e stopped at a station and a woman came
towards us with a large can of soup, and we thought we were
going to be fed; but she brought it right up to us, and said:
'Ugh, dirty Englanders,' and poured it on to the line.

"I was taken to Soltau Lager; and the food they gave us consisted
of a cup of acorn coffee in the morning and a small piece of
black bread, which had to last all day, and wouldn't make more
than two good slices.

"For dinner we got a basin of very thin potato soup; sometimes we
got a potato in it, and sometimes we didn't. For supper we got a
cup of coffee, and we were supposed to make the bread do for both
breakfast and supper.

"The prisoners were sent out from Soltau in working parties to
farmers, factories, and coal mines and salt mines. The salt mines
were dreaded most, and fellows who had been working there for two
or three months looked dreadful. In fact, they could not keep up
there longer than that; they got too ill.

"I was sent into a salt mine myself. The hours are not long,
because it is impossible to stay down many hours at a time, and
we were generally brought up about one o'clock. They did not
keep me in the mine long, because they found I was of no use for
the work.

"It's not so bad on the farms, although you have to work from
about 4 o'clock till 8 or 9 at night. But the food is better, as
you generally live at the farmer's table, and have the same as he
does.

"When prisoners are sent in working parties, the employers have
to pay the German Government the same wages he usually pays a
man, and the prisoners receive from the German Government 30
pfennings (about 3d.) per day."

"Did the American Consul ever visit the lager?" I asked.

"Yes, but only once when I was there."

"Were you free to make any complaints to him if you wished?"

"Two of the fellows did; but they got punished for it.

"Before he visited the lager a notice was put up that the
Commandant did not consider there was any reason for complaint,
and any man making a complaint would be given 14 days'
imprisonment.

"When he called we were drawn up on parade in four companies,
and stood to attention, while he passed down the line, asking if
there were any complaints.

"By his side was the Commandant and another German officer."

THE STORY OF PRIVATE ---- OF THE NORFOLK REGIMENT

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