GERMAN BARBARITY

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 23, 26 January 1918, Page 10

GERMAN BARBARITY

IN EAST AFRICA

WOMEN AMONG THE VICTIMS.

A White Paper "on the treatment by the Germans of British prisoners. and natives in German East Africa" was recently issued by the British Government. Among the victims wore mieeionariee, women, and children.

According to some of the testimony tho aim of the' ill-treatmont seomed to be to annihilate British prestige among the natives. Wnitc6 were made to work side by side with the blacks in tho fields, and even to serve thorn. Women were insulted and degraded before their former servants and forced to perform tho lowest 6orfc of toil. Native prisoners were tortured and threatened with, death in an attempt to make thorn testify falsely against the English and Boers.

Among the prisoners quoted, most of whom were released when the Bejgian6 entered Tabora, a year ago, were the Rev. Ernest F. Spanton, Pnnoipal of St. Andrew's College, Zanzibar; James Brown-Scott, a civilian; Harold Malcolm Ross, assistant on rubber estates, Province of Soba; the Rev. Ernest W. Doulton,; Secretary of the Church Missionary Society in German Ea_6t Africa; Zahaliya. Mozingo and Mika- Munyambwa, native teachers, and Clement 0. Andrews, Archidiaconal Inspector of Schools, Zanzibar.

■ Mr. Spantop . tells how thoss having money were .obliged to accept worthless war notes m exchange, how the_ native mission teachers were put in chains, and how _ many succumbed to ill-treatment and improper food. Of the scandalous treatment of the women, he eaye: — "I need not enter into details of this matter, as I believe, the evidence of Miss Dunford is being sought by the committee." DENIED THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN. ■The experiences of Mr. Brown-Scott were typical of those of all the prisoners, and tho following passages are taken from his report: — At Kilimatindi: "An English-speaking German named Thomson met us and read us a eet of rules, which stated that our time for oxercising .would be from 4 to 6 p.m. outside the walls,of the fortress in a given space of about 100 yards square. "About a fortnight after our arrival one Frank J. Cooper, a British manager of an English rubber estate, was confined several days in cells without any trial for complaining about the food. ■ "A letter of complaint was then written on behalf of all prisoners and addressed to tho Governor asking that conditions might bo improved. A verbal reply was given us that we ac prisoners had no right to make complaints. "Any future complaint lodged by a. number or body of men was, under German military law, regarded assa revolt, and would be treated as such. "The outcome of thie was further restriction imposed, hours of liberty shortened, and our native servants—whom, up to this time we- had been allowed to retain—were all dismissed, from which time the prisoner§ were compelled to do all the work of the camp, washing, etc. "On 13th October about fifteen new | prisoners arrived, including Universities Mission to Central Africa missionaries. They complained bitterly of the treatment they had boon submitted to. Many of them had been first arrested and placed in cells on trumpery charges of espionage, and during their long walk from the Tanga district had been purposely exhibited, surrounded by native soldiers as guards, in the towns en route to impress crowds of natives who swarmed about them. ■ . ■ I

"By November, 1914, the food at the camp had become much worse, and consisted of meat and beans, bread made from mtama (millet), and very weak coffee without milk or sugar. "On Ist December four naval prisoners were brought into camp, affording some excitement among the old prisoners. Some one shouted, 'Are we downhearted?' and Herr Dorendorf ran upstairs and arrested the late Key. Father Fixsen (U.M.C.A.).

"A native guard swore to seeing Father Fixsen shout, and he was immediately placed in a small vermin-infested native cell, whereupon the man who had shouted wont to the officer.in charge, and admitted his guilt, but no change was mode. "Fixsen was in cells about a week, and the second day asked for water, which was refused. Finally he was compelled to drink the water he had washed in.. CRUELTY TO MAJOR HOWARD "In the last days of February, 1915, a prisoner, Major Howard, D.5.0., escaped. A large number of native aakaris were sent out to scout the adjacent country, with instructions to bring him back, dead or alive, and a reward was spoken of, or promised to native village headmen, who sucoeeded in capturing him. [The Germans did not fulfil their promise of -the. reward to the natives, the vil lagers receiving but a rupee each, after remaining days at the Boma to give evidence.]

"On 2nd March Major Howard was recaptured by natives, and was brought back by native a«kans to camp on the following day, with a broken rib, kidney pierced, and a black eye, and was at once placed in a vermin-infested cell, 6x3 feet.

