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Press, Volume LII, Issue 15669, 6 June 1916, Page 6

Among-the civilian prisoners interned in the camp at ltuhleben was Mr .Leslie Clark, a Sydney banker, who was o ne o' a party of nine Australians, threo ladies and six gentlemen, who wcro touring in Germany when tho war broke out. Mr Clark, who was over tho military ago, and an Australian, was interned because the Germans found out that hi* father was a Scotchman, Hence ho was dcclamj an "Englauder." His friends were not interned because they had Australian fathers. At first the Germans cherished the 'delusion that tho Australians would revolt against the English, but in -March, 1915, after tlx; news of the sinking of the Enulen and tho taking of the German inlands by the Australian Navy, the. other Australians were interned also. .Mr (.'lark states that there are at least two hundred Australians in tho civil prison at lUihleben, and übout forty X■■ •,v Zcalandcrs. 0 Mr Clark confirms to the fullest extent all that has been said as to the brutal and revolting treatment to which British prisoners were subjected by tho Germans. Some of tho details of what lix! had to suffer are roally too horrible to print. fn an interview which appears in the Ballarat "Courier," he says:—"l hope all the people of Australia will give tho Germans a bit of what hundreds of Australians and Xew Zealanders are getting in Germany. I have tried to make m.y ease very clear. What might happen to my dear pals in lluhleben when tho war is over and .before, I don't carc to contemplate." What makes Mr Chirk tho more bittor on this subject is the fact that. German civil prisoners interned in England live well and in comfort. After his arrival in England ho went to see a German bank manager, who had assisted him at the boginning iof the war, through agents in Germany, and who was intorned in Lnglund. When Mr Clark usked him if he could doany- | thing for him he replied that ho had everything that he wanted, and was very contented. "Fancy," adds Mr Clark, "a Ruhlsben man saying such a thing!"

St. Dunstan's Hospital, for blinded soldiers and sailors, lias completed its first year's work. There are now either at St. Dunstan's or in the annexes at Brighton and Torquay, a total of 340 non-commissioned officers and men, among whom are included five Australians, two New Zcalanders, and seven Canadians. At 21 Portland Placc, the residence of Sir John and Lady Stir-ling-Maxwell, generously placed at the disposal of the committee, live ten officers, who take their instruction at St. Dunstan's. It is most gratifying to learn what has already been done to fit these hapless victims of the war for a useful and even happy life. Fifty-one men Lave passed out from the Home, having learnt one or more of the following occupations: Boot-repairing, mat-making, net-making, biscuit-making, joinery, farming, and market gardening, while one officer has qualified as a maseeur. Practically all of those read and write Braille and typewrite with the ordinary typewriter. There are cases o n rccord where men have learnt to read with the finger-tips in a fortnight, and men who have never seen, and who will never see, a typewriter, have learnt to use it at a fair rate of speed in the same time. The men at St. Dunstan's also learn trades in far less time than is usually considered necessary, their rapid progress being attributed to the influence of the blind teacher.

We learn further from the report that massage is likely to prove the most lucrative of the occupations taught at St. Bunstan's. Naturally, men of superior intellectual attainments are selected to learn this occupation. Besides the officer already mentioned as having fully qualified, six men have already passed the greater part of the severe

examinations neccssary. When they are fully trained each has open to him a position in a military hospital, where he v.iil reccive frco lodging and attendance, and bo paid £2 13 s a week. $ A great deal of trouble is taken to ensure keaithful recreation and amusement for the men, and there is a special department for the purpose of devising a satisfactory scheme of after-care for those who are settled at their various occupations. If any of our readers care to help this admirable work, the Secretary, St. Dunstaii's, Regent's Park, London N.W.. will be glad to receive their donations. —* Perhaps no nation's relations with the rest of the world will be more profoundly altered after the war than Russia,'.-:. Between lluisiu, and Britain the tics o: fricii'-iihip have been grow in;.', ever stronger, and a powerlul defence of the fuutro pcaco of the world has boon cheated iti the agreement upon the position of the Middle East. But J an and llalso have grown closer together. The Russo-Japanese war was fcitunaie!y one which loft over very lit tie dangerous feeling on either side, and Japan has found no difficulty :u rendering great assistance to her former ooooncni. Kvidonco of the good feeling now existing between tho two countries was tarnished in abundance "when the Grand Duke Mikhailoviteh visited Japan in the early part of this year. The "rlarbin Daily News" is quoted with approval by the "Ji.ji" for the following observations: — "'The '"loser friendship between Japan and Russia, especially since the war, .tccounts for the special despatch of the Grand Duke to 'l'okio on the mission <;{ tendering to the Emperor of Japan tho sincere congratulations o'-' the Emperor of Russia and tho Russian nation who entertain tho most proiound sympathy toward-; Japan. The Grand R".:ko v. as accorded" ;• most sincere and enthusiastic welr-cnio by the Japanese people, hath official and private. Altiinn his mission had no political sigplJteaaco, ns it is declared, his visit to Japan ha ; no doubt greatly contributed t'> the poiui: a! relations of tho two countries m the broadest sense of the term. Tho Press of the two countries are justified m unanimously saying that che intiinato relationship of tho two nations b a state of virtual alliance."