IN GERMANY.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 August 1918, Page 5

IN GERMANY.

FOOD SHORTAGE INCREASING VISITORS WARNED TO 'LEAVE Received 8.50 a.ra. AMSTERDAM, Aug. IS Salzburg Las been placarded with, a warning from the middle classes requesting all visitors to leave immediately, otherwise they will be forced out, because there is not sufficient food. The placardcrs state their families have been without fat, butter, meat and eggs for weeks, and without bread for six days. MUTINY OF BAVARIAN TROOPS Received 8.50 a.m. AMSTERDAM, Aug. 18 Riots are reported among the Brussels garrison, especially among the Bavarians, who refused to proceed to the front. The officers supported the refusal. Prussians were called in and restored order after seven Bavarians had been shot and fifteen wounded. BRITISH PRISONERS TORTURED. LONDON, August 17.

Details have been officially published of gross outrages, ana perhaps unparalleled fiendish cruelty upon British prisoners and Avounded men in March last. The facts are authenticated by the , sworn statements of Scottish soldiers AVho Avere members of the party maltreated. Private Ronald, of the Highlanders, tells that he and a number of comrades Avere surrounded and compelled to surrender near Monchy, on 2Sth March. He says; Our rifles and equipment Avere taffien. We consisted of an officer and 16 men, 10 of Avhom Avere Avounded. We Avere lined up' in the original front lino trench and left Avithout a guard for some time. Then a German officer and two men appeared on the edge of the trench. One man carried a container on his back, the other being armed Avith a rifle and Ah short bayonet. The officer carried a revolver. The officer gave an order, and the man with the container turned a stream of liquid fire straight dOAvn the trench in Avhich we were standing. They could plainly see we Avere unarmed. They continued to play on us fgr six or seA T en minutes. This Avitness added that he and a few companions Avho Avere able to move scrambled doAvn a communication trench and got over the top to, the British lines.

Another private says that after he and some other prisoners' Avere captured they Avere disarmed and marched doAvn a trench to an emplacement, about six feet deep and nine feet wide and nine to tAvelve feet long. The sides were perpendicular, except at one end. The prsoners Avere tightly packed in:the enclosure. Tavo Germans appeared at the entrance to the emplacement. One carried a revolver, and appeared to be an officer. The other had strapped to his back a cylinder Avith a - flexible« pipe, the end of which he carried in his hand. Just as he reached the entrance" of~the enclosure he spurted in a stream from the pipe, AA r hich caught the men who Avere nearest the entrance. I imme--diately dropped and got my face on the ground. ‘Other men lay-in heap around, partly on me. I heard a hissing sound for a short Avhile. Then it stopped and re-started. During this time the men Avere shrieking and Avrithing about. The flame reached right from the bank to Avhere I AA r as. My overcoat and tunic caught fire. By this time all the men were on the ground.” This soldier managed .to craAvl up the slope and get away. Another private states that an officer Avounded in the head and foal, four wounded men, and three un- | wounded, including the narrator, were iu an old trench. Some Germans came. One stood Avith a revolver in his hand and ordered the party to get back to the German lines. Tho other man squirted fire all over the party. The narrator’s hands Avere all burned. Three of the party managed to run, and reached the British lines. The j Germans must either have suffocated or burnt all five wounded men, as nothing further has been heard of them. The British Government prptesteM, to Germany against these . outrages. "