GERMAN TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1915, Page 3

GERMAN TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.

BIUTIXH OFFICKR'K ORDKAI,. KXllllilTKD IIKK Wlli) ANIMALS. The London Daily Express, whi"h publishes the following letter from a British officer, now a prisoner in Germany, vouches for its authenticity, though for obvious reasons it was impossible to give the officer's name:— 'ft is almost impossible to-give a ;letailed account of my captivity in a letter, for the treatment and the conditions have been so varied. Speaking generally, we have been treated usually as Gorman private soldiers are treated, sometimes as naughty schoolboys, sometimes as criminals, and only on rave occasions as officers. "The varied and irritating indignities ( which such treatment entails have been most galling and humiliating. {They have been much harder to bear than the worst discomforts. "Two days after I was captured [ was sent to . The journey took six days and nights, including a stop over of nearly twenty-four hours. We travelled in a very crowded cattle truck—officers, men, and our guards together. ''Most of the prisoners in my truck were French. 1 was not once allowed to wash, although long waits occurred at many stations. "There were 110 proper arrangements to provide us with food. The French were better treated than w, and what I food we procured was what they were able to spare. Our guards would make purchases for them, but not for us. I Ked Cross men, ami womtn too, many times poured hot eoO'ee on the ground, fjooner than give it to Englishmen, even I though they were wounded. '•'At several stations we were exhibited like wild beasts to the mob, who were? permitted to jeer and spit at us. Twice [ was struck. At the station two wounded British officers were so weak j from hunger and pain that we obtained permission from our guard to take them into the restaurant. One of them we practically carried there, fainting. '•Unfortunately the station commandant was in the restaurant. The moment he saw us, cursing us and abusing both us and our guard, he. sent us straight back to the train. I saw much worse■ treatment meted out to an unfortunate French priest, an old man over sixty years of age, who travelled part of the way with us, I have heard since tint he died tho night we left hini. If ever a man was murdered he was. "My experiences were in no way unusual. On my arrival at • 1 learned those of many other British officers. I Mnnv had a much worse time than I had."