THE BELGIAN SLAVE RAIDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1917, Page 5

THE BELGIAN SLAVE RAIDS.

AX AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE. BRUTAL TREATMENT. STARVATION DTicr. Received Jan. 2-8, 5.5 p.m. London, January 27. The Belgian Government lias secured the first authentic narrative of [lie slave raid from Ghent. Deportees show that men were marched to the station between troops in mid-November, and were herded in waggons. They travelled without food nil night, the ou'.r food (hey had in 2S hours being; a bo.ili of rice and meat. They were then j "marched in the darkness' io a, farm. I where 030 were herded ill barns and I stables. They slept on straw placed on I the hare ground. Only on the third day I did they get boards on which to sleep Half of the deportees were exhausted by the journey. The quarters were not heated, and one victim collapsed oil the first day and nearly died from the cold. After a meal of bread and cheese and' rice broth, ihey went without food for •24 hours. At five in the morning a bugle call summoned the men to work. They were so worn out with hunger and fatigue that they refused to -work, and the order was postponed for two hours, when half tlif number agreed to work. The depuuees '-were given picks and shovels, but when they saw German military pioneers working ahead of them they refused to go further, pointing out that they had been promised proper food and lodging and not be employed at war work, Tiiic men were marched back to the farm later, when they again refused to work. WHIPPED, KICKED AXD COWED. An officer informed the 'Pioneers' commander, and the hitter ordered the Belgians to begin. They refused, and two German officers rode into the Belgians whipping them. At the same time the soldiers kicked them. The German commander began parleying '.with them without success. He ordered 20 soldiers to load and present arms. Some of the Belgians were overcome with fear an<t yielded, and the rest followed suitWork began under the most unhealthy conditions. Their clothes were drenched with rain and there wore no means of drying them. The Belgians became weaker every day. They ate raw cabbages and potatoes and were glad to cook a hedgehog. Some wore weak anil fell exhausted, while the strongest sickened. DEATHS FROM ILL-TREATMENT. The complaints of cold and 'hunger were unheeded, despite repeated promises'. The men grew .seriously ill,'and daily their comrades died in stables without fire or beds. Their sufferings lasted a wec?k v and the Germans, evii dently realising that it was useless trying to employ men under such conditions, allowed them to return home. They arrived in Ghent, after journeying 28 hours without food or drink.

VISIT TO THE TRENCHES. t ' ___

LORJ) NORTIfcLIFFE ON NEW ZEALANDERS. WAKJI EULOGY. Lord NorthclifTe, writinpf from British Headquarter*, says:—"Before the days when the began to be decorated w it'll tall young men in khaki from the Dominions we thought the New Zealand AVmv in France proof of tlie. wonderful physique of the ordinary Now Zcalander, and that something in the climate, of New Zealand made tilings grow.

•'Tlie New Zealand Army is a compact and well-equipped family, mostly of open-air men, and perhaps has the advantage that its fighting instincts were, kept alive by the Maori wars, whilst women's suffrage has proved militant in a just cause, for New Zealand women are as anxious' as most of our eager Allies to quell Prussianism. "I found t'he New Zealanders in the muddiest and floodiest scene imaginable The streams were swollen in+.o r'vers and the river into lakes. The surroundings were cold, drab and cheerless, aSid Major-Ceneral Russell's headquarters were partly submerged. General Russell is a typical New Zealand gentleman sheep-farmer, with harsh ways for the Prussians. "After lunch we travelled miles of tlie snowy slusli of Flanders roads. The Maoris are excellently working as a nioneer battalion.

"Sir Douglas Haig had just reviewed the New Zealanders, and praised the men enthusiastically t.o me, but T was not prepared for the size of tliese handsome fellows." Lord Northeliffe adds; "General Godley told me "that their good health and physique enables the New Zealanders to stand the rigors of the northern winters. The Anzacs miss the sunshine, but do r\(,t grumble. "The New Zealanders occupy a fair I.rt\ and a stretch of billets, rest camp;; and lines of communication go back a long way. forming'a little Nqw Zealand world in France.

"J,Vnr lectures are a great feature behind ttie lines, where the New Zealanderfl closely follow technical expositions, the uso of complicated weapons, and all subjects of modern warfare. "If anything could have saved Gallipoll it would have been the fine work of the Australians and New Zealanders and the 20th Division, but it was not until the Somme that the Anzacs re ceived a chance of participating in the great success. "Some experts regard the prelimin-' ary home training of the New Zealanders as too long, and that it might wise ly be curtailed, finishing the actual training in the war zone, where the t-ocps learn more quickly and are also taught the newest devices and manoeuvres,

'•The Dominion troops have fourteen weeks' hard drill in England before going to France. Their teachers' only complaint is that the Auzacs are not taught the rightf kind of bayonet practice.

"The New Zealanders' organisation in France is a well-oiled machine, and although t'lie New Zealand Army is only a microcosm in Sir Douglas ITaig's wonderful forco it gives an excellent idea of what a model British army should be. "The New Zeala&dera told we that

they were satisfied with all the arrangements, particularly the English training, and Brockenhurst (Xew Fores I] and Walton hospitals, where there are 2000 patients. "A highly-placed British officer told me that the New Zeahuidcrs, as individual fighters, were equal to any in France. He particularly praised some work of the New Zealand Tunnelling Corps, which, working in a special area, outwitted the Germans every time, not permitting the Germans to surprise the British in a single instance. "When the small population of New Zealand is remembered we are better, able to realise the splendid contrast between the line]y i-rganiscd Antipodean Crusaders and the levied masses of unwilling 'Poles, Czechs, Turks, Rutlicncs and Slovaks whom Prussia-lias bullied into the tron/ne?. - ',

ASPHYXIATING GAS.

A PRISONER'S STORY. Received 2S, r.' 5 p.m. Paris, January 2G. Aiist.rn";.:n Cubic Association. Le Matin's col-respondent at the British front reports that an officer, who was captured in a recent'raid, declared, that- the Germans never discharged 'asphyxiating gas without the special authorisation of the Kaiser, who was filixious to reduce to :i minimum the perpetration of war crucifies. German generals deplored the Kaiser's mildness, alleging that .lie Entente's troops began the practice. A SECRET SESSION. Paris, January 20. Deputies have approved of a secret session to discuss Macedonia and events in Athens since December 1. GERMANS SUFFER HEAVILY. Wellington, January 27. The High Commissioner reports under data London-, January 25 (3.55 p.m.):— j A French official report states: Left of the Metise, following on a violent bombardment, the Germans, attacked at four points between Avocourt Wood and Mort Slomine. They were repulsed bv our curtain of fire, infantry fire and' Machine-guns. The assailants returned to their trenches after suffering heavy losses. COAL -SHORTAGE IN FRANCE. Paris, January 28.The shortage of, and exorbitant price fijr, coal intensify the effect of severe frost. Coal costs IDs per cwt., and 'he Government is taking steps to meet Lite dearth. The canals in Paris -have begun to freeze, further handicapping coal transport.