The New York herald., 1921-08-07

COPYRIGHT, 1921, by THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Paris, Aug. 8.
Chained amidships as in the days of
buccaneering pirateers. and recalling
five life termers left st. Martin De Re
this week for the French penal colony.
This is the second voyage of a German
cruiser now known as the Duela, and
again calls unpleasant attention. TO
the fact that France still maintains
the medieval system Of handling her
convicts.
Instead of being inspired to reap
some benefit from their punishment
they are subjected to the severest
treatment imaginable with the daily
routine so hard that the average vic
tim willingly would risk death to
escape 1t. For all this the French
public has to pay heavily.
During the voyage the unwilling pas
sengers are crowded with clanking
chains into the narrow middle deck,
with fifty guards standing over them
with loaded rifles ready to quell insur-
rection. Hands along the left side are
left unbound, but the slightest disturb
under the deck, where breadless soup is
meted out as punishment for the rest
OF the trip to Guinea.
Punishment Is Heartbreal<ing.
The Duela's next voyage will be to
Algeria, where murderers, thieves and
traitors undergo heartbreaking punish
ment until they are willing to promise
obedience to their superiors. Then If
they are considered Trustworthy, they
are farmed out to farmers who are
making the French colonies a profitable
investment
The departure of the contingent this
week was marked by unusual scenes,
the mothers of several OF the deportees
not attempting to hide their shame as
they knelt on the pier with outspread
arms crying farew ell to those who were
lost to view to them forever
The majority Of the prisoners were
too hardened to show sorrow. but per-
haps dozen who still had the light Of
youth in their eyes, as they were taking
up their burden of heavy sacks, turned
Tor q final glance at their native land.
only to be prodded by the bayonets of
the guards for not hurrying aboard.
twenty-five murderers. whose death
sentence had been commuted by Presi-
dents Millerand and Poincare, were in
the group. They represented the very
dregs OF society. snarling at the mission
aries who went aboard to administer
parting admonitions.
zoo Foreigners Aboard shin.
According to the official statistics.
more than 200 foreigners left on the
ship, mostly Asiatics and Africans. who
tried to betray France during the war,
but the chief in this category was a Bar
aelona lawyer. Ramos. who confessed he
had been in the Kaisers pay until he
was arrested at Marseilles in 1917.
Four Bonnet Rouge conspirators con-
victed of reasonable practices during
.he war. Landru. Goldslky, Marion and
Joucla, were taken I'll at the last minute
and win not go to French Guinea until
next November. It is estimated that the
voyage will last twelve days and will
cost the Government 1000 francs per
@onvict, without counting maintenance OF
the personnel, whose food is OF the best
quality.
1t is certain that the appetites OF the
men in the chain gang will be whetted.
for. although with customary consider
alton the military details are each pro-
Sided with a quart of red wine daily,
Ehe fare of the prisoners does not con-
9atn anything better than dried Goldfish
and occasionally a small portion OF beef
Gf