Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1917 — GERMANS ARE ALWAYS READY TO SALUTE [ARTICLE]

GERMANS ARE ALWAYS READY TO SALUTE

Prisoners Instructed as to Answers to Be Given to Captors’ Questions. -i- \ ■ SHOOTS TWO RED CROSS MEN k ' Wounded German Who Committed Outrage to ’ Be Court-Martialed ■ When He Recovers—-Officer Gives Bed to Prussian. By JOSEPH W. GRIGGS. (Correspondent of the New York World.) British Headquarters in France. — There is no underestimating the German soldtcr at the —British trout. There has been considerable underestimating of him by laymen in London and other parts of England. There are Germun scoundrels and brave Germans to be met with 1n tills war,, judging from the talks which I have had with British officers and men at the front. in a hospital which I hive been enabled to visit and talk with some of the woufided German inmates there is one redheaded German who is being nursed back to health who is charged with having shot ’both the Red Cross men who had dressed his wounds on the battlefield just a moment or two before he *is asserted by a number of witnesses to have taken their livep. “He will be court-martialed later, ’’ was the calm declaration’ of the Officer in charge of the hospital. “We have others here who are very decent fellows; You mar talk with' any of them.” I entered a ward where a few days a number of Saxons had raised such a rumpus About a Prussian officer in their midst that, for his safety, he was removed to 7 another hut. Several of them spoke English, and they aided me tn my talks with others. Salute on All Occasions. In the corner of the room neatest where I entered was a big blond fellow, handsome and reflectively silent. He was a Prussian. He raised his hand ToThe salute. “It’s extraordinary the way those fellows are always ready to salute, no matter junder what circumstances,” said the officer of the ’gimp. The Pr mid, my German being negligible, I crossed the room to where one of the Germans who could speak English lay. I told him my nationality. His face brightened? and' he said: “I'm from Hamburg. I’ve never been to America, but I’ve had much dealing with Americaw chehncal concerns In

New York. Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore;"- -rrI, asked him where he had been fighting when wounded, and he replied : “On the Somme front. I was wounded In fighting near Thiepval. I have been fighting at different parts of the western line for- eighteen months, and tWe time against Canadians and Australians. They are fine fighters; the Canadians are fine soldiers.” All Well Fed. ... In another part of the ward lay two German soldiers. One of these had been severely wounded nnd it was feared one of his legs would have to be amputated. His face was thin, offering aeon leastto most -of the- patients. who. were prospering on the liberal allowances of food which they received. But he made a motion as if, to salute, which was copied by the of--, fleer in the next cot, a short man with Vandyke beard and youthfully florid cheeks. A, nurse w’ho had spent considerable

tiffiejn America was in charge oi thm ward,-.-and she' moved about them as qibpathetlcally as If treating tfie.wonnded of her owni race. It has been found that many prisoners, wounded or otherwise, who are captured, have received instructions regarding answers which they sfc »uld make to their captors. Amorig th€ lower classes of the Germans theie is a widespread belle? that their captureby the British will be rewarded with tortures., . . ' - One of the most interesting stories which I heard about Prussian pride was related to me by a British colonel. He said that a Prussian officer had been captured, and. preparatory to his being sent to a regular camp with others. was invited to share the mess quarters with several British officers. He refused to sit down with them at the table. Later, he complained that he should have fitting quarters In which to sleep. In the mean tim e one of the British officers had voluntarily given up his bed to the man and in■tendeflspendingthe night on some blankets on the floor. ——---"C—, i When this incident became known to the Prussian his complaining stopped, his features relaxed and he burst into tears. .