The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1918-06-22
TELLSOF BRUTALITY
OF HUN OFFICERS
German Deserter Describes
Brutal Treatment inflicted
on Men in Army.
father CRIPPLED FOR LIFE
Crimes viii Oarken History Of Kaiser.
Ism Forever, When People Of the
World Learn the Whole
or Story.

Marion, O.-Curt Hadlich, q young
German mechanic employed In local
shops, one-time aviator in the German
army, soldier of fortune and finally an
American citizen, not only believes the
stories of German brutality that have
come from across seas but he thinks
when the whole story has been told
crimes that will darken the pages of
the history of kaiserism forever will
come to the people of the world. They
will be told not only by victims but
by the very soldiers Of the kaiser him.
self, Hadlich thinks. =
Hefis a deserter from the German
army because of treatment he could
not stand. His father is a life Grip
pie from the indignities even of peace
times.
"The German soldier is treated like
dumb animal" says Hadlich. "He
must grin and bear it-there is no ap-
peal"
Hadlich's story perhaps is the more
interesting because he has travelled
enough, seen enough and learned
enough outside the confines Of Ger
many to appreciate conditions that ex-
list there.
Father Crippled for Life.
! "My father is living example Of
aiithe effects of German militarism." he
a. aid. "After the war, if he still Is
- "a ing, expect to have him come to
M, country to live as God intended
pie should live. He too can tell
les of how brutal German officers
to the soldiers under them.
m Like all young Germans, he entered
I,a .litary service when he was twenty.
fe ne day HIS company was practicing
d; aling. He had been ill and was un-
a. lie to get over fence at which prac- 4
st was being held. An officer struck
sp .sxsss.s-sword- fell and his
u was broken It was not properly
- red for, and that arm has been use- 1
= IS since.
ii "While l was stationed at the forts
Il Metz and Strassburg saw things
!, open myself that would make an
Il erican soldier think that the disci-
n e he sometimes complains about IS
e ven In comparison. The soldiers
g Sunday off at certain periods and
2 * forward to them because they
h IN visit home.
) II have seen it happen time and
j time again that officers kept some OF /
the men in barracks, apparently mere
ly nursing a slight grudge of per-
sonal nature-perhaps merely to have
bit of sport at the private's expense.
These same officers would think up ali
kinds of punishments for their men,
often putting fellow at some task on
his day off while several hundred
other soldiers were idle and could have
done the same work.
Just Keep Them Busy.
II have seen officers order men to
carry water from the big barrels kept
In barracks, sometimes three or four
stories high, merely to give them Q
task After they had emptied the bar
rels they would be forced to carry the
water back up and fill them again.
~ have seen privates put to work
on Sunday morning with bucket OF
water and q tooth brush and ordered |
to scrub the floors,
'If q private does not shoot or march |
as well as the officer thinks he should, |
he Is certain to be punished. One
favorfte treatment then was to require |
private to stand erect, then kneel to
the ground. repeating the performance
for an hour or more. I've seen off
GERS beat and kick soldiers who be-
came exhausted from this task. 1t
frequently happens that three days
strenuous drill on bread and water
diet follows"
Hadlich has taken out his first nat
uralization papers, and although regis
tered as an enemy alien, is listed In
the aviation reserve corps and hopes
to be able to enter the American army