Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-01-30

OdiAdSho dhu UNIV SAOW Vh mS VSAoAC
I came to.
tGunner Depew's interview with Mr..
Gerard took place at the Dulmen prison
camp on or about February /, 1917. On
February 8, our state department emand-
ed the release of sixty-two Americans
captured on British vessels and held as
prisoners In Germany. On the same day.
President Wilson severed diplomatic rela-
tons with Germany. Ambassador Gerard
left Germany exactly one week later. The
newspaper that Gunner Depew saw must
have been issued after February 10. 1t
was not until March 8, 1917, however. that
Gunner Depew was actually released from
Observation-Disclosures Motel
do not know what happened during
the next few days.
But a week or so later the Spanish
ambassador and four German officers
and Swatts came to our barracks and
the ambassador told me l would be
released! 1t was all I could do to
keep from fainting again. Then Swatts
asked me in English if l had anything
to say about the treatment in the
camp, and 7 began to think maybe
1t was a frame-up Of some kind, so all
I said was, "When will I get out of
here?" and he said, "Why, you viii be
released tomorrow"
1 did not wait to hear any more, but
rushed into the barracks again, singing
and whistling and yelling as loud as l
could. The boys told me my face was
very red and 1 guess what little blood
l had in my body had rushed to my
head, because l could hardly walk for
a few minutes.
Then the men began to think I was
crazy, and none of them believed l
would really be released, but that l
was going to be sent to the mines, as
so many were. But l believed it, and
1 just sat there on my bunk and be-
gan to dream of the food I would get
and what / would eat first, and so on.
I did not sleep that night-just
walked from barracks to barracks un-
till they chased me away, and then
walked up and down in my own bar
racks the rest of the night. When l
got to the Russian barracks and told
the two doctors my news, they would
not believe me at all, although they
knew there had been some important
visitor at the camp.
But when / walked out Of their door
l said, "Dobra vetshav," which means
"Good night" Then they must have
believed me, for they called me back,
and all the men gave me addresses of
people to write to in case I should get
away.
They were all talking at once, and
n of the doctors got very excited and
got down on his knees with his hands
in the air. ALBERT" he said, IF you
have the God-given luck to get out of
Germany-not for my sake, but for
the sake of us who are here in this
hell-hole, promise me you will tell all
the people wherever you go what they
are doing to us here. Tell them not to
send money, for we can't eat money,
and not meat-just bread, bread,
bread"
And when / looked around all the
men were sitting on their beds crying
and tearing their hair and saying
bread, bread, bread" over and over
. again. Then each tried to give me
something, as if to say that even Il
/, they did not get out, perhaps their but
ton or belt or skull cap would get back
to civilization.
When l left their barracks I begar
, to cry, because it did not seem pos
sible that 1 was going away, and al
, ready l could see them starving slow
, ly, just as 1 had been starving.
The next morning a sentry came tt
! my barracks, called out my name ant
took me to the commander of thu
camp. They searched me, and thel
drilled me back to barracks again
Then the men all thought they wer,
just playing a joke on me, and the.
said so.
The same thing happened the mex
day, and when one of the men sal,
that probably I would be slammed u
against a wall and shot, I began to fee
shaky, / can tell you.
But the third morning, after the
had searched me, the commander sai6
well, you'll have to have a bath be
fore you leave the country" and
1 was so glad that / did not mind abou
A the bath, although I remembered tn
last n l had, and 1t did not agre
very well with me. After the batf
\ they drilled me out into the road.
There were four sentries with M
\ but not Swatts, nor did l see hiI
4 anywhere around, for which l was sol
. ry. But all the boys came down t
A the barbed wire, or to the gate, an
some were crying, and others wer
cheering, and all of them were yer
much excited. But after a minute
. two they got together again and tn
. last thing / heard was the song abol
n packing up your old kit bag, and thel
y "Are W. downhearted?-No" The
, were certainly game lads.
They did not take me straight
the station, but took me through q
the streets they could find, and as u
ual, the women were there with II
TX bricks and spit. But / did not mint
n. l was used to 1t, and besides, 1t WI
al thp last time so I fuef 0rinnad