Show irma s I 1 tat D lay E ex gunner and chief petty officer V U S navy L E R I 1 N E IP I 1 E W captain member gun of turret the foreign french legion battleship of france casiaro winner of the croix de guerre copy copyright rIcht 1918 by and co through with the matthew adams service jl ilk CHA CHAPTER PTER continued 20 it certainly was hard when the next day came to give up your whole ration and go without that day but I 1 never caw n i man hedge or even speak of it and nd wo we did not have any food pirates either we were not captains oll industry by any means there were times when some of us ald could not cat certain of our rations lr vt instance many and m many an Y a time 1 I waa ats as aa hungry as anybody could be aid I 1 wanted to eat cat my broad bread but it as tf if I 1 could not get it into va 1 mouth then I 1 would trade it with si wymone lleone else for his shadow soup or ba barley coffee YO were dying every day in branden arg and after each death tho senior men of that barracks would de tall lall twelve of their number to go out tat for half an hour and dig mhd grave ahil while others made little crosses on valc they wrote or carved the mans when he was captured and his regiment or ship in the middle of the cross vere always tho the letters IL L P rest in ream peace one ume time we were ordered to report to the german doctors for or a serum treatment of some kind to receive an injection in other words there was no choice about it this time as we were ivere simply herded together to the hospital barracks now I 1 knew what these things were like and how brutal the german doctors were in giving an aa injection so BO I 1 wanted to be the very first inan nod and not have bate to witness tho the ather men getting theirs thclma so I 1 pushed up to the head of the line with the crew of IL M S nomad who hail had been captured in the jutland battle nod by ahe ho time we got V to the I 1 hospital was the very first man in line hut but the sentry gentry threw mo me back and there were several men chead ahead of roe me each of them bared ills his chest and the doctors locators loc tors i lashed them thein acroca tho the breast with a very thin knife arilee so you can sw sas that it was very painful when it came a OVil jm rix they sla slashed filled me three vw fia nn rothe the shape of a triangle just to one tilde ot of the breast and that was 11 yowe was to atno it no injection botn ing im the knife that I 1 could see now I 1 do not know hilow what the idea was every ninn man of 0 us was dizzy for the rest of the day ind nd could not do anything but lay around the barracks and hardly any of us bled a drop though the gashes were deep I 1 do not think wo we had any blood in us to run and that Is the truth of it it was lust just another german trick that no one could explain one day a war correspondent named banneit Ben nelt neit from a paper came to taj camp and went through all the barrail tar rail a when bramo baiao to tc cut clat bar ar racks I 1 boid nn at amer american lean and asked for the news instead of answering lie ho began to ask all sorts of questions finally after I 1 bad told him I 1 had been in tho the french service I 1 asked him if he could help me in any way lie ile answered that I 1 had only myself to blamo blame and that it served me right it if I 1 had been to in one of tho the allied armies I 1 did not like his looks much and lie he seemed unfriendly but when he began smoking a cigarette it almost drove roc me anzy crazy and I 1 could not help asking for one ile ho refused me and said eald I 1 should have stayed in my own country where I 1 could have had plenty of cigarettes after a while ho he threw away a cigarette stub anti anil not only I 1 but three or four others who were near made a dive for it A man named holley got it a crazy man mail who went around trying 10 0 o cat wood and cloth and anything lie could fand lvin my three weeks were up and I 1 hd not heard from air gerard I 1 was just about ready to go down to the lake and pick ock out a vacant spot and they slashed me ma three times lay down in it I 1 really do not I 1 could have lasted two longer i and just about that time biale na as I 1 was walking briel to har barracks onu one lay day lt allowed tile e ct a geruin aud and there in inneo type cl tile tho top of the first page it said eald that mr gernia had loft left the iho you or was getting ready to leave they had to io drug drag uio me the rest of the way to the barracks and throw snow on mo me before I 1 came to gunner dejews interview with mr gerard took place at tho the prison camp on or about r february 1 1917 on february 3 our state der dep rement demanded the reluse 0 of sixt two americana american captured on an british vessels and tand held as I 1 prisoners to in gormany on the same day president wilson severed diplomatic rela tons tlona with germany ambassador Amba gerard left germany exactly one ona week later tile tho newspaper that gunner depew saw must have been tuned after february 10 it was waa not u until nut starch 9 1917 however that gunner depew was actually released from brandenburg editors Editor 3 note I 1 do not know what happened conring the next few flays days but a week or so later inter the spanish ambassador end and zour four germau ofil officers cers and camo