INTERNED IN GERMANY

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11593, 11 January 1916, Page 7

INTERNED IN GERMANY

MR M'LAREN'S EXPERIENCES.

(British-Australasian.'')

About four years ago a took entitled "An Australian in Germany," by Mr A. D. M'Laren, M.A., L.L.8., of Sydney University, and a native of Tasmania), attracted considerable attention, for in it the author showed a thorough grip of various political and international problems. Looking back over an interview with Mr M'Laren, .which was published in this paper in 1913, we are struck by the fact that he told us tho imperialistic spirit in Germany had spread much more widely than was generally imagined, and was by no means confined to the ruling minority, and that consequently he believed the establishment of good-will between Germany and Britain would be exceedingly difficult. Ho further prophesied that tho cleavage between Prussia and Southern Germany would tiot affect German action, all the Fatherland being now under the influences of Prussia, and declared that the Kaiser was using his powerful influence to prevent Germans in British colonies and elsewhere from being absorbed in tho life of their new homes and ceasng to become- Germans. Mr M'Laren called upon ue immediately after his return from Germany,

and was hardly recognisable as the same vigorous man who had given an interview to ''The British-Australasian ' barely two years before. The photograph published cm that occasion, which we reproduce side by side with that which was affixed to his passpoirfc.from. Germany a fortnight ago, is more eloquent than any words could be of the treatment which our people suffer in iGerman detention camps. Mr M'Laren, who is a trained observer, gave us some interesting information as to the actual state of affairs at Ruhleben. Asked about thb food, ho said that the very best that could be said was that it was just about eatable, and' barely sufficient. The bread, which .is made from <* mixture of rye and potato meal, is always doughy, and frequently impossible to eat, a very serious matter, since it constitutes the buli of the ration.

A little meat is given every Sunday. There are generally scraps of meat in the soup, and usually salt fish of an inferior quality is served out twice a week. The rest of the food consists of bad bread and poor soup. ' To every prisoner tho British Government gives an allowance of five marks per, week, and to those who are without clothes—which are not provided by the authorities^—various relief committees give some help. For the first month at Ruhleben Mr M'Laren slept on a sack of straw with five otheri in a box, lift by lift. Rations were served out in the kitchen and eaten by each man in this box. -At the present time, the men are lodged in barracks, with a Soldier (wehrmann)

in charge. Largo barracks sometimes contain 300 men each. Recently wooden barracks have been bnilt - containing 100, and in these the men sleep, eat, read, and amuse themselves as best they can. In the prison life at Ruhleben there are, says Mr M'Laren, two redeeming features to the general unsatisfactory treatment. The first is that, attached to the barracks, there is-a large sporting ground, in which the prisoners can play cricket, football, hockey, etc. For this ground rent is charged to them. The second is that tho authorities seem to be keenly alert in the interests of the general'health of tho camp. The sanitary arrangements have been improved, and great care is taken to destroy vermin, and to prevent infectious disease. There, have been one or two visits to tho camp by the American Ambassador. He may bo seen by the interned in the presence of a military official When his visit is announced, the number of applicants who desire to :-ee him is enormous. Our representative mentioned to Mr M'Laren that people jn this country who received letters - from prisoners unknown to them, but in whom they took a friendly interest, were often struck by (ho fact that the letters contained verv many German term 3 of expression, and 'therefore wondered whether they had not in fact been written by German oflicials, while purporting to come from tho men. This, Mr M'Laren

says, may be accounted for by the fact that at Ruhleben there are a very large number of Germans and German Jews claiming British nationality. He thinks he is safe in saying that there are at least "11(30 of such persons, nearly all of them pro-German, and that in spite of thoir imprisonment tbey gloat over German successes and British disappointments. Books for study are allowed in the camp. British newspapers are absolutely forbidden, though they nevertheless sometimes find their way there. At> much as twenty marks is paid for a copy of "The Times." To bo found reading a British newspaper involves imprisonment for seventy-two hours in the cells Summing up his remarks on Ruhleben Mr M'Laren said, " Tn what T have told you I wish to convoy the impression that on the whole the treatment we received was far from satisfactory, and without wishing to exaggerate our discomforts I cannot help feeling the military authorities even went out of their way to make us feel our position." On the journey to the frontier Mr M'Laren observer! that boys of sixteen were numerous among the soldiers, and boys of seventeen even more so. There were, further, a large number of elderly men among the troops. From his conversation with those in a position to know, he gathered that there was muon depression in Germany. though the masses of the peonlp, led by the newspapers and the officials, were still confident of victory.