The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-23
War PRISONERS
TURNED OUT BY
GERMANS TO DIE
British Survivors of Hun Prison
Camps Tell of Unprecedented
Cruelty.
tBy Associated Press>


LONDON, Nov 23.-Pitiable condi-
tions among British prisoners of war,
who have been liberated by the Ger
mans since the signing Of the armis-
tice, arc described by Reuters cores
pendent at French headquarters.
Thousands of these men, mostly Brit
ish, are entering France daily. The
correspondent writes:
II have never seen human beings
in such state of raggedness, hunger
and misery. When the camp at For
bach, thirty-eight miles east of Metz,
as well as those elsewhere, were
broken up, the prisoners, most Of
whom were captured during the
March offensive, were told to clear
out and seek help from their allies.
They started to walk the fifty or sixty
miles to the allied lines, but were
given no food and had 40 money. They
were in shameful rags, the soles drop
ping 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 de-
serted. The weather was very cold
and many died by the roadside, within
a 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. 1t Is not doubted
that this suffering was Intentionally
imposed upon the British. Prisoners
of other nationalities are agreed that
the British were treated worse than
the others a. all German camps"
Work In Salt Mines.
further report of Sir Robert
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 testimonials scarcely month
old. it is evident that there is no sign
of improvement whatever in the treat
ment of priso<ers in Germany. This
disgrace is open and fragrant and the
only possible inference is that Berlin
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 British private soldier:
1--WE have had little to eat since
we left Hamlen. Two of our number
have gone to the hospital with broken
arms and the remainder are suffering
from cuts on their heads and bruises
as the result of floggings they received
at the last place. / fell in a faint I'M
able to work any longer last Saturday
and the man in charge, civilian, kick
ed 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 death.
Blows Part Of Routine.
The record of daily promiscuous
, .clence might be much further illus
trated To scores of men who have
given evidence concerning the mining
camps kicks, blows and insults be-
came a part Of the normal routine.
Here is an example from the testi-
mony of a man who had been at one
of the Hameln salt mines:
"1n January, 1918, l refused to COM
plete my task as it was physical i'm
possibility ! 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 Of snow.
The next day | was taken to the mine
and again beaten until l had finished
my task. received nothing to eat
from the time | went down into the
mine on the first morning until two
o'clock the next afternoon"
1t Is impossible to say how many |
prisoners lives We're sacrificed, for |
until more evidence is given by men |
who have been set free the exact con-
ditions must remain in obscurity.