came to our barracks and tile tho ambassador told mo me I 1 would ho be relea released seli I 1 it was nil I 1 ouid do to keep keel from fainting again then naked me in english it I 1 lind anything to say about the treatment in tho the camp and I 1 began to think maybe it wels a frame up of some kind so all I 1 said was will I 1 get out of here hee find lie said why you will bo bo released tomorrow I 1 did not wait to hear bear any more but rushed into tho the barracks again singing and whistling and yelling as loud as I 1 could the boys boya told mo me my face was very red and I 1 guess what little blood I 1 had in my body had rushed to my iny lipai because I 1 could hardly walk tor for a few minutes then the men began to think I 1 was crazy and none of them believed I 1 would really bo be released but that I 1 was going to be sent to tile the mines as so many were but I 1 believed it and I 1 just sat there on my bunk and began to dream of the food I 1 would got get and what ahat I 1 would cat first and so BO on I 1 did not sleep that night just bilked fil ked froni from barracks to barracks un 1 till they chased me away and then walked up and down in roy my own bar rocks racks tile rest of the night when I 1 got to the Itus barracks and told taw ali two doctors my news they would not believe me at nil all although they knew there had been some important visitor nt at the camp but when hen I 1 walked out of their door I 1 said dobra vet 11 which means good night 1 then they must havo have bell eyed nio mo for they called me back und and all tile the men gave mo me addresses of people to write to in case I 1 should get away they were nil all talking at once and one of tho the doctors got very excited and got down on ills hla knees with his hands la in tho the air albert lie ho said it if you have thi god given luck to get out of Geri nany not for my sake but for the sake of us who are hero here in this hellhole hell hole promise rue nio you will tell all tho the people wherever you go what they are doing to us hero here tell them not to send fiend money for wo cant eat cat money and ad not meat just broad bread bread bread and when I 1 looked around till all tho the men were sitting bitting on their beds crying ind and tearing their hair and saying bread broad bread bread over and over again then each tried to civo me ns as if to say that even it if tiley they did not got get out perhaps their button or belt or skull cap would got get back to civilization when I 1 left their barracks I 1 began to to cry because it did not seem possible that I 1 was going away and already I 1 could see them starving slowly just as I 1 had bad been starving tho the next morning a sentry came to my bur barracks racks colled called out my name and took mo me to the commander of the camp they searched me nud and then drilled mo me back to barracks again then the men ull all thought they were just playing a joko joke on me and they sat said so V the sum samo 0 thing thine happened the tha next acx day and when ono one of the men cum said that probably I 1 would be blamed up against a wall and shot I 1 began to feel shaky I 1 can tell you yoo but the third morning after they had searched me the commander said well have to have bavo a bath before yon leave tile tho country nud and I 1 was so glad that I 1 did not mind about the bath although I 1 remembered tho the last one I 1 had and it did not agree very well with me after the hath they drilled mo me out oat into the road thero there were four sentries with me but not nor did I 1 see him anywhere around for which I 1 was sorry burry but all the boys came down to the barbed wire or to tho the gate and somo some were crying and others were cheering and nil of them were very much excited but after a minute or two they got together again and tile the last thing I 1 heard was the song about packing up your old kit bag boge and tind then aro are wo we downhearted no I 1 they were certainly game lada ands they did not take me 10 straight to tho the station but took roo mo through all tho the streets they could find find and na as usual the women were there with tho the bricks and spit hut I 1 did not mind I 1 was used to 14 it slid end besides it was tile tho last time so I 1 just grinned at them and thought that I 1 was better off than they beel tuse they had to stay LU la the hole called germany I 1 was wag still half naked but I 1 did not mind the two hour walt wait on the station platform I 1 noticed a little sign tint that read berlin 25 miles north and that was tho the first time I 1 lad had much of nn an idea where brandenburg was when wo we got into tho the compartment and I 1 found that tho the windows were not smashed I 1 could not believe it at first until I 1 remembered that this was not a prisoner train we had a forty eight hour ride to lindau which li on tile the lake of constance and no food or water in that time but sull still I 1 did not mind it much at lindau they drilled mo me into a little house and took away all the addresses that I 1 had bad and then marched arched in roe me over to the little boat which crosses the lake As I 1 started up the gangway the last thing I 1 received in germany reached me ino a crack across the back with a rifle I 1 tho the women and children on the dock had their