IN BONDAGE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9618, 26 March 1917, Page 6

IN BONDAGE

UNHAPPY FRENCHMEN KAISER’S DEBT ACCUMULATING. Little by little the world is beginning to realise the sense in which Germany understands and uses such phrases as "humane treatment” and "humanitarian objects.” We arc learning by bitter experience that these expressions synchronise very often with Belgian atrocities, sinking unarmed ships, bombarding open towns, inflicting untold cruelties upon prisoners of war. .as well as with overturcs for peace—or for a Peace Conference, which is rattier a different thing. It should, therefore, be a matter of little surprise to us to learn from the lips of those who have just escaped from a two years’ thraiuom, the biuerer because it has hud to be endured in their own. homes, that probably nothing can exceed the tyranny even now being exercised over the unfortunate inhabitants of Belgium and Northern France by tho German invader, whose “desire to stem the flood of blood and to bring the horrors of war to an end” has recently been announced to an incredulous world.

Tho present writer had all opportunity some 18 months ago of collecting evidence from some of these poor exiles on their return to France, and their stories of suffering and misery belong to the category of tragedies that “lie too deep for tears.’’ Now, for the past few weeks, another sad procession of some 20,000 refugees from Northern France has been wending its way back “homo” in a scries of convoys at the rate of about 3060 persons a day. Once more the warm-hearted and hospitable people of Switzerland have given them of theii best; they have boused, fed and clothed them, and sent them ’on their way rejoicing. Once more, alas! neutral cars have been pained to listen to grim narratives of harsh treatment and starvation and worse, which appear to be inseparable . from German domination in time of war. It is perhaps well that some of these stories should bo repeated for _ the benefit of those who still find it difficult to imagine the conditions of life passed beneath .the vigilant eye and the iron heel of an invader. STARVATION AND SLAVERY.

It matters little from which province of invaded France the refugees arc being repatriated; their condition is practically the same—broken in body and mind, but unconquerable in spirit. Some convoys say that they have not tasted meat for two years, others have had it in small quantities as lately as 15 mouths ago; the most fortunate of all tell us that meat rations came to an end a fortnight before their departure. All food is at famine prices; candles cost 12 francs for a packet of eight; petrol is prohibitive. Yet. in spite of all this physical impoverishment forced labour is the rule in town and village alike; the o]_d men and women up to any age, and children as young as 13, arc compelled. to work in factories and fields, their wages varying from two to three francs a day, out of which they have to pay for their food about 50 per cent, of their total takings) To this rule there is no exception; one person in every household is allowed 'to stop at home to perform domestic duties, -which include the washing of the German doldieps’ dirty linen. The discipline imposed scarcely differs from slave-driving in its palmiest days. At harvest-time .work is obligatory, all the, week round, Sundays and feast-days - included; ;no one may stop work to go to Mass. Two gills who went to church one Sunday morning 1 were in prison the same afternoon; a child of 14 in the same village got tour days’ imprisonment for not doing a full day’s work; a woman who gave an apple to a Belgian prisoner was condemned to 10 days’ imprisonment; another woman’s sentence was 42 days with hard' labour for straying 20 yards beyond the boundary limit; and yet another, aged 79, received a fortnight’s cells for going to see her sick daughter, who lived a short distance out of bounds. These are but a very few cases, typical of hundreds, which illustrate the bitter complaints against the behaviour of the German troops and of the officials in occupation of French, territory. REQUISITIONING OF PRODUCE. Convoys from the Aisne district tell us a particularly sad story of their daily lives. There has been no school held for at least six months, the childien over eight years of age being for. oibly occupied in shelling beans all day long. Adults, when there is any work te> be done, are compelled to accomplish it as best they may. without aiiy prospect of a holiday on week-days or Sundays; they may till their own fields (under German superintendence), but the produce is seized as soon as it is ripe, and then, perhaps, resold to its owners. Villagers who own cows are forced to supply the Kommandatur with most of the milk, but a small quantity of skimmed milk is still allowed to families containing children. Those who keep poultry are bound to produce so many eggs a day for their gaolers, often having to buy eggs in order to make up the quantity required. Here, too, all mattresses have been requisitioned, even those used by infants and small children, who have to bo • content with sacks stuffed with feathers or wood shavings. To add insult to injury, all bons do requisition for commandeered property had to be left at the Mairie when - the owners left the district to be repatriated; no receipts whatever could bo taken away to prove title to the stolen property. "All copper, down to the handles of doors, and all agricultural implements have been seized, as well as the village church-bells and metal candelabra," ■

These are things, added to horrors perpetrated in Belgium and Armenia and on the high seas, that the German Emperor will hare to answer (in the words of his New Year’s message to his troops) "before God and humanity."