HUN PRISONERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 281, 16 August 1918, Page 5

HUN PRISONERS

GLIMPSE OF A WAR "BAG." They oame down the road under escort, slopping stiffly through the moistened dus.t that would have been mud with another'ten minutes' rain. They ■wore the first captures of the day, for every day brings a batch of German pickets who Jiave ventured too far from their trenches. : .They halted near us and were marched after a few minutes, into one of the waiting rooms of the little wayside railway station. Ten minutes later wo entered to see them, and they all rose when they saw the three stars on the shoulder strap of the. doctor. In the, strong summer light which' flooded through tho open door we saw their livid faces, drawn lips, and,anxious eyes. In one corner ot the room a fair-haired youth was holding a cup of coffee in his hand, and. his arm trembled ,so much that he was spilling tho contents, drop by drop, ou hW clothes. Another, pale and ragged, seemed to bo muttering a prayer. "Whero do you come from?" .sked the medical officer. A bearded sorgeant stepped forward and saluted. "Dresden . . sir. saxons." "Havo you all you nood?" The sergeant made a gesture of indifference, indicating that tliqir case was po desperate that nothing mattered. Tho fair-haired youth put down his coffee cup and lurched forward, making signs that ho wanted to make a request. "I should liko to write my inother before I die," ho said in German. That was their fixed idea. They believed that they were to'be shot at ones. When they received their eolfeo tho only thing thoy askod was always: • "Kaputf" (Are we to do done in"?) They had roared "Kaput!" (Done fori Dono in!) all the way along' Northern France in a diiferent tone' in order to torrorise tho inhabitants of iho villages when they entered. • The medical ollicer laughed, and addressing tho group told them that prisoners were not killed. They would bo taken farther down tho lino. ".Have you anything to complain of so far?" "No, not so far," answered tho sergeant, "but —" It was impossible to Rot tho idea of "Kaput" out of thedr heads. Their officers had assured them that the British shot all their prisoners, therefore it was better to die lighting. .They dared not, doubt the word of their officers. In their eyes one could, seo the monstrous arroganco of their race as they said the Germans did not shoot their prisoners. "Our ndvanco regimonts are in Paris," said tho sergeant. "Our officers told us 60." Tho medical officer laughed again. "I givo you my word of honour that your advance regiments aTO not in Paris," he said. "Sir," was the reply, "tho English have no honour." The medical officer stiffened, then sighed and waved to the escort. As the prisoners marched away 'tho medical officer looked after them. • "They are all tho same under tho skin," he murmured. "Just Huns!"— ' B.M. in tho "Daily Mail."

Fivo o'clock tea has beon abolished in | Holland. The Government has prohibit- | ed the scrying of tea in cafe=, restaur- j ants, tearooms, hotels, and similar places, j This action was taken becnueo stocks of j tea wcro disappearing fast and imports j aio at <i complete cessation. "Invalids' special ration cards" a.re_ to ! lie issued in England io people eiiflerinjf from diabetes and tuberculosis, sivinj: each 211b. of butchers' meat and lib/of [ bacon or other meat per week. Diabetes | pationts will get also ljlb. of mnrgarino or butter, and tuberculosis pationts lib. per week. *