HIS LIFE AT KRUPP'S.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1917, Page 6

HIS LIFE AT KRUPP'S.

STORY OF DRUDGERY AND FOOD '< TICKETS. " j . A striking description of conditions in Germany lias teen given bv a man who, was working at Krupp's great, armament factories in Essen up to January last. As a Belgian civil prisoner, Francis Van Wen was one of a batch of 250, which included Frenchmen and Russians, that' ■ was sent eighteen months ago to help 'in the construction of extensions at Krupp's works. On January 20 he contrived to escape, and liaß rejoined* Ms family, who are amoiig the refugees Who have found a home in Leeds. Krupps, he stated, are working night' and day, and the order in Essen is that all males between the ages of twelve and 'sixty must work on munitions. When he left tho works were still being extended. There was a big fire at the works about a year ago, and some time ago a large munition factory about thirtymiljs from Essen was destroyed by an explosion caused by hostile aeroplanes. His story of life in Essen was one of unceasing drudgery. "Every day," he said, "we were marched out of the camp under a guard of German soldiers to start work at six o'clock, and at eight in the evening we were marched back to camp. We were kept hard at work a. 1 day, and had very little food. We had no meat—only soup made from beans or fish. JThe breadywas made from potatoes, carrots, beetroot and black flour." Asked as to whether the people of 'Essen fared any better, Van Wen said that the people complained that the prisoners were better fed than they were, and told thein that in England the German prisoners were not treated nearly so well. He had heard of three food riots in Essen, and said that there was often trouble in the market place about the prices of food. In the camp they heard of tho women going with, their food tickets to the shops at seven in the morning, waiting all day in the queue, and having to go away at seven in the evening getting anything. Van Wen statStt that he had witnesse/1 thef pllott'iag incident: —A dog had picked np a dirty piece of bread in the street arid was ftliliin'g awav with it when a, woman tiiif after the dog, took the bread from it and ate it. Giving examples of prices, lie stated 'that a ham cost 150 marks (about £6), horse-flesh was about five marks ti pound, a pair of brown leather boots cost £2. ' t Regulations are so strict in Essen that in order to prevent any person from another town coming there to buy articles of' clothing or commodities other than food no goods are delivered under a period of three days. A customer goes to the sl;op with his card, gives the order, and pays cash. The shopkeeper takes the number of his cord, and submits it to the police to check it. If the police are satisfied, the goods are delivered. So desperately^driven were some of t,h« prisoners, Van Wen stated, that they killed the rats in the camp, and cooke<t them for supper. Besides being employed in building, prisoners are set to work to make shells. They were paid at rates varying from ten marks to eighteen marks. ' ■