I have before me a pile of sworn depositions, made by exiles returned from the invaded territories.  They are separately numbered and dated; each bears the name of the region or town from which the repatrie came.  Here are a few extracts which, when pieced together, form a picture of the life of captured French civilians behind the German lines.  I have carefully avoided glaring atrocities.  Atrocities are as a rule isolated instances, due to isolated causes.  They occur, but they are not typical of the situation.  The real Hun atrocity is the attitude towards life which calls chivalry sentiment, fair-play a waste of opportunity and ruthlessness strength.  This attitude is all summed up in the one word Prussianism.  The repatries have been Prussianised out of their wholesome joy and belief in life; it is this that makes them the walking accusations that they are to-day.  In the following depositions they give some glimpses of the calculated processes by which their happiness has been murdered.

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“Lately copper, tin, and zinc have been removed in the factories and amongst the traders, and quite recently in private houses.  For all these requisitions the Germans gave Requisition Bonds, but private individuals who received them never got paid the money.  To force men to work ‘voluntarily’ and sign contracts the Germans employed the following means:  the Germans gave these men nothing to eat, but authorised their families to send them parcels; these parcels once in the hands of the Germans are shown to these unhappy men and are not handed over until they have signed.  About a week ago young boys from the age of fourteen who had come back from the Ardennes had to present themselves at the Kdr to be registered anew; a number of the young people work in the sawmills, etc.; some have died of privation and fatigue.”

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“A week after Easter this year the population of Lille was warned by poster that all must be ready to leave the town.  At three o’clock in the morning private houses were invaded by the German soldiers; they sorted out women and girls who were to be deported.  There then took place scandalous scenes:  young girls belonging to the most worthy families in the town had to pass medical visits even with the speculum and had to endure most atrocious physical and moral suffering.  These young girls were segregated like beasts anywhere in the rooms of the town halls and schoolhouses, and were mingled with the dregs of the population.”

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