In German Prison Camps.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 10 November 1917, Page 1

In German Prison Camps.

HOW A NEW SPIRIT WAS BBOUGHT IN. "Wliat has come over this camp?" was the question of an astonished camp officcr. Captains had told him that discipline had become easier. Irritations on both sides wore passing away. The major-general said to the captain who was noting the new spirit permeating the camp: "Here's the man who is responsible for the transformation." Olandtis and his "International Committee," made up of scores and hundreds of men of all nationalities, had The instruments furnished brought worked that result on the "programme of friendship." homes and anxious friends telling that their sons who had been given up for dead for months wer« safe. Claus Olandtis, an American Y.M.C.A. secretary, who up to January last served 14 prison camps in Germany with from 5000 to 52,000 men in each. Thanks to his organisation, thousands of letters have found their way to music and its hope and cheer to theso music-loving peoples, and most appreciative were the hymns of the church sung in vast volume and with the outgoing aspirations of the heart for God. Cynical, scoffing men got under Olandt's sway. Men thronged to his j gospel meetings. Among them was a j despondent French distiller on the verge of suicide. A Gospel of St. John was given him and his attention pointed to the third chapter. This opened a vista into a new life, led to victory and gave him heart and hope. In camp and afterwards in a prison camp in Switzreland, ho became a preacher of force. Men in the camps, instead of "doing one another," began to do for one another, and organise for the doing of it, so that the Christian message was interpreted by kindliness, and cursing and bitterness became less. This was especially marked in the soldiers recruited from illiterate and coarser labourers and business men. Through arrangements made by the Association, packages were secured for the many friendless prisoners, handled by the Germans free of charge. These prisoners shared with the poor men, because of this "new spirit" injected. A call came from Olandtis to visit a young Scot in a prisoners' hospital. His greeting was: "I am a very sick man; I have given away all I've got in food, clothes and the presents that have como to mo. There is the poor dying Kussian, I have helped him; and the Pole in the next bed and some of those in the next ward. I have done what I could to help the other men in trouble. Jfow is there any more I can do? I want to be redeemed." Olandtis gave him the same words Moody or Drurnmonl might have given: "You can't buy it; you can't pay for it; it's a gift. "Will you take it?" And ho said: "I will." And he did.

His was a long three months' sickness, but he fought his way back to health, his open lung wound recovered through the good food cooked and brought at ©landtis' suggestion, by a German professor's wife whose brother had died at the west front. This young Scot, too, is now preaching by word, and works a real Christianity— the gift of grace —in another prison camp in Switzerland. The death occurred at Napier on Friday <5f Mr J. 11. Sheath, chairman of the Hawke's Bay Education Board., formerly postmaster at Napier, Westport and Hokitika. He was a wellknown bowler, and took a keen interest in public affairs. He was 69 years of ago. Among those figuring in the last list of war decorations is Lieutenant D. F. Duigan, youngest, son of Mrs James Duigan, of Gonville, Wanganui. He went to the front with the 9th Eeinforcemcnts in January, 191 G. Particulars of the action he was decorated for arc not to hand, but that he has done good work is shown by the fact that he has been awarded the Military Cross, thus adding to his family's record, as it will be remembered that his brother, Major J. E. Duigan won the D.S.O. a few months back. Lieutenant Duigan was wounded in the head last July, and mentioned in despatches. According to the Tiinaru "Herald," an appellant before the Military Service Board asked that he be allowed freedom from going into camp until ho had seen tho last episode of "The Iron Claw"! Timber prices are going up by leaps and bounds, according to the chairman of the Wanganui Harbour Board. At the last meeting he said the Australian market was almost bare, and no Oregon pine was coming from America. Mills on the Main Trunk lino had been inundatod with orders, with the result that Wanganui supplies had been affected. Australian firms were sending representatives to New Zealand to buy up all the timber available.

Owing to the shortage of tonnage for petrol the Government has propounded a scheme for economy in home transport (says a London cable of 21st inst. appearing in the Australian papers). A Eoad Transport Board is to be formed. Butchers, bakers, and grocers -will be compelled to use the same vans, and tradesmen will be restricted to appointed areas, exchanging customers with others in order to prevent overlapping of deliveries. Pleasure motoring will be made punishable. A notable feature of the T.M.C.A. war work is the extraordinary variety of people who have united in using the Association as a channel of service to the soldiers. No one Would have dreamed that the forces that have thus found their opportunity of service could have been brought together on any possible basis. Who could have thought that Forbes-Robertson and liis wife (nee Maxine Elliot), Harry Lauder, and Lena Ashwell would have come to the platform of the Association huts for weeks of entertainment, or that the Bishop of London, of Chelmsford, and Oxford, Father Crainpton, and Jewish Eabbis, Gypsy Smith, and Campbell Morgan would luive joined in holding their services for men in British Association liuts? Who would have dreamed of Queen Mary, or the Duchess of Westminster, the Countess of Bessborough, and the Prince of Wales serving tea and buns, cutting bread and even washing dishes there?

Corpl. J. J. Davison, writing to a friend in Otaki, states at the time of writing he was again out of the lines, after a very rough term. The weather had been much against them and mud was everywhere. As showing the state of the ground, the "Mail" quotes the following paragraph from the letter: — "On one occasion wlicn coming out of the lines I got stuck waist-deep in the mud. I was wearing a pair of tliighliigh gum boots at the time, but they

were well out of sight. I tried hard to get out, but it was an impossible task. It was not till ten minutes later that I was rescued by two stretcher-bearers. They pulled me out, but left the boots behind. I can assure yon it was a very uncomfortable position to be in, especially as Fritz was shelling at the time. I don't think I had the 'wind-up,' but I do know that I was a bead of\ -perspiration on striking terra firma. This state of things is accounted for by the fact that we arc advancing and consolidating on new ground all the time — we seldom remain long enough in the same place to prepare elaborate trenches. However, it is not all waistdeep in mud; we do strike a dry spot occasionally, and things are improving,"