ESCAPED PRISONERS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 18, 22 January 1916, Page 19

ESCAPED PRISONERS

RUSSIANS' STORIES OP GERMAN

DEPRESSION

The accounts of escaped Russian prisoners are circumstantial, and give us quite a clear picture of the German rear. Here is the interesting account of a Russian non-commissioned officer who has escaped after a year's captivity in Germany (writes Bernard Pares from Russia to the London Daily Telegraph).

"On 28th August, 1914. we were fighting in the neighbourhood of Alleneitein, in East Prussia. Towards evening we heard that our field trains were cut off by the Germans; we went on fighting, and seeing that we were surrounded, began to retire along the road southward, but soon we saw that the road was held by the enemy. On both sides there were lakes, our retreat was cut off, and ■ we were taken prisoners. Some days later we arrived at the concentration camp at Neuhammer; there we lived m tents, and at first they fed us badly; we had only bread and vegetable soup. "We were quartered in big tents, which held 500 each; we spent the winter in this way. Every day we pulled up grass on the polygon, gathered it into bunches, and took it on to the dunes and sandy roads, which we covered with hay to prevent the wind from carrying away the sand. At first there were 28,000 of us; later 4000 were sent to some other place. When the cold came on the men began to die off—eight to ten a day. In February there were 20,000 left. • • STRIKING FOR MORE FOOD.

"Our food-was as follows: In the morning, coffee without sugar; for dinner, vegetable soup without meat and stargh. It was only in November that they started giving us meat every other day. Each, received one pound of bread; in February they gave us only half a pound each. In February we were sent off to work. I found myself in a party of 1000 in the coal mines at Knurow, near Kottowitz. We worked eight hours a day, but two days a week the work was two hours longer Anyone who worked well was given a badge worth- twenty-five pfennige (3d) as an encouragement. We struck work for more food, and then they added breakfast of thin barley groats; we were not paid any money for, our work. We struck again, and then, they started giving us meat every day and ;■ supper, which . consisted of groats/ porridge.

"In Germany every family has a book in which every member is entered, and each receives a -half-pouri.d of bread every day. The people are anxious for peace, and expected it when Warsaw was taken. On. 28th June,.last.everyone .between the. ages of 18 and's3'was taken' from the mines. ■ Bread—was not-to-be bought anywhere ; Orders '■ were.'.giy'en to- kill all;'pigs 'under 1201b v«eight, to make: a Raving ■of potatoes, which may now only, be, given to .pigs that.are over size, At , Easter it.-was forbidden to make cakes' of \vhito 'flour. The,people were in 1 very good-spirits.' ';." '

"On Ist Julywe managed -to escape."

Another returned non-ppmmissioned officer, reports as* follows :. '.'On —■ July we held the village of S I.was. in command ,of the 13th Company. We were fighting all day to. the north.o£ the village; in the evening "we had orders to retreat, but.it was too late. The privates', whom I sent to find connection reported that the village of C , our rear, wan already occupied; by the Germans. We tried to get through, but were taken prisoners. They took us off to the village, of V ; the staff of the German division of General Watto was Jthere. -We 'spent the night there, \and were- sent to R — . They gave vm each a quarter of a pound of army biscuit 3 and a tin ofc conserves for each five men. ,Ihe commandant of the town ordered 'all officers and pri vates to take off and throw away their cocadeh and . epaulettes. Before .ye reached H- — I escaped,' but was caught at G . I was taken by railway to the prisoners' camp at Willenberg. ■ .

WARSAW AND .AFTER. .'"We were divided into companies, under the orders of our corporals, and worked, in three gangs night and' day on the railway. They fed vis poorly, 'giving us two loaves a day for five men, soup, and coffee. I often talked to several Germans. They were very pleased at the fall of Warsaw, and thought that.the war would end then. When Novogeorgievsk fell they were rather depressed, because' it was clear that peace was very far off. The capture of Brest-and other successes caused no rejoicing at all. One could see they were all disappointed. I heard one,man. -.say: ■,'Russia'll be. ruined; and so will Germany.'

"An old soldier in the Landsturm said : 'Well,.l've had a lot of bread and bacon to eat here, Jbut my family is starving; the longer, we fight the sooner we'll be"-ruined,' and he.started weeping and turned away. From what I saw at Willenberg, I came to the conclusion that they had no belief that they willwin in the end. Their enormous losses are not repaid by a wasted and fired country, which they do not hope to keep. The. Germans said that between 20th and 26th August the Emperor William ordered some corps to he thrown over on to the western front. On the 26th I got on a train which was taking our prisoners to wash, and on the road I escaped." .

The Federal Minister of Defence has approved a scheme which provides for trio organisation of the pharmaceutical service of the Commonwealth Military Forces on a somewhat similar basis to the dental service. The main principles of the scheme provide for tho appointment of a senior- pharmacist in each military district,, with the honorary rank of captain, whose duties it will be to select officers for positions at various hospitals, both at home and abroad. A pharmacist with the rank of honorary lieutenant is to be allotted to each gen-, era! hospital in the Commonwealth,' with a proportionate number of dispensers, who will be given the. rank of sergeant-majors. Instructions have now been, issued to the State commandants in regard to the matter, with a request that they should confer with the State Pharmaceutical Societies regarding the nomination of pharmacists to fill the senior positions.