The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1919-01-04
1ELLSOFBRUTALITY
OF HUN OFFICERS
German Deserter Describes
Brutal Treatment Inflicted
on Men IN Army.
FATHER CRIPPLED FOR LIFE
Crimes Will Darker History Of Kaiser.
ism Forever, When People Of tho
World Learn the Whole
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.
He is a deserter from the German
army because of treatment he could
| not stand. His father is 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
the effects Of German militarism," he
said. after the war, if he still is
living, I expect to have him come to
this country to live as God intended
people should live. He too can tell
stories of how brutal German officers
are to the soldiers under them.
like all young Germans, he entered
military service when he was twenty.
One day his company was practicing
scaling. He had been i'll and was I'M
able to get over fence at which prac-
tice was being held. An officer struck
him with q sword. he fell and his
arm was broken. It was not properly
cared for, and that arm has been use
less since.
''While was stationed at the forts
at Metz and Strassburg saw things
happen myself that would make an
American soldier think that the disci-
pine he sometimes complains about is
heaven in comparison. The soldiers
get Sunday off at certain periods and
look forward to them because they
| can visit home.
81 have seen it happen time and
time again that officers kept some Of
the men in barracks, apparently mere
lily nursing slight grudge Of per
sOnal nature-perhaps merely to have
bit Of sport at the private's expense.
These same officers would think up all
! 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 a
task. After they had emptied the bar
rels they would be forced to carry the
water back up and fill them again.
II have seen privates put to work
on Sunday morning with q bucket Of
water and a tooth brush and ordered
to scrub the floors.
"If q private does not shoot or march
as we'll as the officer thinks he should,
he is certain to be punished. One
favorite treatment then was to require
a 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. It
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
aviation section in the near future.