The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-13
TERRIBLE FOOD CONDITIONS.
In Germany Told BY Returning Canadian
Prisoner.

| Some idea of the terrible food eondi-
| tions which must prevail in Germany
to day may be gained from a story as
related by Sergeant l.. French of the
| British and Canadian recruiting mission
now in Burlington, who spent 10 months
in Germany, IL of which were spent in a
prison camp.
Sergeant French enlisted from Quebec
in the I'd Canadian battalion and went
overseas with the first contingent. His
regiment was assigned to duty in the
trenches in February, 1915. the place
they were stationed being in the Ypres
salient. where some of the most terrible
fighting the world has ever known has
taken place.
About the 23d of April. when his
regiment had been in the trenches about
month, they We're sent to relieve an
Algerian regiment, which, not being able
to Withstand the gas attacks of the Hun,
was fast caving in and not holding the
line as it should. As usual, the Cana
dams were called on to hold the trench
and they did so, as usual, but in an at
tack directly following their entrance
to their new positions Sergeant French
was wounded in both legs.
He was taken, by the Germans, in
hay cart to dressing station five miles
behind the lines and then later to
field hospital farther back. He was
three months in a hospital before he was |
sent to the big prison camp at Giessen, |
which is about 80 miles north of Frank |
fort am Main, in the south central part |
of Germany. AT the hospital Sergeant |
French said the medical treatment was
fair but all other kinds of treatment !
were rotten"
At Giessen there were about 5000 men
in the camp. although it would hold in
he vicinity of 10000 Food of course,
was the big question and this, as Ser
yeant French says, "to say the least,
was not sufficient nor eatable." For
the prisoners were given bread
md coffee, terrible stiff at the best.
For the noon meal they had So
allied cabbage soup f such a kind and
With such regularity that after few
attempts to eat it, the majority of the
men gave up trying. Besides this they
we're often given a soup made from horse
'hestnuts, which, though capable of be
pg swallowed was not at all palatable.
As an instance of how badly off the
IL
we're for food, Sergeant French said
hat the prison sentries often tried to
OAK away the bread rations from the
prisoners, which the prisoners would !;
ever give them but which they would
brow away in the refuse boxes. As
DON as this was done, however, the SEN
ries would swoop down on the boxes
nd pick out the dirty bread and eat ii I
oraciously, like so many vultures. This
as in 1856 and shows what pre-
icament the country was in for food or
, called food.
The camp was surrounded by barbed
ire, most of which was highly charged
18th electricity, making escape from the
imp almost impossible. For exercise
lie prisoners were taken out on two
arades day, always under heavy
Iard Soon after the men came to the
mp those whom the Germans consid-
ed physically able to work--many of
HON were not however, sent back
the lines to work in munition factor
5 or in the salt mines, etc.
After he had been in the camp but
short time, said Sergeant French.
ousands of the men had tho overcoats
cause of which life was made more
iserable. L. S. Ambassador Gerard
ard of the conditions at the camp and
ter an official inspection, the men were
divided with coats. What they would
We done had not Ambassador Gerard
sited the camp may easily be guessed
The sanitary conditions in the camp
ere fairly good and the men were com.
lied to take shower baths once a week.
he German guards were brutal in the
IRENE and when some of the men. too
AK to do anything. protested against
,rking outside, they were dubbed with
le butts.
After about a year in the camp Ser
ant French was one of number of
isoners who were exchanged and as
result, was sent TO Switzerland where
spent IA months before being sent to
gland and then home TO Canada. To-
Y. after nearly two years have elapsed
ce he left Germany, Sergeant French
Dws the effects of the brutal, unfeel-
!, and unhealthy treatment which he
eived at the hands of the Germans
/ with the fine treatment he is getting
" he hopes TO be in good health again
q sfr,sg