"Howard was, a few days later, tried before a, native judge, but the sentence was apparently never made known. For about five months he was contnually in the coll, being only allowed out for exercise on one day of the week for about half an hour.

"His -sufferings were intense during this confinement. At a later data he was allowed the freedom of the camp from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but when I last saw him, more than a year later, ho was still returning to cells nightly. "The prisoner Luigi (an Italian) was given a further seven days' cells for waving his hand to Howard during his term of confinement.

"Major Howard's attempted esqape brought about many further restrictions of the prisoners' liberty. Bedtime and lights out was ordered for 7 o'clock. Exercise waa only allowed on the verandah, eighteen yards in length, which made any proper form of exercise impossible. ."Prisoner Luigi was given an additional four days' cells for complaining that no water had been brought to his cell.

"All prisoners, civil included, were instructed to salute and stand at attention at the approach of the German guard. _ "The prisoners had ample opportunity of witnessing the very harsh treatment meted out to the natives by the Germans. For £he slightest breach of discipline the native .askaris were given twenty-five lashes with the kiboko, a thick, long whip, usually made from hippopotamus hide. "The German native servants not unusually received two punishments of twenty-five lashes oaoh within fourteen days. The boys were laid out in the central yard of the .prison camp, each limb being held down by an a6Kari, a fifth holding down the head, while a sergeant applied the lashes with full force. "Blood was' invariably drawn by tho severity of the punishment, and in the case of askaris pack drill of four and five hours, with haversacks eandloaded ; followed. These scenes occurred daily in camp, ■ and were an extremely revolting' sight to tho prisoners." WOMEN HERDED WITH MEN. I At Kilboriann-: "Our meals were taken in an open shed, which was always wet with the strong mLsta and ruins prevalent at that time of the year. The food was cooked in tho small mission church, tho altar having been conrverted by the Germans into a cookiog stove. "The condition of life for the prisoners was ono of extreme misery. There were no separato sanitary srrangements provided for tho women.

"The prisoners' punishment > call was but a. thinly gra6sed hut, through which Ihe winds .and rain penetrated, One prisoner, M. Ross, had just undergone three days' punishment, for''-not' having raised hit hat properly to the German guard: Dorendorf, Ron had collapsed

under tho itrain of hif punishment, and had been compelled to remain in bed.

"For a period' of about a month that I was at this camp scarcely a day passed without rain, and the oold was intense. Fires were only allowed in the houso by tho order and the mood of Hcrr Doron.dorf.

"Exorcising from 4 to 6 p.m. by walking round tho house was compulsory, and tho women prisoners found th,is particularly trying, any attempt at sitting dlown resulting in a native uskari's interference.

"A civil prisoner named Currie was ordered to the punishment cell by Horr Dorondorf for three (or five) days for admonishing a native askari whom ho had found swearing at ono of the mission ladies.

"Tho food of the camp was totally insufficient and of a very inferior quality, so that the prisoners were generally ravenously hungry. Our rations were meat and very indifferent potatoes. "Mweli (a. very 6inall millet) was served to us from which to make bread, but owing to' the nature of the grain if, waa not possible to make any substitute for bread from it.

"A breakfast-cup of coffee beans waa Ea-nded out daily, from which coffee waa served to over forty prisoners, ajid a small quantity of milk was at times distributed. "We were allowed no aews, nor were we allowed to write or receive letters." SENTENCCE BEFORE TRIAL. At Tabora: "Service men were sent on numerous occasions_ under native guards to carry raw oxhides from the oamp to a cattle kraal some considerable distance away. They had to scrape and bury tho skins. After a certain lapso of time they would dig them up, again scrape and carry them back on poles, being compelled; to pass through tho Askari Barracks and the Indian encampment.

"The insufficient head protection of many prisoners caused a good deal of suffering, and ir many cases absolutet prostration. "Tho natives could see the English prisoners performing their work, and regarded it with much amusement. . "Foi the slightest broach of rules prisoners were placed in dark cells on prison diet of bread and water. "Very few prisoners received any trial before punishment. A civil prisoner named Currie was placed in cells for eeven days for an offence which he had never committed. When he was released he wont to the offico of the officer in charge, asking for the reason that ho had been punished, whereupon he ,wae returned to the cells for a. further term.

"The food was very bad indeed, and at times positively revolting."