THE REFORMATION OF A HUN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 219, 10 June 1919, Page 5

THE REFORMATION OF A HUN

A member of the R.A.M.C., who recently returned to England from Germany gives the following account of his experiences there as a prisoner:— The first four days we wore in the camp we had a rotten time." The treatment was brutal, and the conditions of life in the camp were very bad. On the fifth morning I was walking out with a working party through a neighbouring village.- There were two little children playing together, and we saw a dog that was evidently mad rush at them. I put my coat over the dog's head, and my friend jumped on his ribs and killed him. We. did not think much more about tho matter, as the German guards did-not appear to notice what had happened. Ilowever, tho next morning wo were called up before a Bavarian major, tho commandant of tho prison. Ho questioned us closely about what had "happened, and we learnt from him that tho two children wero his. He asked us how we. were treated in the camp, and wo told him our grievAnces candidly. It appeared to open his cyes.sinco lie had been in tho habit of leaving the camp rather sevorely to itself. After that day lk»-catnc every morning to the camp before oight' o'clock, when the working parties left, and inspected the camp arrangements himself. Life then bcoame very much more bearablo to all of us, The commandant let us work at our own particular trades in the villages round, and wo woro paid tho full rates paid to German workmon, half of the ■ money coming to us and half being pooled for the camp canteen. _ Ho gave us two acres of ground to cultivate near tho camp, and this wo worked in our sparo time, growing our own vegetables.