BURNT ALIVE AND SHOT

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9041, 12 May 1915, Page 5

BURNT ALIVE AND SHOT

TREATMENT OF BRITISHERS BY THE HUNS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received May 11, 8.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 11. ' The Press Bureau has published a despatch from the British Minister at The Hague, enclosing a sworn declaration by M. J. Martin, editor of tho “Rotterdamsche Meusbaiad,” who states that Richard Lorenz, a deserter, told him that Prince Rupprecht’s Bavarians were formally ordered to make no Britishi prisoners. In' one case forty Britishers were burned alive at Hangar and the men who committed the atrocity received medals. Fredrick Kuller, a Bavarian deserter, confirmed the giving of the order. He said that he himself shot five prisoners. Kahlmann, a third deserter, stated that Britishers were brought to headquarters with their hands bound behind their hacks and their eyes bandaged. They were executed, under the supervision of commanding officers, without being told that they would bo shot. , . ■ , Kahlmann added that nearly all were wounded, as British soldiers do not surrender while they are able to fight, Kuller and Kahlmann stated that they did not approve of the order, as they did not hate the British, though they feared them. They deserted because of their officers’ rough treatment. They were practically starved in tho A few days after tho interviews with M. Martin, Kuller was short of money and went to the German Consul, despite a warning of danger. Kahlmann accompanied him and waited outside the Consulate for three and a-half hours. . Kuller has not been seen since. He never returned to his lodgings. M. Vaditmar, a newspaper correspondent, in a declaration, states that Kuller told him his company had shot twenty-four British prisoners because they belonged to a regiment which blow up a bridge over tho Scheldt when many German troops were crossing in pursuit of tho retreating British army. : t All of the men were placed against the wall and shot one after another at Warvick, under an order of Major Hofman. On another occasion a British officer and four soldiers, who surrendered, were shot at a castle at Holleheke after a hand-to-hand fight.

HIGH COMMISSIONER’S MESSAGE. The Premier has received the following from the High Commissioner: — LONDON, May 10, 3.50 p.m.

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs issues a despatch from the British Minister at The Hague containing sworn declarations from press correspondents regarding the shooting of British prisoners of war by the Germans. One reads;—“l Johannes Martin, editor of the “Rotterdamscho Nieuwsblad,” deilare that on the 16th of March a German deserter named Richard Lorenz, of the 208th Regiment, appeared at my office and stated that the Bavarian regiments under Prince Rupprecht had received formal orders to make no British prisoners, and that those soldiers who made them were severely punished. ' „ , , ~. , “On the 18th of March another German deserter called, named Friedrich Kuller, of tho 22nd Regiment, 2nd Bavarian Army Corps, and stated that Bavarian regiments received formal orders to kill every British prisoner ° f W “O n the 19th of March another German deserter called, named Kahlmann, of the 35th Regiment of i Infantry, and stated that British prisoners were brought to "headquarters with their hands hound behind their backs and bandaged eyes, and they were not told that they were to be shot. They were executed, under supervision of the commanding officers.” M. Ditmar, a press correspondent at Rotterdmam, states: —“I make oath that Friedrich Kuller, of the 22nd Regiment, 2nd Bavarian Army Corps (von Kluck’s army) informed me that on or about December 28th ,twenty-four British nriaoners of war were shot by his company. One of the reasons given to him at tho time was that they belonged to the regiment that had blown up a bridge over the Scheldt, near Antwerp, when many German troops wero marching over it in pursuit of the then retreating English army. “Amongst the men' shot were many officers. All of these men were placed against the wall, one after another,..new German soldiers being called up from the ranks to shoot in turn, This murder took place at "Warrick by order of Major Hofmann. : . ■ , “On a subsequent occasion., one British officer and four soldiers, who nad surrendered, were shot m a castle at Holleboko after a hand-to-hand fight.”