THE HUN IN AFRICA

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 75, 26 September 1917, Page 7

THE HUN IN AFRICA

TREATMENT OF PRISONERS AND NATIVES

REVOLTING CRUELTIES.

(AUS. AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN. AND RBUTER.)

LONDON, 25th September. A White Paper which has been issued gives shocking" details of the treatment of British prisoners and natives in German East Africa. Sworn depositions prove that civilians, including missionaries and ladies, were compelled to carry out disgusting tasks in order to humiliate them in the eyes of the natives and undermine British prestige. Several of the missionaries were confined in vermin-infested cells far the most trivial offences, while the women were treated with scandalous indecency in the presence of the native guards. ■ Natives were continually beaten wifcn hippopotamus hide whips. A victim would be laid in the centre of the prison camp, five natives holding his limbs and head, while a sergeant applied twentyfive lashes. After a parade at Boma, sometimes as many as a quarter of the native soldiers, many of whom had been pressed into service, were flogged for mistakes at drill. [The following story was related by a, correspondent of the London Daily Mail recently of an incident in German West Africa:—After it had been conquered by the British, the British officer in charge; of native affairs had to make a. tour of tha country.' 'During bift prpgrens trough tlis- northjwa Wfc-fli. ihjs_4JA*-j

trict he halted in a village where, during his first mght, piercing native screams were heard at intervals. After come time lie could'stand them no longer and went out on a voyage, of discovery. He found a native with his arm almost torn from its socket, covered with horrible undressed wounds, quite naked, half-buried in the sand of the native, refuse ground. Heavy chains were bound about his body and padlocked to a tree. The British officer "raised Cain," and demanded the key of the padlock to release the dying; wretch. It was found hanging over the bed of the German missionary, who had himself inflicted the punishment. The native had been accused, but not convicted, of cattle stealing. This was a German missionary's method of teaching "Christianity" to the brown races under German rule.]