THE REFORMATION OF A HUN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16463, 16 June 1919, Page 8

THE REFORMATION OF A HUN.

A member of. the 11.A.A1.C., who-re-cently returned to England from Germany, gives tho following account of itis experiences there as a prisoner; “The first four days we were in the camp we had a rotten time.” The treatment was brutal, and'the conditions of life in the camp were very bad. On'tho fifth morning 1 was walkout with a working party through a neighbouring village. Tuere were two, little children playing together, and wo saw a dog that was evidently mad rush at them. I put my coat over the dog’s head, and my friend jumped on his ribs and killed him. Me did not think much more about the matter as tlie German guards did not appear to notice what had happened. However, the next morning we were called up before a Bavarian major, the commandant of the prison. He questioned us closely about what had happened, and we learnt from hi n that the two children were his. Ho askfd us how we were treated in the camp, and wc told him our grievances candidly. It appeared to open his eyes, since ne had been in the habit of leaving the camp severely to itself.. Aflei that day ho came every morning to tlie camp before eight o’clock, when tlie working parties loft, and inspected tho camp arrangements himself. Life then became very much move bearable to all of us. The commandant let us work at our owu particular trades in the villages round, and wb were paid the full rates paid to German workmen, half of tho money coming to us and halt being pooled for tie Himp | canteen. He gave us two acres ot ground to cultivate near the camp, and this we worked in our spare time, growing our own vegetables.