fists up and were yell tog tag american si vInel but I 1 just laughed nt at them and looked around the boat and saw no german soldiers only swiss civilians I 1 rubbed my eyes and could not believe it when they gave me bread which was what I 1 had bad decided I 1 wanted most of all back in the camp I 1 thought I 1 was in heaven sure enough and when forty five minutes later wo arrived at in Switz switzerland erlind I 1 finally knew I 1 was free CHAPTER back in the states staffs after I 1 arrived at I 1 was taken to a largo large hall where I 1 remained over night flight there were throe three american flags fines on the walls walla the first I 1 had seen in a long time I 1 certainly did n fine job of sleeping Ble that night flight I 1 think I 1 slept twice as fast to make up for lost time in tho the morning I 1 had a regular banquet que for breakfast eggs coffee bread and a small glass of wine even now although I 1 never pass up a meal that breakfast Is still easy to taste and I 1 sometimes wish I 1 could enjoy another meal ns as much but I 1 guess I 1 never shall have one that goes as good after breakfast they took me out on the steps of the hall and photographed me ine after which I 1 went to the railway station atlon dt with a young mob at ray my heels it reminded me a bit of germany it was so BO different instead of bricks and bayonet jabs tile the mob knob gave roe me cigarettes and chocolate and sandwiches they also handed cie Eie questions enough to keep we roe busy answering to tills this day it I 1 could I 1 got on the tr train aa to zurich kurich and at every stop atop on the way there were more presents and more cameras band more questions at ait st gallea callen they had cards ready for me to write on and then they were going rosend to send them to anybody I 1 wished the station at zurich was packed with people and I 1 began to think I 1 was a star for sure francis B keene the american consul general nt at zurich U nud ud hla his assistant were there to meet me WO we walked a few blocks to hla his office and till nil the way the cameras were clicking and the chocolates and cigarettes pit piling I 1 ingup up until I 1 felt like santa claus on december 2 alth after a little talk with mr keene lie le took mo me to the ellof hotel where my wounds were dressed and believe me they needed it alio swiss certainly treated me well every E cry time I 1 caroo came out on the streets they followed me around and they used to give me money but the money might just as well have beba leather or lend lead I 1 could not spend it whenever I 1 wanted to buy anything it the shopkeeper would make mo me a pre present s ent of it I 1 also visited the hotel daur baur an lac the home of mr and mrs harold me cormick of chicago who are doing work the red cross and are arc looking after the belgian and french refugees refuge ea la switzerland it was a dinner and much app appreciated ted by one guest at least I 1 need not men tion his name but he bo ato ate so much that be felt ashamed afterward not think to ha got in bad tor for it though tor for afterward mr and mrs mccormick McCorm lck each give gave mm film a valuable present which he seeded badly after the dinner mrs airs mccormick mode made a little littie patriotic speech in which she abo sald said that the runs huns would never trample on the united states gag flag end and some other things that made all the americans there very proud especially mr keeno and myself so you see I 1 was having a great time but bat I 1 wits was having a little trouble all the time for or tills this rensol there were quite a few Ger niang interned in zurich and they in uniform now when I 1 saw one of these birds find and remembered what had been happening to mo me lust just a short time before my hands legan began to itch believe me it was not good morning that I 1 said to then I 1 enjoyed it all right they ducro ucro not to in squads and had no arma a BO it was hand to hand band and plo for or roe me but mr keene kcena did not like it I 1 guess for ho he called mo me to ills hla office one morning and bawled mo me out for a while and I 1 promised to bo be good youre supposed to bo be neutral lio lie said and I 1 wd cold yes and gln I 1 till III was torpedoed and taken prisoner I 1 was supposed to be neutral too but I 1 said I 1 would not look tor for trouble any more and started back to tho the hotel but no sooner was I 1 underway than a hun private came along nod and begun began to tough lough at me my hands itched ditched again and I 1 could not help hell but slam slain hirn him a tow few we went round and round for a while and then the alun reversed and went down instead mr air keene saw us or heard about it so he be told me I 1 had better go to berne so off I 1 went with my passport but tho the samo same thing happened in berne I 1 tried very hard but I 1 just could not keep my hands off the germans so I 1 guess everybody thought it was waa a good thing to toll tell me goodby good by anyway I 1 was shipped into france going direct to st nazaire and from there to brest I 1 made a short abort trip to null england with a letter from a man at brandenburg to his wife she was ft as not nt at home but I 1 left the letter and returned to france I 1 was in franco altogether about three weeks and then went to barcelona spain |