GERMAN PRISON TYRANNY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12541, 12 May 1915, Page 8

GERMAN PRISON TYRANNY.

BRITISH SURGEON'S E^l'EKI

EiN'CES.

A vivid picture o: the life of a British prisoner of war in Germany is given in ".Mv K'xperieiiccs as a German I ri,,oner.''! bv L. .1. Austin. F.R.CS.. o! the British lied Cross Society, which is published bv .Messrs Andrew -Melrose. On AiiL'u'st 7 Mr Austin was maturing in the neighborhood of X.iniur. accompanied bv several colleagues, when he was held' up bv Germans. llw papers, as well as those of ins companion*., wore admitted to he in perfect order. Novel theless. the whole party was arrested and despatched in a horsebox to Cologne. Hatred of Britain is nothinp; new amonu; the Germans, for .Mr Austin relates'that soon after their .arrest, "now and aiiaiu an ofiiecv would come in, look at us, and become almost inarticulate with rage as he described the horrid end that was ready for us." 11 is amusing to read of. German misconceptions the British army. One ol the officers who quest : on>'d Mr Austin was Prince Henry XXXIIt. of Heuss. "Mo wanted to know where the ['Expeditionary Force was, and indeed seemed lo cast some doubt whether there was an army at all, and •if there was an army, whether it would (lai'e to come to the Continent." ItFD CROSS- EVERYWHERE.

"At every station in (icnnany," tavs Mr Austin, "we found Red Cross establishments; tor feeding : the soldiers and t!ie wounded, but their altitude towards the I'.'nglish was always extremely unpleasant. At thi.s particular st:i. linn (linuvignv) quite little .lciris of sixteen and seventeen, wealing the Hid (.ros-i, would ooine and nioek us through the window, and with unmistakable gestures indicate that we should bo handed.'' Again, "our gmird.s seemed to take a delight in allowing the populace to climb ii|i on the end of tin: carriage to mock and jeer the prisoners." Jii Cologne:— We had not gone more than a i'ev yards from (he M.ation, and ivero passing through the groat open space, that faces the main entrance to Colonic Cathedral, when a large and: threatening crowd began to collect round us. At, lirst wo" had one soldier apiece on our /Kinks and several in front and behind, hut very shortly it was necessary to |iui ;i'ring of police outside ihaL. and finally a, M|itadron of mounted polite. ICvi vy insulting and abusive epithet in the German language was hurled at. us. and the crowd had to be kept* back by the police wilh swords used on the Hat. . . As we inarched out. from the police station the crowd grew larger and larger, and expressions of hatred and

ecniciupf for Englishmen and En land grew more ,'ind more viruli;nt. SOL IT Al{ Y COM*' IX KM EXT.

At tiisi. Air .Austin underwent .solitarv conliiHineul in « siiuill cell wliit'll ivik in a disgusting condition. He was also threatened: with beting nut in the -punishment ceils, which wore entirely dark. From Cologne tlio prisoners Mere !•«■■ moved after two months' iinprisoiinuntto Torgau.- where the environment was n little less depressing I Man had been the ease in (he Rhino city. Here they were regaled with hair-raising stories of British and French disasters and the destruction of London by Zeppelins. .At Burg, which w;t«j th'e third prison Io which Air Austin and his companion* were removed. Jrish officers were given a. largo and airv a-ooni, and were not allowed to mix with other officers. They were- asked whether (hey would care in serve with the Gorman jiriny against England. autf-fh spile of the 'indignant refusal of the "rehels" they were still given ceriiiin minor privileges. At Alagdeburg. the fourth and final place <it confinement, personal belongings, including watches and wedding rings, wore taken from the prisoners, and nettv punishments ..w-ore inflicted. One British officer, who. being hatless, did not a German geiier.-il. was given two days' solitary'-confinement in the town gaol. Later; a. large num. .her of officers wore given ohrht davs' fells' 'lor playing kugbv football with a Icfcif of bread. . 'Finally, .on .January 8, ."Mr .Austin and. Hie. remainder 0 f his parfv 'woiv sent to the Dutch frontier. '