New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-02-19
RETURNED SOLDIER
SAYS PAPERS LIED
CORPL. ECKSTEIN SAYS THAT
HE COULD FIND NO PROOF
OF ATROCITIES
ABSOLUTELY UNABLE TO FIND
SINGLE AUTHENTIC CASE
OF CRUELTY

~ Among those who recently returned
from overseas is Corpl. Randolph Eek
stein of Co. G. 1873 Inf. of the 83rd
Division. He is the son OF Adoiph
Eckstein, Milford boy, now OF Canada
and grandchild of Mr.. and Mrs. Fred
Beinhorn who formerly were engaged
in mercantile business where c, 6.
fteim now has his iewelry store.
Corpl. Eckstein underwent intensive
training for seven weeks at Camp Mac
Arthur, Waco, Texas, sailed for over
seas September 26th, reached France
October 4th and arrived at Econnoy
Of Sathe county, October 9Th, where
he was stationed until Jan. ! when he
returned to this country. The place
where he was stationed is $50 miles from
Brest. Half of his division was on the
battle front and the balance OF the
division to which he belonged was about
ready to go into the trenches when the
arn1istice was signed.
Tried To Prove Stories.
Altho he saw no trench service, he
had occasion to see and hear much
:. which is of general interest There has
been so much said in the newspapers
about the atrocities that were COM
naitted by German soldiers in Belgium.
In his opinion these reports are greatly
exaggerated. He did see Belgium child
rem who had been wounded but so far
as he could find out it was not case Of
willful cruelty but came about in what
aight be called pitched battles between
the citizens and the German soldiers
at times when the children had not been
removed to zone Of safety The
children we're simply wounded like the
combatants and presumably cared for
by the German surgeons. He also
stated that the boys over there wondered
often where all these atrocities were
being committed because no one seemed
to know of any such atrocities being
committed while they were engaged in
combat
Germans Not Treacherous
& In speaking about the surrender of
: German soldiers, who. reports have said
would CIV "Kamerad," and then would
use hand grenades and other weapons
TO kill their captors, he said that there
might have been isolated cases but that
ne knows of his own personal knowledge
that the German soldiers not only did
not attack the allied soldiers after sur
rendering but on the contrary assisted
in carrying the wounded from No Mans
Land to the American trenches. The
American soldiers were so sure that the
Germans who had surrendered would
do nothing in retaliation that they were
allowed to go to the rear without any
military escort OF any kind. He knows
it to be q fact that German prisoners
while being escorted thru French villages
were goaded by the French soldiers who
had charge OF them and were jeered at
by the throngs that lined the walks.
As far as he could see the German prison
ers did not resent this and in talking to
different ones he came to the conclusion
that there was no malice, no hatred
nor i'll will of any kind shown by the
prisoners against their captors. He also
saws that the German prisoners were
forced to work and that they did nothing
at any time to show that they resented
the treatment they were getting,
Well Treated In Prison
Corpl. Eckstein also had occasion to
speak to different officers who had been
in German prison camps and not one
Of them stated that they had been i'll
treated or had not been properly fed.
He saws they looked we'll and expressed
themselves as very well satisfied With
the treatment they had received at the
hands of the Germans.
Il. Use of Gases.
Three kinds of gases were used by the
Germans in their offensive warfare; tear
gas. chlorine gas and mustard gas. The
effect of the tear gas was to cause the
ewes to water and tempt the men strongly
10 remove their masks, It did not in
anv way blind the men who were affected
bv it. The other gases settled in the
ow places and had to be blown out of
these places by proper machinery to
make it safe for the men to stay in the
trenches and other low places. n
In speaking Of high handed action he
mentioned report that was quite
current in army circles where he was