The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-15
RED CROSS SAVES
FROM STARVATION
Sergeant Lawrence v. Fsber Tells OF
His Experiences as Hun Pris-
oner In Germany for
Many Weeks.
sAWDUsT BREAD DIET
gut When He Got TO Main Prison
Camp Where Red Cross Food
Trains Came He Had
Enough TO Eat

Fortunately for the American prts-
onerg who were taken in the last few
months Of the war, the Huns knew
that they could not win Accordingly,
their treatment OF prisoners was not
marked by the atrocities that were
80 common IN the earlier stages OF
the conflict In fact if one were not
10 look beyond their actions for the
motive II appears that they were as
much concerned about the comfort OF
their prisoners as Of their Own men
Sergeant Lawrence V. Fsber Of this
city, who was taken prisoner on DC
tcber u, while member OF detail
which had been sent out IN advance
OF the front lines 10 lay out trench.
was very much surprised al the
treatment he was accorded by the
Heinies-
Instead Of being subjected 10 all
manner of torture, he experienced
nothing worse having 10 su5stst on
Ezwdust bread and acorn coffee
When we were first taken prs
ouer." says Faber. ave were taken
about fifteen hlometers to Muei-
hansen where we were Kept for sew
shoes. We didn't start work till
about Z o'clock and could qui. al
around 8 IN the evening. The work
want very hard and we could taks
cur time TO il.
For breakfast we got acorn coffee
and gawdust bread. know y5u will
think that that sounds dshy, but ii
is true. 1t was made out OF sawdust
and potato water. They had three
kinds Of bread, one for the prisoners,
another for the soldiers, and another
for the officers. / don't know what
the others were like, because We
never got any We we're glad enough
TO get any and ate what they gave
ug. Then for dinner and supper we
would get a bowl Of carrot soup.
Men Worse Than Officers.
eve were treated better by the
officers than by the enlisted men
They sent for us three different times
and questioned us about our artillery
and tanks. We wouldn't talk very
much, but when we did, we would
feed them up lot of dove about how
many tanks we had. Then they would
give us cigars and cigarettes and
schnaps and wanted to know how
their prisoners were treated. We told
them fine.
about a week later they put us
on train and took us to Strassburg.
There they kept US in an under
ground cave for fourteen days.
guess they were waiting for orders
on what 10 do with us.
There were about fifteen French
men in there too, but they wouldn't
let us mix together any. They made
them do all the work and we didn't
have 10 do anything. They gave Us
two blankets apiece and we slept on
the cement floor.
Here our food was the same and
by this time we had begun to get
pretty weak / traded my shoes for
something to eat. That is how hun
cry we got.
"Then they marched us about
twenty-five kilometers TO where we
were TO take the train for the Ameri-
ran prison camp at Rastatt.
Exhausted by Starvation.
I'VE were 30 weak that they al
most had to drag us along before we
got there. This is the camp that was
IN charge of Sergeant Halyburton
who was one of the first Americans
captured. There were about three
thousand men there. Most Of them
were Americans, but there were a
few Russians.
after we got to Rastatt we began
getting Red Cross packets every
Monday. I'll tell you we were glad
to get them, because by this time
we were awfuIly weak. The Red
Gross food Is all that saved US from
starving 10 death"
Faber says that they did not know
that the arnistice was signed for
two days after II happened.
I'VE noticed that the guards took
off their helmets and wore little dress
caps, and that they didn't have their
bayonets on their rifles any longer,