The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-02-15

l came to.
[Gunner Depew's interview with Mr..
Gerard took place at the Dulmen prison
camp on or about February 1, 1917. On
February g. our state department demand
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 TO- 1t
was not until March 9, 1917 however, that
Gunner Depew was actually released from
neutrality-suspicious. Motel
do not know what happened during
the next few days.
But week or so later the Spanish
ambassador and four German officers
and Swatts came to our barracks and
the ambassador told me I would be
released 1t was all I could do to
keep from fainting again. Then Swatts
asked me in English if I had anything
to say about the treatment in the
camp, and / began to think maybe
it was frame-up of some kind, so all
said was, when will I get out of
here?" and he said, "Why, you will be
released tomorrow"
did not wait to hear any more, but
rushed into the barracks again, singing
and whistling and yelling as loud as
could. The boys told me my face was
very red and I guess what little blood
/ had In my body had rushed to my
head, because l could hardly walk for
a few minutes.
Then the men began to think was
crazy. and none of them believed |
would really be released, but that I
was going to be sent to the mines, as
so many were. But believed it, and
l 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.
l did not sleep that night-just
walked from barracks to barracks I'M
till they chased me away, and then
walked up and down in my own bar
racks the rest of the night. When I
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
| 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 | should get
away.
They were all talking at once, and
one of the doctors got very excited and
got down on his knees with his hands
in the air. ALBERT" he said, eff 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 if
they did not get out, perhaps their but
ton or belt or skull cap would get back
to civilization.
When ] left their barracks I began
to cry, because it did not seem pos
slble that / was going away, and al
ready could see them starving slow
ly, just as had been starving.
The next morning a sentry came to
my barracks, called out my name and
took me to the commander of the
camp. They searched me, and then
drilled me back to barracks again.
Then the men all thought they were
just playing a joke on me, and they
said so.
The same thing happened the next
day, and when one of the men said
that probably would be slammed up
against wall and shot, began to feel
shaky, | can tell you.
But the third morning, after they
had searched me, the commander said,
well, you'll have to have bath be-
fore you leave the country" and l
was so glad that did not mind about
the bath, although ! remembered the
last one | had, and it did not agree
very well with me- After the bath,
they drilled me out into the road.
There were four sentries with me,
but not SWatts, nor did l see him
anywhere around, for which was sor-
ry. But all the boys came down to
the bGrbed wire, or to the gate, and
some were crying, and others were
cheering, and all of them were very
much excited. But after a minute or
two they got together again and the
last thing / heard was the song about
packing up your old kit bag, and then,
'Are we downhearted ?-~Nop They
were certainly game lads.
They did not take me straight to
the station, but took me through all
the streets they could find, and as u.s.
ual, the women were there with the
bricks and spit. But I did not mind
[ was used to it, and besides, lit was
thD last time. SO / just grinned at
them, and thought that I was better
off than they, because they had to stay
in the hole called Germany,