New-York tribune., 1918-02-11
captives Victims of Sys-
tematic Cruelty, Soldiers
Testify
Many Die Daily
From Starvation
Men Stabbed and Beaten;
Treated Worse Than
British

LONDON, Feb. 10 Reuters Limited
has received copies of carefully verified
sworn statements from British SO! Tiers
xho have returned from German prison
camps aud hospitals regarding SYSTEM
attic brutality practiscd by the Germans
mon Italian prisoners. These reports
,,me from more than dozen different
mrts Of Germany. They nave been
snfrmed by independent testimony.
The soldiers who gave the testimony
N Germany only recently, majority
!. them having been released IRON,
srison camps about a month ago.
Regarding the camp at Langensalza,
ssyony, evidence has ben received from
more than dozen independent sources.
IN November about two Thousand Ital-
ian prisoners were brought IL and
placed in a separate part of the lamp
behind barbed wire. According to tne
knocked about by underofficers ard
guards, who struck them with rifle
butts and scabbards.
Prisoners Stabbed TO Death
The Italians seemed famishel and
used to rush for their soup. The Ger
mans, however. stabbed them with
swords and bayonets, killing or wourd-
ing many of them. Seven or eieh-
Italians were dying from starvation m
the camp every day One Italian tes.i-
fed that he had been fifteen days on
the journey TO the camp and had had
only three meals during all that .ime
There is strong feeling among lhe
English prisoners that something
should be done for the Italians. who
are dying at the rate Of six or seven
day through starvation or dysentcrY.
From the Dulmen, Westphalia, camp
there are reports from many indepen-
dent witnesses concerning the way the
Italian prisoners are treated. It is
stated that the prisoners were marched
all the way from ltalv with no other
food than bread. They als9 we're
Knocked about and starved and other.
wise treated with inhumanity. English
prisoners gave them their Gernan ra
.ions.
One witness said that three or four
weeks before he left Dulmen two or
three hundred Italian prisoners arrived
there. All of them were virtually
starved. g saw German sentry draw
lis bayonet against these men and beat
them said this witness.
Treated Worse Than British
In Cassel it is reported that the Ital-
ians are treated worse than the Brit
ish, being pushed about or struck by
German corporas At Mannheim the
same brutality is regularly practised
One witness said the Italians travelled
twelve days on three issues of soup.
The Italians rushed madly for the food
and some of them were bayonetted.
The Germans, this report said, were
giving them only half rations.
At Munster, ii was testified, the be-
hsylor of the Germans to the Italians
mad become nuch worse since the re-
cent large capture of Italians The
plsoners suffered very much from the
@ld and were wrapping themselves in
Markets whenever they could. This
bad conduct and bullying on the part
Of the Germans set in only recently.
One witness said he saw the Italians
shocked down frequently and also hit
With the butt end of rifles. This treat
ment was not due particularly to bad
conduct on the part Of the prisoners,
but simply because they were Italians
These men have one ration of soup and
bread daily
) Similar Stories From Other Camps
Similar evidence comes from Zerbst.
anhait, where Italian prisoners after
I'VE days journey without food were
driven back by the Germans with
drawn swords as they were going to
get their soup allowance.
:, Another witness testified that at the
hemeln camp the Italians were nearly
starved and fought among themselves
,or 10. plece of bread thrown to them bv
British prisoners.
AT freidrchsfelde, province of Bran
aehourg, the treatment of the Italians
was equally barbarous. Here sentrjes
snot ssnot Italians for trying to get food
rom the British prisoners.
u Equally revolting stories come from
hammeiburgh, Stendal, Soltau. Limburo
and Hamburg. N' 1'"' '0's >
Many of the Italians are, of course,
m' rom the second army, part of which
.I Vas deceived by the Germans into
them. 0pe" "