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Show BELGIANS RETURN IN DYING STATE Deported Prisoners Invalided Home From Germany on Crowded Cattle Truck. HAVE TUBERCULOSIS Strong Men Succumb to Miserable Mis-erable Diet Weak Ones Fall III Deaths Occur Oc-cur Daily. The Hague, Netherlands, via I. on. J don, Jan. 4 .12.25 p. m. The first , report received from the Belgians de. i ported to Germany who hae been invalided in-valided from the camp at Soltau, Prussia, Prus-sia, has been given to The Associated Press These prisoners were returned from Germany because they were 1 1 most in a dying rondltion. A number of them, who were interviewed while separated from each other, agreed in their stories of conditions prevailing in the Soltau camp. Seventy of the Belgians were sent home in a crowded cattle truck attached at-tached 1o a freight train. It took three days and three nights for the journev which usually i8 made by express trains in six hours. They arrived home in an emaciated condition, coughing, the greater number of them bearing evidence of having contracted tuberculosis Statements of Belgians. According to the statements nwle by these. Belgians, while in their military mili-tary camp at Soltau. they reretved at 6 o'clock In the morning a bowl of some decoction made from acorns. At midday they received half a liter of soup containing much water and fpw turnips, carrots and shrimps, served without broad or potatoes. At 3 o'clock In the afternoon thrre was given giv-en to them 2"0 prams (slightly more than half a pound) of black bread, bad and often mildewed In the evening eve-ning as at midday they received half a liter of soup, sometimes containing bran and brown maize. Men Become Insane. Under this regime the stronger men went under and the weal: soon fell 111 so that, the Belgians say, deaths oc- cun-ed dally. Two of the Belgians! are said to have become Insane the first week. The torment of hunger dro' e them to such extremes that; fhey crept into the kitchen and collect i ed peelings of potatoes, turnips and j carrots One workman who attempted to escape is reported to have been brought down with a shot and finished with the bayonet. Nearby was a prison camp for captured cap-tured Belgian soldiers The soldiers were better fed than the civilians and j came in contact on being permitted to attend funerals of civilians Pity lng their countrymen, they took to j them secretly bread and preserved ar.j tides of food. Sand Instead of Soap. The returned Belgians say that the civilians at Soltau receive no soap and are advised to use sand instead.; Notwithstanding their sufferings, most, of them refuse to work, although promised good food and considerable pay. On one occasion forty artisans were taken a way and returned eight days later. They said they had been taken to the Grand Duchy of Baden where for two days they were placed on abundant rations, being told that if they accepted work they would re. ceive such food regularly. On refusing they were sent back to Soltau In a eaftle truck where, they reported, they were kept without food for thirty-five hours Eleven Thousand at Soltau, According to these accounts there are ll.OOn Belgians at Soltau who re. fuse to work and still hope their release re-lease may be brought about. Brussels and Liege, thus far are said to have escaped forced labor requistiona. |