THE TERRORISED ALSATIANS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 72, 25 March 1915, Page 8

THE TERRORISED ALSATIANS.

JA joy that -was short lived GERMAN INQUISITION. . l& WOMAN'S THRILLING ■EXPERIENCES. Following are extracts from an interesting letter written to a friend in England by an Alsatian lady who has a house near- Strassburg, in the midst of the theatre of war. Though the writer was born a German subject she was educated in Paris, and all her sympathies are with the French, but her brother and other relations are forced to serve with the German Army. Her ease is typical of thousands in Alsace, brutally torn from France by Germany in IS7O, and now eagerly awaiting deliverance as the result of the war. Tbe says: —

We are fairly quiet except from time to time when troops passed through our (near Strassburg) going towards the Donon and the frontier, but on that day the French arrived, and after a iittle skirmish, when they killed about a dozen mounted Uhlans, principally around our house, they remained masters of the neighbourhood. For six days, therefore, we had French chasseurs; we ; had 250 of them to lodge in our house [ and stables. I had the officers both to , lodge and feed, and I can tell you that for six days we were very happy; they were all .so pleasant and polite. We had our food together; it was quite jolly! But the Germans came again on . the scene, and our joy was short-lived. There was a "formidable bataille" for a day and a night; .we had to take to the cellar, for the shells passed over our house. It was horrible, and we lived through hours of terror. I had my four-month-old baby in her cradle in the cellar, but she was so good and quiet; she slept and took her bottle to the sound of the cannon without being in the least disturbed. Fortunately it "was "so 'hot those days that the cool of the cellar- was bearable. •When we were able to come out again the Germans were in possession; they had repulsed the French, and they were so angry because the people of the countryside had treated the French well that they employed every means in their power to be revenged. They accused the villagers of having fired on them; they entered the houses, dragged the inhabitants from their cellars, and, without listening to their protestations of innocence or prayers for mercy, 6hot \ them on the spot. Our unfortunate I foreman was - thus accused, dragged some yards from his house, and killed without their listening to him. Another of our neighbours and his son, ( fifteen years old, had the same fate. . She mother went nearly mad. YELLING MADMEN. I do not know how it was my husiiand was not taken, for once the madmen came yelping towards our house. They pretended that we were hiding French soldiers, and wished to visit and search the house. When we opened the door, .which was carefully locked and bolted, an officer and a dozen men with fixed bayonets entered. I was obliged to show them all the rooms, opening the doors myself, and open all the wardrobes and even the drawers! More than three times did they come, and each time I was obliged to recommence the round. - I think that very few of those who slept in' our house that night are still alive, for- the following day the great battle of the Donon began, and again *we took refuge in the cellar. Oh! the horror of it! Hundreds and hundreds fell that day. We had hardly returned to daylight iwhen we received ordera that everybody must leave the place, as it was going- to be bombarded and burnt. The soldiers told us to be sharp, so we hurriedly threw some things into a bag and set off on foot, my husband, the nurse, and myself, with the baby in her carriage. We decided to go towards Strassburg, but we met our brother, who advised us to wait, as he would be going in the direction of our home. On our return home you would never believe what a .sight met our eyes. If you ever see in illustrated papers photos of rooms which the Germans have*wrecked and plHaged you iwifl be able to tell your friends that mine were the same. It was an invasion of barbarians pure and simple. The evening of our flight a company of Wurttemburgers came and installed themselves in our house. They began, by empting the cellars, then they ate; all the provisions, then turned everything out of cupboards and iarawers, from, every nook and corner-; everything was strewn in indescribable disorder on the floor. The silver and other valuables had all disappeared, and the house was left in a disgusting state. S wept with rage all day. I made the come, and showed them everything, and I can assure you they were not proud of their countrymen. My husband (a Swiss) was so disgusted and distressed .with the Germans that he would not listen to a word in favour oi remaining, so we packed up and left SAlsace for good. ODIOUS GERMAN YOKE. My mother -writes to mc two or three time a week—the Germans are doing all that they can to annoy and .wrong the 'Alsatians, especially in our neighbourhood, in .the vaHey where everything is 6till so French; it is a real Inquisition, a. reign of terror. Many men among our friends haxe been imprisoned, and are at Strassburg or Munich merely because they were suspected of French sympathies. Hy husband -would certainly he with them had he remained! It is forbidden to speak French in the streets, and every minute one receives insults from the Germans. When will the deliverance come? S-'haT] :ree not 6ee our .poor Alsace once more free and liberated from the odious yoke of Germany? What a blessing that your brave English joined the right side! Everywhere there is mourning and sorrow. Let us hope that 1915 will faring us the long-wishedrfor peace, and the liberty for which we have beev sighing for so many years.