GERMAN BRUTALITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1728, 21 June 1917, Page 3

GERMAN BRUTALITY.

SHOCKING TREATMENT OF SLAVES. The Belgian Government has reeeived some fresh news concerning the treatment of Belgian deportees in Germany. The reports are supplied by a number of men who escaped from Germany, and who have made the folloAving declaration to the Belgian authorities: — “All the men of our village from 17 to 55 years of age Avere ordered, at the sound of the drum, to appear on 15th December, 1010, before (he local military control at Florenville (Belgian Luxembourg). They were told to lake a light pack with them, 20 marks of money, and enough food for 24 hours. Those who did not come Avould he seized liA* force. i\liont,2oo of us gathered at Fiorenvillc on the appointed day. The selection Avas made Avithout any regard Avhatever to age, trade, profession, physical strength, or social class. We Avere at once urged to sign an engagement. As avc all refused avo Avere led to tlie station between two rows of soldiers and Uhlan.--. The crowd —mostly women and children —was ruthlessly pushed hack', and avo had not even Ihe comfort of seeing our Aviyes and children before avc left. “From Fiorenvillc In Mneiisler (Germany) the journey lasted 28 hours. By then some other deportees had got into our (rain, so that avo Avere nearly 500 Avhon avc arrived. They left us for an hour standing on the platform at Muensler, where the crowd mocked,us and insulted us; (hen they marched ns between soldiers to the camp of Mucnster Lager, where avc arrived, at 8 O’clock at night. They then gave us rations of rutabaga soup and some blankets. (The rutabaga is a kind of beetroot, only used for ('attic food before (lie Avar, and Avliieh has to a great extent replaced the potato in Belgium). At Muensler Lager the deportees got a cap of coffee in the morning, a ration of rutabaga soup at midday, and in the evening a piece of had bread and some more soup.

“We mot in the caiiqi a great number of deportees from Moils and Ihe surrounding district. They had arrived six weeks before, and were in a most pitiful condition. Two of them died before our eyes in one day. Strong men were absolutely Avoru out, and Avalked like old men Avilh bent hacks and shuffling feet. They had undergone terrible experiences. Having refused to Avork for the enemy, they had been taken to a punishment camp (straHager), Avhere they had been compelled to Avork in the marshes during 42 day's in tht‘ coldest Avealhcr, with only their shirts and trousers on, without food during I lit' Avlmle day. (hie day a patrol trained a machine-gun on (hem, and, as they still refused to sign an engagement, they were bred at with blank cartridges. Another day soldiers threatened them with rilles and bayonets. We only met at Mneiisler part of I host 1 who survived this treatment. The same story was told us by ail those who had been to the ‘siraHager,' so that we can guarantee its authenticity.

‘'There wns in Mu* camp a labour iiuiviiu visited hy all the employers oT the surrounding' towns. Some of us, analile to stand the regime of I lie camp any longer, and hoping jo lie aiile to escape more easily if we Were not under immediate military mipervision, consimted to work in the Mannesman munition factory at < Iclsenyireiicn. We were promised a dally salary of S to 12 marks, out of which 2.d() marks would he taken for mu - board and lodging. We were allowed to corresepond with our relatives in Melgium and to receive parcels from them. We wei;e promised leave after two months in order to go to Melgium, and to lie definitely released after four months. I’ul after a few days' work we soon realised that none of these promises would lie kept. (Inr cards to Belgium never readied their destination, and our salary was not paid. They took 3.25 marks for our hoard, and after six weeks af Gelsenkirchen we were only given 8.50 marks, one day’s wage. We finally succeeded in escaping hy reaching the Dutch frontier at the end of January last.”