Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1919-01-31
HINSDALE, N. H.
8 YEARS IN GERMAN PRISON
DR.. Beland Gives Notable Lecture to
Capacity Audience.

treat when Dr. Henri S. Beland, former
postmaster general OF Canada, delivered
his lecture, Three. Years in a Berlin Pris-
on, to a capacity house Thursday evening",
Jan. %, under the auspices of the lins-
dale Red Cross. By 5 O'Clock every scat
was taken. The Ilnsdale soldiers who
have returned from the service were given
special recognition by row of seats re-
served Tor them, all appearing in uniform.
The stage was appropriately trimmed with
the American flag, the flags of Belgium
and OF Canada. William p. Lyman pre-
sided at the piano and after rendering
the Star Spangled Banner also the nation
al hymn of Canada out of respect to the
honorable visitor, Paul II. Mann intro
duccd DR.. Beland
When the doctor appeared the audience
! arose in body and gave him three rous-
ing cheers. Dr.. Deand expressed his
pleasure and appreciation of the recep-
ton accorded. him by the town in which
he started his professional career 2j years
ago.
DIR. Beland explained how he was
hustled off to a German prison even af-
ter he had received every assurance that
he would not be annoyed or moested and
how he was kept for three years behind
| bars, receiving only scanty rations, until
| finally he was exchanged for the head of
the krupp firm in England, a brother OF
| Prince Won Buelow, former German chan
cellor.
His remarks were frequently punctuated
| by applause when he told of the spirit OF
the prisoners in the domain of Emperor
William. In 1913 Dr. Beland met in Bel
! GUM the woman he made his wife in July
| 10, 1914. She was Belgian woman with
a son of her own in the Belgian army.
She worked a year and a half after her
| husband had been arrested. Then she
was taken i'll and died Despite his pleas
| he had never been allowed to see her af-
ter he had been taken from Antwerp to
Berlin and lodged in prison
| Dr. Beand explained how he went from
his home to Antwerp, and told something
about the defenscs OF that city, and said
that powerful as they were it was found
Oct. 3, 1914, that they were seriously
| threatened by the attacks of the German
big guns. lie told also of how cleveFy
the Belgian army lctreated so that the
Germans found none in the city when
they entered. The Huns couldn't under:
and civilians to lord it over.
The Doctors home was taken over by
the German officers for their hcadquar
ters and he was given every assurance
as he was a medical man. that he would
not be molcsted. lie was told that he
could leave Belgium on condition that he
would pledge himself not to bear arms
against Germany, and that the property
| Of ,,,I 10 ,pc I'D
tentold as To taxation. After the Lusi
tania was sunk in May, 1915, the doctor
said, he wasn't able to move about at al
without being watched.
On May 10 of that year he was ordered
to Antwerp, where he was put through
IL course of questions and where the Ger
man authorities took great delight in re
minding him that he was a subject o
Great Britain, which fact he had pro
icssed from the first. Two soldiers came
June 3, 1915 and escorted Dr. Beand tC
Antwerp. The major told him that thosc
higher up had dccreed that the doctor
should be interned However, the ma jo
explained that there would he no rea
hardship to this as the doctor could liv,
in il hotel in Antwerp. HIS wife was al
lowed to accompany him there. DR.. BE
be living as an informed prisoner at thi
hotel, Germanys or his own. He was i'm
mediate!y informed that il would be a
his own expense In two days he wa
told that he would he taken to Berlin
DR.. Bcand asked il he could go back tt
say good.hy to his wife and get SOM
clothes, but he was told it WAS decree'
differently, and that he was not allowe'
to sec his wife DR. Bcand protested
about the guarantees he had been give
as to his immunity, but that got him moth
ingand their only answer was, 1T !
war." lie was hustled away at , o'clocI
in the afternoon after getting notification
during the forenoon, and was 81 hour
without any food until he reached tn
Berlin prison.
Dr. Beland says his stay in the Beri
prison taught him that the kaiser wa
as popular as the crown prince was III
popular, and that their word was wortl
less After being in Il year they told hi
that he was to be released, and all pref
arations were made, when finally he VIA
told that some one higher up said h
, must return.
| His prison term was not so bad at first
as he could buy food until March, lot
: Every confidence was shown that Gel
many was to he victorious, as the new
the prisoners received was doctored AN
the same was true of news given tn
= guards. They were always told that Gel
many would have the thing over With
three months.
! When the Germans were retreatng tn
explanation that they were evacuatng
! town or village that was of no militar
value and that they had succeeded
, quitting the territory without the Frenc
: getting any knowledge of it until ~ houl
later
There was one American in prison an
DIR. Beland was instrumental in eettin
' him ont by pointing out to the old phi
on doctor that the man was very i'll an
: il he died there it would make trouble
;" America. The man was an attache OF IL
- ambassadors staff and was taken prlsol