HUN BRUTALITY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 218, 3 June 1918, Page 2

HUN BRUTALITY

ILL-TREATMENT OF ENGLISHWOMEN. II is very curious. Here sit on a sunny English holiday in the very English parlour of an English, cottage in a remote hook of tho peaceful Hampshire r-plands miles from anywhere discussing the latest phases of the Russian Devolution and life in Petrojrrad since I left, (■latcs Mr. Alexander Thompson till torecently Russian corriisrx-'nconl of tho "Daily Mail."

Miss Hayward, my companion, was soverness in the family of Princess Uabija and one of the last of tho British colony to leave Ku&sja. The party included member; of the French, Italian, Greek, and Portuguese Embassies. The iournoy began as miliar a jolly picnio in a train with merry inter-borrowing of spirit lamps, kettles, tea, biscuits, and sausage, as none had been ablo in tho depleted state of Petrograd provisions to secure more than si-raps and oddmonts!

The excitement began at Abo, in Pinlaud, where six prominent citizens had been found in the snow the previous ..uorninif murdered by lieu Guards. No one was allowed out after eight" o'clock, the streets extremely dangerous; liut the local iarinors and fishermen, PJOstly old sailors, nearly all spoko English, and wore cordially,hospitable. It nas a great relief to get away in, sleighs for tho three days' drive across the ice dividing the islands, b.ut the first night found' the party in Girman outposts, and thence to the time- ot embarkation in the Swedish flagship, three days later, Miss Hayward's story l? of continuous brutality, ill-treatment, ana openly displayed hatred. Women were made to sleep on the bare loor in tho outposts with German sol* t.iers sleeping in the same room, and not allowed to go out for any purpose '"ithont an escort of two troopers. When one woman protested thai they w<ire in n neutral country the Go; man lieutenant •replied in cutting tones: "Ko; hero you aro in Germany." Another complaint was answered with the retort: "You have got to learn 'DcuUchland ist iibqr Alles.'" All night soldiers and sailorfl walked in and out of the bedroom wtioro iho women slept ai the port of embarkation, and one bully, discovering that tho voiiien were hot all in the same house, threatened, with a drawn dirk, to tho intenso terror of the landlady, that if lie did not find the remainder all must turn out to 6eek them.

"I (old him dally that I would not," says Miss Hayward. "My" blood was up ■".gainst tho brute, and I would have let him kill me rather than obey." Yet 'he brutes, it appears, were very amenable to tips and pressing in commercial offers to sell big (bottles of brandy which !hey had hidden undor their coals.

Tlio most painful park of the story ia 'hat all mm under i>i, including "tho British Vice-Consul from Helsingfors, «ho had accompanied, the parly through FJiocr kindness, wcro captured by (he ijennaits and carried off in their transport lo Danzig, and thence to an internment camp. At first the women ivero taken with their husbands and kept in nn unspeakable filthy forecastle, where Ihey were fed on macaroni and stowed prunes from an iron pail, and only allowed on deck at fixed times under escort. T3ut eventually they wcie released and conveyed to the Swedish flagship after iiitiful scenes of parting. Of the situation in .Russia Miss Hayward'tolls weird tales of destruction far destruction's sake in big country houses —smashing of beautiful mirrors and. ' hopping of grand pianos into firewood. Ihe distress of formerly wealthy people w pathetic. Ofiicers who have been jcars at the front aro sweeping suo'w at live roubles (10s.) a month. Daughters n! aristocratic families srii .papers in the streets or stick bills.

Meantime cooks, housemaids, and women scarcely able to write their own names draw from 300 to 400 roubles (£1) U ,&10) a month as clerks m tho Minis, tries. Dust will get into the home in tho summertime, do what one may, and there is little use ono trying to copo with tho nuisance by using a duster. Get a "Daisy" Vacuum Cleaner, and your troublos will be reduced to a minimum The Daisy sucks up the dust, and the ' minutest particles cannot escape the suction hose. Tt is so Miiiole that a child of 8 or 9 years can operate it. Moderate iu price, too. Call and have a demonstration of their simplicity and efficiency at tho depot, 56 Lower' Cuba Street OSCAR U.EWETT AND CO.-Advt. •Wedding Announcements. — Beautiful roses and the choicest of flowers only are used when designing wedding bouquets which I mako a specialty of. Packed and forwarded through tho Dominion Miss Murray, Vico-Eegal Florißt, 3d Wil. lis Street,—Adrt,

Brave W.A.A.C.'s. Tho behaviour of members of the ft omen's Army Auxiliary Crops during the late heavy fighting in iWe is stated on official authority to have been excellent - (says the "Daily News") Olio party who had been employed at an Army school within the area of operations were offered transport to convey them to a safer locality further back. I hey. however, refused to avail themselves of it on tho ground that it would probably be wanted for something more important, end they marched 15 miles back to tho placo to which they had teen ordered. Before leaving, and after all the students at the school had gone, they remained tlicro in a dangerous position feeding relays of tired and hungry officers and men; and assisting in every ■way possible before they were compelled to leave tho place. All reports show, according to a 'War Oflico statement, .that during the crisis tho W.A.A.C. havo more" than justified their existence, and hiivc well maintained the credit; of their sex and of tho Army tv which Uioy belong.