THE HUN AT HIS WORST

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 15 June 1917, Page 3

THE HUN AT HIS WORST

MEN BROKEN AND KILLED BY THE" GERMANS. Some fresh details of the shocking treatment of Belgian deportees in Germany have been received by the Belgian Government. The report comes from a number cf men escaped from Germarv. After dctailnig how all men from 17 to 55 years or age m their village, except the few" who consented to work for the enemy in Germany, were taken off to a camp "at Muenster, the report proceeds : "Wo met in the camp a great number of deportees from Mons and the surrounding districts. They had arrived six weeks before, and were in a mast pitiful condition. Two of them died before our eves in one day. Strong men of 20 to 30 were absolutely worn out, and walked like old men, with bent backs and shuffling feet. They had undergone terrible experiences. Having refused'to work for the enemy, they had been taken to a punishment camp (straflager), where they had been compelled to work in the marshes during 42 days in the coldest weather with onlv their shirt and tronsers on, without fcod. during the whole day. " One day a patrol trained a machine gun on them, and, as they still refused to sign an engagement, they were fired at with blank cartridges! Another day soldiers threatened them with rifles and bayonets. We onlv met at Muenster part' of those who survived this treatment. • ■ • CHEATED OF THEIR WAGES. "_ There was in the camp a labor bureau, visited by all the employers of the surrounding towns. Some of us, unable to stand the regime of the camp any longer, and hoping to be able to, escape mo.e easily if we were not under immediate military supervision, consented to work in the Mannesmann munition factory at Ge.lsenkirchen. We were promised* a dailv salary of 7s to lis. out of which o. K 4d would be taken for our board and lodging. We were allowed to correspond with oiir relatives in Belgium and to receive parcels frorii them. We were promised leave after two months in order to go to Belgium, and to be definitely released "after four months. But after a few days' work we soon realised that none of these promises 'would be kept. Our cards to Belgium never reached their destination, and oar salary was not paid. They took 3s for our board, and after six weeks at Gelsenkirchen we were only given 7s 9d—one day's wage. We finally succeeded in reaching the frontier at the end of January last." '