Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-12-10
CHAPTER XIX.
German Prison Camps.

aerrndn Prison Camps.
A few days after I had been dashed
to the barbed wire fence some of the
German officers came to the barracks,
and one of them who spoke very good
English said: 'All of the neutrals who
were on unarmed ships step out"
Only few stepped out
Then he called for all the neutrals,
and the Danes, Swedes, Norwegians.
Brazilians and Spaniards stepped out.
But when l did. he said, mo, not
Americans. Americans are not neu-
tral. America supplies our enemies
with food and ammunition" He raised
his fist, and thought he was going to
hit me, but instead he gave me a
shove that caused me to fall and get
little cut on the head Then the
sentries pushed me over with the
British and the French.
After that they took the Norwegi-
ans, Swedes and Danes to separate
barracks, and gave them clothes and
beds and the same rations as the Ger
man soldiers. When I saw this ]
NANsNS - MIN anu Sdi0 L W do q ACull dky
too, and ought to get the same treat
ment as the Scandinavians They took
me to the officers again, kicked me
about and swore at me, and the only
answer / got was that America would
suffer for all she had done for the al
lies. Then / was sent back TO the bar
racks again.
The next day at about one o'clock
they took us from the barracks and
drilled US through the swamps. The
men began to fall one by one, some
crying or swearing, but most OF taam
going along without word. Those
who went down We're smashed in the
head with rifle butts or belts.
Finally we arrived at a little rail-
road station, and had TO stand in the
snow for over an hour while the en-
CINE ran up and down the tracks hook
ing on cars. When we finally got in
the cars we were frozen stiff. l could
hardly walk, and some of the boys
simply could not move without intense
pain.
They loaded twelve men into each
compartment, and detailed guard of
six men to each car. The windows in
the cars were all smashed, and every
thing about the cars was dirty.
Finally the train stopped at town
named Alt-Damm, and there was a
mob of women and children around.
as usual, ready for US with bricks and
spit. They stoned us through the car
windows, and laughed and jeered at
us, but by this time we were so used
TO it that we did not mind much. Only,
every now and then some fellow
would get all he could stand, and
either talk back or make a pass at
somebody. Then he would get his
either a bayOnet through the arm or
leg, or a crash on the head with q gun
butt.
After an eighteen hour ride. with
out food or drink, we arrived at Neu-
strelitz. 1t was raining as we pulled
in. As we went up the grade to the
town we could see lights about a mile
away, and we figured that that was
the camp. The rain stopped and we
remained in the cars for some time.
Then, after a while, we knew our new
guards were coming; long before we
could see them, we could hear the
racket they made. Somehow Il Ger
man cannot do anything shipshape
and neatly, but always has to have a
lot of noise, and running around, and
nf1 -fc -
are more orderly in their habits than
the Huns.
When they came up. we were rouSt-
ed from the cars and drilled up the
road to the camp When we got near
the German barracks we were halted
and counted again. and made TO stand
there for at least an hour after they
had finished counting US, shivering
like leaves. At last they placed us in
barracks, and those who could, went
70 sleep.
There We're about forty barracks in
the Liney group at Neustrelitz and
two large Zeppelin sheds. The bar
racks were just about like those It
Swinemunde-at least, they were no
better. Along the sides of the rooms
were long shelves or benches. and
every three feet were boards set in
grooves. The shelves We're what we
had TO sleep on, and the boards in the
grooves divided them up so that only
a certain number of men could use
each bench.
The following morning we nearly
dropped dead when the Huns pulled
thought we never would have any
thing TO wear but our underclothes.
They issued TO each man pair Of
trousers, thin model, thin coat
about ike the seerSucker coats some
people wear In the summer, an over
coat about as warm as if it had been
! made of cigarette papers. skull cap
| and pair of shoes, which were a
days labor TO carry around. Not one
of US received socks, shirts or under
wear
The toe was cut from the right shoe
| of the pair / received. and as my
wounds We're in the right thigh and
| my leg had Stlffened up considerably
and got very sore, / got pretty anx-
iouS, because there was nothing but
slush underfoot. and / vas afraid I
might lose my leg. So I thought that
if l went to the commander and made
a kick might get a good shoe. i hest
tated about il at first, but finally made
up my mind and went 10 see him.
I told him that it was slushy outside
and that the water ran through the
hole in my shoe and made Il bad for
nv whole leg, which was wounded.
He examined the shoe. and looked at
the open toe for some time, and
thought he was going TO put up an
argument. but would give in finally
Then he asked me what I wanted. I
thought that was plan enough to see,
but I said just as easny as | could
that / wanted shoe without hole