PROM PRISON IN GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 109, 25 January 1918, Page 8

PROM PRISON IN GERMANY

REPATRIATED AUSTRALIANS TELL THEIR STORY " COLD, BARREN, HUNGRY COUNTRY" (Sydney "Sun" Special.) London, January 11. "A cold, barren, hungry country, 1 ' such is the repatriated Australians' view of Germany. They are convinced that the militarists are doomed, having spent long periods in various parts moving from camp to camp. They unanimously say that the revolutionnry gospel is spreading, and discontent is becoming bold. "The German soldiers say "that they will settle the Kaiser when the war is over and <:isoipline lifted," said a Victorian vlui had been repatriated because he had lost the use of his leg. "Their authorities are now persecuting all revolutionaries, preventing the Bolshevik news getting to the Russian prisoners, and generally suppressing propaganda. No wonder they have informed the Allies of their intention to shoot aviators spreading President ilson's speecli behind the lines, pretending to regard them as spies. Tliev fear nothing more than propaganda." The repatriated men agree that the German soldiers only continued # tlie "',ar because of the ingrained belief tint they must fisht in order to save the country, from" "English aggression.' 1 Best-Fed Pesple in Cennany.

Most of the Australians speak of their experiences without much bitterness. The prison ration is inadequate in quantity and of unspeakably bad quality, consequently Russians md others who are solely dependent upon it die like sheep in drought-time. The Australian Red' Cross keens the Australians wonderfully supplied, parcels of the finest quality of food arri.-mg regularly. "The British prisoners are the bestfed people in Germany," said SergeantMajor Parncutt, a 6ft. West Australian. "The Gorman civilians seem to linve plenty of money, but food cannot be bought. We were .always legged to sell our leavings, but the Australians refused, though others mado a regular practice of selling their German rations. We preferred to help the unfortunate Russians, who waited outside our quarters, eagerly accepting our Boche bread and miserable, watery

soup." "As a result," said Private llae, of the 48th Battalion, "every Australian has a couple of batmen (servants). They wait on us hand and foot, pinching firewood for us and doing any odd job for food. There seeni to be two classes of Russians— mie pretty decent, and the others poor, spiritless, uneducated fellows, of whom it would take 300 to fight one British soldier." The prisoners long intensely for home news. No papers arc allowed in the camp. News is mostly gained from the new prisoners, who have to ransack their memories for everv morsel of information." _ Sometimes a decent prison officer is met. Once a group of Australians was excitedly interrupted by an officer who read to them the account of the Italian disaster. He later returned and said, "I acted like a cad," and apologised

The Best Laid Sciiemes 1 Every prisoner is buoyed up by the hope of escape. Some Australians completed a remarkable tunnel eighty yards bug, lit by electricity obtained by tapping the camp wires, and ventilated by forced draught by the piecing together of old food tins. The Germans discovered it *t the crucial momo at. Privates A. 0. Barry, of 29th Battaliol (Northcoto, Melbourne), and R. E. Membrey, 21st Battalion, state that a Melbourne, footballer named Morrissoy was brutally treated. l The Australians like working on the oommando system. They are better treated, and tile discipline is relaxed while on farm work. Morrissey went to a farm and returned. Ho wanted a bath, and protested vigorously, when he was locked in' a cubicle without a chance of washing the farm mud off his clothing. The camp commandant charged him vith the intention of escaping by way of the window, and had him harshly beaten. He carried the marks on his back fur many days.