Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-31
ALL CAPTIVE BR|TONS
MUST Be FREED BY HUN
This Action Must Prccedc Any
Truce Home Secretary Declares;
Allies Probable Demands.

London. Oct. 81 That the immedi-
ate release of all British prisoners will
be insisted upon by the government AZ
part of the arrnistice terms is confident
" expected here Sir George Caye, the
Home Secretary, announced in the
House Of Commons that the same con
ditions imposed on Bulgaria in this
matter would be insisted upon in any
truce with Germany or Austria. and that
General Alenby had been instructed
to follow the same policy in dealing with
the Turks.
There is plenty Of evidence that Brit
ish prisoners have received worse treat
mcnt throughout the war than the others
except the Russians
Such demand will be very i'm
portant factor and il is likely that the
other Allies will show less regard for
their nationals who are suffering in Ger
man camps Events since the German
peace overttires were launched have
not tended To insiill any spirit Of con-
eillatIon, forgiveness. or lenIency to-
ward the enemy IN British breasts
CHAPTERS or HORRORS REVEALED.
Tho sinking of the Leinster followed
close on the German note The evacu-
alton Of Belpian and French towns. for
years under German rule. has opened
what has heretofore been largely n sealed
book Of rtimors and authentic stories
from truthful people of German bar
barities toward the inhabitants have
been flowing ont
Finally discussion IN the House Of
Commons of The treatment Of British
prisoners appears TO have been about
the last straw breaking the back Of
British patienc6 patience which the
country generally seems now 10 think
has been carried much too far The
Germans have only themselves TO blame
that these revelations cafne AZ time
So unfortunate for German interests
runLIc ANGER SETTLING.
Thc topic was forced upon the House
by p strong public demand for light
upon the circumstances of what Is termed
German blackmail IN refusing to ratIfy
an agreement drawn up for an equitable
excnange Of prisoners unless The British
consented TO 20 outside that subject
and give guarantees against the Dc
portation of Germans from China
Captain Craig, n member of tnc House
md himself an exchanged prisoner
told with emotion of his experiences and
the sights he had seen N the prison camps
Sir George Cave gave authentic dc
tails of wholesale deaths of British sol
dlers. kept ragged. starving and YER
m nous and compelled to work long
hours in salt mines and under FIRE ~
tho front. contrary IN the rules ~ The
Hague Convention. beaten and tortured
and shot for petty or no offcnse
DEMANDS or ALLIES.
The general nature of the military
guarantees which the Allies will require
has becn outlined a. the occupation of
strategical German bases. AS we'll as
the retirement Of the German army to
its own soil Wartime guarantees arc
considered equally important to Great
Britain. Their nature hils far b only
speculative. but the internment of the
German submarines. If not the -urren-
der Of the whole fleet appears 10 be the
minimum terms which would satisfy
the British people The sea Is as i'm
portant as the land 10 this island ma
tion. and the only detail IN President
Wilson fourteen points on which there
* constant questioning Is what the PresI-
dent means by freedom Of the sea.
Suspicion is the word which still sum
marizes the public attitude toward the
Central Powers manOeuvres. Some OF
the most important papers believe that
Germany and Austria, or what remains
OF the Austrian government, are work
ing together They interpret Austria :
rush towlrd a separate piece = p3rt
of plan-now that Austrian military
power IS dissolving-to place Austrian
territory as neutral ground between
Germany and the allied armies, which
may soon be able and ready 70 march
through Austria.