GERMANY AS IT IS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 101, 23 January 1920, Page 10

GERMANY AS IT IS

LAMENT OF A DEPORTEE. Colonel Sands, formerly commanding tho camp at Jloldsworthy for the reception of Germans, has received several letters lately from men interned and 6ince deported to their Jtonte land, says tho Sydney "Sun."

One, noted for his good conduct nnd fair dealing, states, under da to November 20, -1919:—

"Since a t'ow weeks I am back again I in Germany, . and bniiij; a free, person once more, I consider it to lie my duly to express my sincere thanks to jou, sir, for the kind and just way in which you have always treated mo whilst you were cmmnnndnnl: of tho Ocrnian_ concentration camps of Australia. Unfortunately, the home-coming was different from that which we had hoped for. flail I known tho conditions piyyivli''!.' here at present I would have tried hard to havo stayed in Australia, and 1 would willingly go hack there, to-day if I wero allowed to do so. The prices for foodstuffs over hero are from 1 four to ten times more than those before (he war, anil a great many articles are not even procure bio at; that. Clothes, suits, shoes, etc., have all gon* up from _10 to 1j times. Wo find it absolutely impossible to make both ends meet. Apart from that, we are now forced to pay very heavy tuxes. Our national debt before tho war was 50(1,000,0(10 marks; 10-day it is 200,00(1,0110,000 marks, and that does not; include tho amounts we have to tuiy according to tho Treaty of Versailles. .During the last. M days wo ltavo luid a complete stoppage of our train service on account of trio desperate coal shortage. As this war has taken from us our nieraintilo marine, and wo have only left a few small ships, I have to change my occupation, and I am at present atlemling lectures at the University at Cologne, with a view to taking a Government position later on. In conclusion, I have to again thank you, sir, for everything you have done for me, and I would he vcrv glad if .1 could be of any service to yoii. IVrhaps, if you should decide to take a trip to Germany some day, I should be pleased lo do anything for Anollicr ex-prisonor, imprisoned b) Colonel Sands for various criminal offences in tlio camp, wrote under date November 10, 15119: , „ "We. havo not forgotten. Ho shall get you somq day, I'ou —'