The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards Fellowship — John Shaqi
The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards FellowshipPicton, Harold W. (Harold Williams)
History
The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards Fellowship
Picton, Harold W. (Harold Williams)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals, charities, etc.; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, German
He was very
suspicious, but polite. “Finally His Royal Highness shook hands with us
and said: ‘I do not know what will become of you gentlemen, but probably
you’ll be sent back to Germany to assist in looking after wounded
soldiers of France and Belgium, and possibly English if they are foolish
enough to cross the Channel.’” The prolonged detention of Mr. Austin is
inexcusable, but there seem to be somewhat inexplicable detentions on
both sides. A document handed to the prisoners on their release was to
this effect: “The German Government advises the English Government that
unless all Red Cross units at present in England are immediately
returned, no further exchange of British medical officers can be
contemplated.” [Cf. too Miscel. 30 (1916) pp. 2, 36; also International
Red Cross Reports, First Series, pp. 18, 19.]
CREDULITY ONCE MORE.
The general experiences of Mr. Austin are very similar to those of Mr.
O’Rorke. At Bouvigny “a somewhat offensive non-commissioned officer ...
removed all knives that we had and was greatly excited at the presence
of the large jack-knife which had been issued to us before we left.
These knives carried a long spike, for punching leather and opening
tins, and the story has been circulated in Germany that these knives
were issued to the troops for the express purpose of gouging out the
eyes of the German wounded.” There is something pathetically hopeless
about these aspects of human credulity in war-time. When we see the
extraordinary nonsense that each side readily believes of the other, we
must accept it as something to the credit of human nature that any
reasonable treatment of prisoners occurs at all.
ORDINARY HUMANITY.
“Our other personal effects,” the narrative goes on, “including our
money, were returned to us.” The doctor’s papers had not been returned
by the German officers who originally examined him, and this fact caused
many delays and annoyances, but one does not read of any actual
ill-treatment. The use of dogs is referred to (see p. 33). The last
incident on German territory is thus recorded: “When the Holland train
drew in the officer had not returned, but one of our party who spoke
German well informed the sergeant that the officers had told us we were
to go by this train, and he very obligingly placed us in it after we had
taken tickets to the nearest Dutch station, Ozendaal.”
REPORTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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