IRISH PRISONER’S LOYALTY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1535, 13 April 1916, Page 4

IRISH PRISONER’S LOYALTY.

It has been rumoured that the Germans have been attempting to suborn Irish prisoners of war and induce them to join a GermanIrish brigade. This, and the failure of the attempt, are confirmed by prisoners who have been sent back to England from Germany because cf permanent physical disablement. The Germans asked one Irishman to “strike a blow for old Ireland,” and recalled many past Irish grievances. His reply was that this had nothing to d<3 with things as they were to-day, that he had taken an oath to serve his King and country, and that he would rather die than break it. The Germans removed their sergeants from them in order, the Irishmen thought, the more easily to influence them. They also produced about 50 traitors, not all of them Irishmen, and that was all they could muster out of about 2,000. A man who had been at Gostrow, Mecklenburg, said that prisoners were occasionally struck with bayonets. One man was pierced in the stomach and one in the lung. Both belonged to the King’s Royal Rifles. The one who was struck in the stomach was smoking, contrary to orders ; he was struck at 10 p.m., and died next morning. Others spoke of British prisoners being forced to work in coal mines and quarries, from which they returned exhausted after months of labour. A working party was sent to North Germany, and on arrival found that they were expected to construct Zeppelin sheds. They refused, and eight men were consequently sentenced to twelve months imprisonment with hard labour.