GREED AND DEVASTATION

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13896, 23 October 1918, Page 5

GREED AND DEVASTATION

STORIES OF GERMAN OCCUPATION. POPULATION'S INCREDIBLE SUFFERINGS. THE GERMAN BRUTE AND BULLY. (United Service.) Received October 22, 8.35 p.m. LONDON, October 21. Mr Pirrie Robinson, describing the German greed and devastation in the occupied districts, says that the populace suffered incredibly and loathe the German as a brute and a bully. Some ol their petty fines vcre grotesque. All articles had to be marked in the shops, and if a t-ig fell off the first German passing imposed a fine of 40 marks. If a dog followed his master to an own door n fine wss imposed because dogs were not ul'owt d in the streets. I saw Bruges citizens '"escuing valuable glassware from the <\'Uial, which was the only place the Germans (ai'ctl to scour and pillage. Even bits were chipped off the famous monuments as souvenirs. Bruges was otherwise undamaged. The Ostend sea front was smashed, especially the German emplacements, showing the excellence of our n.v.al marksmanship. Squads of German en. gineers wrecked the workshops of the great Compagnie Brugeoise, valued at £1,000,000.

LATER

FURTHER HUKNISH BRUTALITIES (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received October 23, 11.35 a.m. LONDON. October 22. The I nu.'d . .. correspondent slates 111:11 during the battle southwards ol Le C'ateau the Germans drove thousands of aped men and women and children from St. Souplet t«.» the tiny village of La Hnlemcancresse, whieh previously was No Man's Land, and they were exposed for two days to German and American shells. The Americans rescued them on suddenly noticing a white flag on the stccpe. Meanwhile 15 civilians had l>ecn killed. 1 DEPORTATIONS FROM TURCOING. 100(1 MEN AND WOMEN. SUBJECTED TO HRT'TAL ILL. TREATMENT. 1 Received October '23, 1.20 p.m. LONDON, OetoWr 22. concerning the Turcoing deportations show that 400 women were sent to Germany, and 600 men to Russia. The former were confined 'n i barbed wire cages, deprived of comj forts and utensils, semi-starved, and i immersed in squalor and filth. Many i died. The men were even worse treattin survivors being so broken that when restored their wives did not know them.