The Jasper news., 1918-12-12
CHAPTER xxllI-continued.

1t certainly was hard, when the next
day came, to give up your whole ration
and go without that day. But l never
saw man hedge, or even speak OF 1t.
And we did not have any food pirates
among us either: we were not captains
of industry by any means.
There were times when some of us
could not eat certain Of our rations.
For instance, many and many time
! was as hungry as anybody could be,
and l wanted to eat my bread, but 1t
seemed as if / could not get 1t into
my mouth. Then would trade 1t with
someone else for his shadow soup" or
his barley coffee.
We were dying every day in Bran
denburg and after each death the
senior men Of that barracks would de-
tail twelve of their number to go out
for half an hour and dig the grave.
while others made little crosses, on
which they wrote or carved the mans
name, when he was captured and his
regiment or ship. In the middle Of
the cross were always the letters,
II. i. P.-Rest In Peace.
One time we were ordered to report
to the German doctors for a serum
treatment of some kind-to receive an
injection, in other words. There was
no choice about 1t this time, as we
were simply herded together to the
hospital barracks. Now, I knew what
these things were like and how brutal
the German doctors were in giving an
injection, so l wanted to be the very
first man and not have to witness the
other men getting theirs.
So l pushed up to the head of the
line, with the crew of II. NJ S. Nomad,
who had been captured in the Jutland
battle, and by the time we got to the
hospital was the very first man In line.
But the sentry threw me back and
there were several men ahead of me.
Each Of them barred his chest and the
doctors slashed them across the breast
with very thin knife, so you can see
that 1t was very painful. When 1t
came to my turn they slashed me three
times in the shape Of a triangle just to
one side of the breast. And that was
all there was to it-no Injection, moth
ing on the knife that l could see.
Now, l do not know what the idea
was. Every man of us was dizzy for
the rest of the day and could not do
anything but lay around the barracks
And hardly any Of US bled a drop
though t.. Tashes were deep. l do not
think we hau any blood in us to run
and that is the truth of it. 1t was
just another German trick that no one
cou'd explain.
One day war correspondent named
Bennett, from q Chicago paper, came
to the camp and went through all the
barracks. When he came to our bar
racks l told him l was an American
and asked for the news. Instead OF
answering he began to ask all sorts
of questions. Finally, after / had TOLD
him | had been in the French service
l asked him If he could help me In an!
way. He answered that had only my
self to blame and that 1t served m,
right if had been in one Of the alice
armies.
did not like his looks much and h,
seemed unfriendly, but when he began
smoking a cigarette 1t almost drove m,
crazy and l could not help asking TO
one. He refused me and said l shoult
have stayed in my own country, wher,
could have had plenty of cigarettes
After while he threw away a ciga
rette stub and not only 1 but three O
four others who were near made div
for it. A man named Kelley got it
crazy man who went around tryin
to eat wood and cloth and anything
he could find.
When my three weeks were up an,
had not heard from Mr.. Gerard wa
just about ready to go down to tn
lake and pick ont vacant spot an
lay down in it. / really do not thin
could have lasted two weeks longer
And just about that time, as I wa
walking back to barracks one day,
Frenchman showed me q German
newspaper, and there In large type o.
the top Of the first page it said tina
Mr.. Gerard had left the country, O
was getting ready to leave. They ha
to drag me the rest Of the way to tn
barracks and throw snow on me befor
| came to.
do not know what happened durin
the next few days.
[Gunner Depews interview with M
Gerard took place at the Dulmen prise
camp on or about February l, 1917. O
February 8, our state department demand
ed the release of sixty-two American
captured on British vessels and held {
prisoners in Germany. On the same da,
President Wilson severed diplomatic rel;
lions with Germany. Ambassador GeraI
left Germany exactly one week later. I'll