ANZAC SLAVES.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1918, Page 6

ANZAC SLAVES.

TERRIBLE TALES FROM TURKEY; UNDERFED AND TORTURED. London, Dec. 14. Mr E. R. Peacock, who lias undertaken a special commission in tlie Mediterranean for the Sydney Sun's cable service, telegraphs from Taranto—'l met and welcomed to-day (Sunday) on behalf of the Sun, the first contingent of Anzac prisoners from Turkey Their awful experiences of slavery and imprisonment have not broken their spirit, or changed them from the same sunny, home-loving youths.

"The party arrived by steamer, and four Australians and four New Zealanders proceeded on board for Australia.

The following landed here, and are going to England:— F. Ashton (11th Battalion), W. Cliffe (4th), T. Charlcoft, S. Rake, H. Foxcroft, J kilmartin, and W Williams (all troopers of the 14tli), M. Troy (16th), J. Thomas (lath), G. Flatt (10th Light Horse), R. McColl (2nd), J. MacPherson (Gth), J. Talbot (9th), J. O'Neill (10th), L. Porter (Wellington), W. Surgenor (Taranaki), W Martin (Auckland), A. Pearce (Auckland)

"We held a corroboree in tho Cinimo Camp, a great barracks overlooking the blue Mediterranean through which, during many months, hundreds of thousands of troops, including Australian contingents, have been passing for a direct overland journev, avoiding the submarine menace.

"DAMN BAD" TREATMENT. '"Well,' I asked one, 'how did they treat you?' '■ 'Damn bad,' he answered. 'The Turks live on very little, in filthy conditions. They seemed to think that the Australians could do likewise. '"We had only two meals a day, the same all tha time—soup, lentils, pea 3, pumpkin, maize, and ryebread that was ■black. The size of tho loaf varied according to the supplies. Usuallyjt was very small, and perhaps twice a month we got moat—sneepshoad, liver, or offal. ""If no parcels had arrived we should be dead. We are going to make a Iceline fpr the Australian Red Cross in London and tell them what we think 0/ them.

/'"The work in Turkey at first consisted of carrying stones for road-ma - ing. and of trucking soil. Whilst work, ing under the Turks the men got no pay, but when put to work under Germans on the Taurus Tunnel, they got between 20 and 30 pence a day. They were given no food, so they formed messes and fared better.

THE USEFUL KNOCK-OUT PUNCH '"Were you treated cruelly?' I asked. 'lt depended upon yourself. IT you took it you got it. '■ 'The Russians and Roumanians submitted, and they were often tied and flo<>gpd, hut if the Turk hit an Anzac and got knocked out, he knew better next time. One Australian was flogged over his wounds, but we got ievel oil them for that.

'Some died from disease, neglect, and shortage of food, which brought on dysentery. When a man went into hospital, we lost track of him unless ws were called on to bury him. A Wesleyan parson from Kut. who buried one mail complained that his body showed illtreatment.

''The sergeant in charge of the prisoners was decent enough, but the camp commandant was very severe. If anyone offended the whole camp was put on short rations, ana liberties .ierc reduced. One man was flogged for asking for more cocoa, "'The Turks took our best clothes, and gave us garments made of old sacking. Later Mr Phillips, of the American Embassy, visited up, and after that some clothing and money from Britain arrived, and later the Dutch Embassy took charge.

FEW PARCELS AND THOSE PILLAGED.

"The prisoners were at Bazanti, Kornia, Angora, Afion, and Karacbison. When the Australians were sent to Angora they were described as 39 scoundrels who had to be watched. Karachi' son was supposed to be a sick camp, but the Anzacs had to carry stones up a steep hill under the whip, until they collapsed. "Anzacs won a reputation for sticking together, and this prevented spiteful individual treatment, but often the party was put on half-rations and confinement.

"A few letters, three or four, and some even IS months old. arrved, us well as a fe.v parcels, but they had always been pillaged, especially for medicine and quinine.

"When the armistice was declared they were sent to an hotel in Constantinople, where parcels which had been held hack, numbering 3000, were distributed. Soyw were three yejirs old. It was a good time for the boys then.

SUFFERED MUCH FOR THEIR COUNTRY ' The men did not know the sLghicst about the lo.ct three years of Australian history They eagerly gathered round Mr Peacock, who had a lantern, with slides of old Australian scenes, and told all about the formation of the Australian army and events in France. "We di 3 not dream that it was possible," they said, "My, what we missed." "I condoled them/ Mr Peacock said, "though they had suffered much for Australia, and done their bit. They made statutory declarations concerning the illtreatment, and said that the Turks and Germans feared the Anzacs. Each blamed the other and tried to curry favor after the armistice. "The Turk," they said, "is a good soldier. but boh in d thf> lines he is a poor type "