OUR BOMBERS NEAR COLCGNE.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1918, Page 1

OUR BOMBERS NEAR COLCGNE.

GERMAN SQUEALS

The Hague, March 24 A neutral who retunned to Holland to-day after a visit to Germany makes the following report:—

“During my stay in Germany, which ended this morning, tvvo things have struck me most—namely, an Allied air raid which I witnessed while at Mullieim, opposite Cologne, on Tuesday hast, and the condition of the Russian prisoners. iThe first was the most striking possible illustration of the moral effect of Allied air reprisals, and the second was a violent lesson to anybody who might think of entrusting himself, liis country, or his countrymen to the tender mercies of the Huns.

“ I was in the neighbourhood of a certain big war works at Mullieim last Tuesday at ten minutes past noon. Suddenly all the ' factory whistles started blowing, sirens booted, and in a few seconds there was a great rush of women from the works ‘ Ach, lieber Gott! Es sind Bomben!’ (Good Heavens! It’s bombs !)they shouted, and promptly scattered in a panic in all directions, bolting like rabbits for bomb-proof shelters.

“ Passing tramway-cars stopped instantly as if the current were cut off, and the conductors bolted iuto houses. A few people remained just outside the shelters gazing up into the skv,»which was quite clear. Four or five aeroplanes were visible, and presently somebody exclaimed, ‘ They are American.’ [They were British.] One woman began: "to sol), and another screamed aloud, ‘ The Americans are coming !’ “A Dutchman, who, I suppose, was employed at the. works near which I was standing, called out, ‘There, now what did I tell you? I told you the Americans would come sooner or later.’ The four aex'oplaues which T saw did not come directly overhead but circled round and finally flew upstream. They dropped their bombs later upon Coblenz. The ‘ All clear ’ was not sounded until 4 p.m., when the people returned to work. .FIFTY KILLED. “ Next morning the papers asserted that only 4 or 5 people had been killed at Coblenz. This statement is untrue, for although I failed to get to Coblenz, to see the extent of the damage I have excellent authority for stating that great damage was done, many tires were started, and about 50 people killed. “The panic among the women was extreme, and the effect lasted long afterwards. Even when the aeroplanes had disappeared and a few bold spirits began to leave the shelters, others shouted to them to come back and obviously regarded them as crazy. “ Secondly, I was able to investigate directly -the treatment of Russians in big Rhenish works. They leceive less and less food ; they are weakened and exhausted by infamous and inhuman treatment, and when they break down under the combined effects they are mercilessly spurred on again by German-guards. I saw one Russian, so weak that he could scarcely walk, carrying a barrel of cement weighing abont a cwt. on his neck. He collapsed under the weight, and a German sentry at once began to nse the filthiest language towards him. 4 Voraus ! Schweiuliund ! Durchlaufen ! ’ were, as far as I could hear, tlie sentry’s last injunctions. [‘ Get on. you swine ! Double, will you ! ] • 4 The Russians are not allowed to leave camp or barracks even on feundav, and are liei’ded like cattle. On one occasion the question was asked why these Russians are not being sent back to tlieir country, and the reply was, 1 None of them will be sent back until the last German has got home from Russia, and chat will lake at least a year.’ I heaid the same statement regarding the Russian prisoners being retained elsewhei’e, and came to the conclusion that Germany intends holding them back as long as possible because they are cheap labour and need not be even humanly fed. It they die. there is nobody and no Government any longer to make a fuss.”