent writes.
 T have never seen human beings m such state of raggedness, hunger and misery. When the camp at For bach, IS miles east of Metz as we'll as those elsewhere were broken up, the prisoners, most of whom were captur- ed during the March offensive, were told to clear out and seek help from their allies. They started to walk the nifty or sixty miles to the allied lines, but were given no food and had no money. They were in shameful rags, the sOles dropping off their boots Some wore clogs and no socks.
 They left the prison camps in droves of hundreds in charge of Ger man officers and soldiers who had deserted. The weather was very cold and many died by the roadside within few miles from friends. When the survivors entered the French lines. French soldiers who were hardened war heroes were mortified to see men in such plight. It is not doubted that this suffering was Intentionally imposed upon the British prisoners of othed nationalities are agreed that the British were treated worse than the other prisoners at all German camps.''
 A further report of Sir Hobert Younger's committee dealing with the treatment of British prisoners in the coal and salt mines of Germany, gives narrowing details of brutal treatment by the Germans. This report says:
 From testimony scarcely month old, it seviuent 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 Der line deliberately approves of it. There is no doubt that work in the mines is inflicted as punishment. Here is an extract from letter dated May 20, last, from a British private soldier:
 "We have had little to eat since we left Hamlen. Two of cur number have gone to the hospital with broken
 
 from cuts on their heads and bruises as the result of foggings they receiv- ed at the last place. l fell in faint unable to work any longer last Sat urday and the man in charge, a civil ian, 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 here, they all look like dead men. They are worked to gdeath."
 The record of daily prOmiscuous vio- lence might be much further illustrat- ed. To scores of men who have given evidence concerning the mining camps kicks. blows and insults became part of the normal routine. Here is an example from the testimony of a man who had been at one of the Hamlen salt mines:
 "In January, 1918 I refused to com plete my task as it was aphysical impossibility I was taken out of the mine dressed only in shirt and draw. ers-it is too hot in the mine to wear anything else-and put for the night in hut which was not weather proof In the morning it was half full ol snow The next day was taken to the mine and again until I had finished my task I received nothing to ca from the time I went down into thu mine on the first morning until two o'clock the next afternoon