PRISON CAMP TORTURE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 14, 11 October 1917, Page 9

PRISON CAMP TORTURE

, —« —. ATHLETE'S GRIM! STOKY. Georges Andre, the celebrated French athlete, who was taken prisoner shortly after the outbreak of war, has escaped from Germany. , Ho contributes to the "Journal" an account of his captivity. "During nearly three years," ho eaid, "1! was taken from ono prisoners* camp to another. All the' camps are aMlce, consisting of hutments, with tarred roofs, erected on sandy soil. Each camp is divided into sections . b.v barbed wire. They aro so depressing- that long detention produces a peculiar mental disorder termed 'barbed wire- psychosis/ "These vast camps ran accommodate 10,000 men, but not infrequently 00,000 aro crowded into them. Work is compulsory, except for non-coms., who are, however, harried till they prefer work to camp routine. • ■; 'iFood is very scarce, and the prisoners would .perish of 'hunger if they did not receive biscuits from the French Govern-. incnt and parcels from their families or from prisoners' relief committees. From the Huns the prisoners receive only boiled herbs, with a scrap of lnargerinc «nd occasionally a little barley, with a email ration of uneatable black pudding.' "I was astonished," continues Andre, "to hear everybody comnlain of the present bread when I readied Prance. It is cake compared with KK bread. "Whon si prisoner arrives inaeamp ho is immediately assigned (o any worK required, irrespective of personal attainments, and'nitty bu employed'in minos, arms, or factories. Tho kommandos, or workmen's quarters, are worse than tho camps. "Tho harshest methods are employed to make the" men work, Uio least, harsh being tlic deprivation of food, in some factories prisoners unwilling lo work for the Huns are placed in hot rooms until they submit. • Blows with Dip flat s,'di; of sabres or bayonets are too frequent to merit attention. "1 ha.vo soon tho burns of a. man compelled to remain at attention-bolwcon two flowing masses of metal. The least movement brought'him'into contact with the burning iron. He heroically refnsed to work against Prance, and finally fell inanimate. - • ■ "Naturally tho prisoners' health suffers. Tuberculosis is making ravages. There is little or no medicine. High temperature alone, is -regarded as proof of illness. Tho Huns require workers, not invalids. 'Nevertheless, the spirit of tho prisoners remains excellent, though none, of them expects thowar to end witliin another eighteen months, and even then only on condition thill Prance remains united anil aecepls restrictions as tho enemy does. . ' . "The prisoners' worst fate is to be sent to reprisal camps in Poland or cm tho fighting line. There, he is exposed to death from starvation or shells. 1 know somethinjr about this from personal experience."