THE BRUTAL HUN.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1918, Page 3

THE BRUTAL HUN.

SH OCR TNG TREATMENT,

OF ALLIED PRISONERS

great indignation expressed

f AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION]

PARIS, Nov. 20

Further details oi the horrible sufferings of British arid other prisoners released in Germany under the armistice have caused widespread indignation.- They show the men, treated out of camps were practically foodless and were forced to tramp the desolated country in the bitterest of weathci. Eew had coats, and the soles were dropping from their boots. A number died on the roadside.

(Reuter’s Telegram.)

LON HON, Nov. 20,

The sufferings of released British prisoners has caused a sensation in Britain. The camps arc compared with the “Black Hole of Calcutta” and other historical barbarities.

The papers suggest that prominent Germans ho demanded as hostages for the better treatment, and the names of the commandants of the prison camps peremptorily demanded. The “Daily News” says if such crimes continue the armistice will he gravely imperilled, as civilised States cannot tolerate savages on tiler bord-

BRITISH PAPERS PROTEST.

fAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION']

LONDON, Nov. 20,

'flic newspapers make angry protests at the enemy barbarity, which is now increasing.

BRITISH PRISONERS CONDITION.

LONDON, Nov. 20,

Correspondents continue to give pitiful accounts of the British prisoners who are now arriving at Nancy. They are all in a lamentable condition. Their faces are pinched and their tunics are held together with string. Some were wearing horse cloths and women’s garments, and all are terribly hungry. They have been treated like slaves.

Several hundred of them were lost in the woods at Chateau Salins and French soldiers, on searching discovered 300 dying of hunger and from plaguo.

BRITISH PROTEST

OF TREATMENT BY GERMANS

fAUSTRALIAN it N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION]

(Received this day at 0.25 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 20.

In the Commons, Hon. A. Bonar Law stated Genera lHaig had wirelessed the German headquarters stating information had reached the British Government of the shocking lack of organisation in connection with the release of prisoners who wore rotunffiig on foot, miserably clothed, foodless, and without escorts or guides, resulting in lamentable sufferings and mortality. The Government cannot tolerate a continuance of this cruel treatment and insist on adequate arrangements by the Germon authorities, with whom the full responsiblities lie, otherwise we >vill he compelled to take* this into account in the revictualling of Germany or satisfying the requirements of the German population, , The Government and General Haig are ready to forward food clothing and transport to the prisoners camps. Our Allies are being asked to co-operate.

AWFUL TREATMENT

A. CALL FOR REPRISALS

[ 1 •RKUTKIi’s” TKIiKG RA M. ]

(Received This Day at 10.35. a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 20.

Tlie Doctors are furious with anger in describing the horrible marks of Gorman brutaliteis on some of the returned war prisoners, but the majority show liardv resistance, and are recuperating rapidly. All agree that only Ule gilts of food received at the prison camps from London, prevented their uttei starvation. 1 . There were 350 Russians in one camp receiving no such liclp, and all died. RELEASED PRISONERS. [“RBUTER’s” IELKURAU.] (Received This Day at 10.35. a.m.) • LONDON, Nov. '2O. Hundreds of prisoners of war ol' .'ill Allied Nationalities are streaming over the Dutch frontier.

THE WAR WITH TURKEY.

OUR KUT PRISONERS

awful treatment by turns

rAustralian & n.z. carle association]

(Received This Day at 0.35 a.m.) j LONDON, Nov. 21. i A White Paper has been issued mak- j ing appalling revelations of the. treat- . mem of I'ritsh prisoners in Turkey. ; Some officers were treated with almost theatrical politeness, but most ot the men were tormented like beasts. I“ e greatest part of the sufferings were c.ue. however, to Turkish Three hundred lvut prisoners were dead a week after the surrender. '1 he .1 urks had neither the will or the power to save the lives of the Kut prisoners. Out of 19,853 prisoners in Turkey, 3,2.10 aic already reported dead and 2,222 are untraced, and have doubtless pt’iis ied, most being of the Kut force, who died during the 500 miles journey across me Syrian desert. ' in consequence of an urgent message to the Turkish Commander, the !>i Irish Medical Staff was allowed to go to Samara. " The medicals picked up hundreds of Kut prisoners lying on me roadside suffering from the miseries ot dysentry. and starvation. .Many "ere beyond help and others dead, lay unburied, and stripped stark by Arab \i - lagers. The last stage ot the mate i over mountains was the worst ot a . The survivors were immediately taken to Taurus-Adana to finish the tunnel blasting operations for the Taurus rni - way The prisoners were so weakened by‘privation that even the 1 url | s unable to make them do useful aoiL, therefore they were sent to camps m a e nt 1916, in the interior of Asia -Uin or. They had to march over the Lauras Mountain's and were driven jv j i mos with rifle butts. Many (hopped I dead hut the main body was somehow j beaten and driven across the | range. The survivors finally weie tnk ! en to Arion internment camp, where ' flogging was habitual. Turkish naval officers ruled with cowhide whips the i prisoners being lashed on their mrei hacks.