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HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2023
He was interned as a 33 year old Austrian subject (address in Vienna), who arriving in England from South Africa after the declaration of war was immediately interned at Olympia. He was then released from internment for a period before being re-interned at Knockaloe by July 1915, though he may have transited via Stratford Camp - presumably he had sufficient money to apply for transfer to the privilege camp at Lofthouse Park (Wakefield) from where he wrote the following letter to the War Office. The great difference in the treatment of enemy aliens between the UK and Austria-Hungary was a point raised many times by the Austro-Hungarian internees. On the closure of Lofthouse Park in late 1918 he was transferred to the newly established Privilege camp at Knockaloe from where he was sent to Alexandra Palace in March 1919 for repatriation.
[from TNA FO 383/247]
No 1974 South Camp Lofthouse Park 1Oth.March 19I7.
The Under-secretary of State, War Office London,S.W.
Sir,
Will you permit an Austrian who, previous to the war, had never been to this country, had, days before a state of war existed between England and Austria-Hungary, left South Africa on an English vessel and whose first impression of Great Britain was the Internment-Camp in Olympia,to lay before you the following deductions. In the first place they are meant to illustrate the difference of treatment afforded to British subjects in Austria-Hungary and that which was meted out to Austrians and Hungarians in this country,and, in the second place they aim at the possibility of a reparation - however late.
Apart from other considerations it seems an imperative necessity especially in times where "reprisals" are so much talked about - to view our position in the light of principles of reciprocity. It is an endless source of pain and bitter grievance for us to know of the humane treatment of innocent, harmless enemy aliens in our country, while after 2½ years of internment, years of indescribable physical and mental privations, we are still languishing in captivity, The measure of our sufferings seems to be complete by now.
Lord Newton's speech on the 22nd of February is apt to create the impression, that there are no more than 200 British subjects in Austria-Hungary and that they are all interned. According to English Newspapers (see Morning Post of 22nd March 1916) the number of British subjects in Austria-Hungary amounts to 3000, according to our own information to about 4000, out of which number only 200 are interned, because they are destitute or have no employment. Lord Newton entirely omitted to mention this fact. Lord Newton further speaks of the "preposterous demand" of the Austro-Hungarian Government to exchange these 200 British for about 10,000 Austro-Hungarians interned in Great Britain, but he again he omits to mention that our Government can only exchange 200 interned enemy aliens for the simple reason that the remaining thousands are free and absolutely at liberty to do as they chose, provided they comply with existing regulations.
Here a few extracts from English Newspapers to illustrate the treatment of British subjects in Austria-Hungary.
"There are a good many Englishmen of Military age at liberty in Vienna...". "... notices have appeared in the Viennese Newspapers to the effect that belligerents are to be freely allowed to use their own language in public. places...". "The Englishmen thought well of the Austrian treatment..." (See Daily Mail 31st January 1916).... the party were in the hands of the Hungarians who treated them with the utmost courtesy..." "...at no time did they meet with any unpleasantness from the Austrians or Hungarians ... and the people were most polite to them" (From a British Medical Missions Experiences, see Manchester Guardian 9th March 1916). "A report from the American Ambassador in Vienna Says: that 26 British civilians are confined in Hungary, Class "A".... All other British civilians are practically at liberty,living in their usual place of residence and following, for the most part,their accustomed occupations".(See Times 8th November 1915), "...British subjects have been treated with so much more leniency in Austria-Hungary..."(Sir G.Simon 27th July 1915 in the House of Parliament) "My brothers..has been "permitted to continue residing there. he has not been interned, He states that he received nothing but courtesy... and that the people show him the kindest hospitality allowing him at the same time to shoot and fish ..."(See Morning Post 17th March 1916).
These acts speak an eloquent language and necessitate no comment. Lord Newton cannot but confess that British subjects in Austria-Hungary : are treated with a great deal consideration and in doing so he only admits what from the Austro-Hungarian Government's point of view-is nothing but a matter of course. Our experiences were and are different from this. After the most appalling treatment, frequently administered blows with fists and butt-ends and addressed in a language anything but the King's English, led through the streets handcuffed, in Olympia where the most of us had to sleep in the bitter cold on the stone floor, had to break stones with out getting payment, with people infected with disgusting diseases in our midst, followed the impossible camps of Newbury, Frithhill, Lancaster, York, etc, The entire lack of adequate sanitary arrangements, the housing in horse- boxes and under canvas in November with a temperature of beneath zero were things better not spoken of; and then the unspeakable horrors of most of the Internment-ships, the notorious Stratford Camp, the Isle of Man Camps, over- crowded to the breaking point. All these were ordeals, not likely to be forgotten. All the while the consciousness of the corresponding conditions in Austria-Hungary; British subjects living in freedom, comfort and enjoying peoples hospitality. Viscount Bryce called the life in Ruhleben "Living death". Rubleben is a German Concentration Camp! Yet We Austro-Hungarians are expected to be living death all the while. - And apart from occasional short appeals made in the English press by people who had every reason to remember gratefully the treatment they had received at the hands of our Government, but could not a single man be found in this country to stand up and plead our cause justly and publicly - until the day, when Lord Newton - albeit in meagre and inadequate colours painted the comparatively happy lot of British Aliens in Austria-Hungary.
Some time ago the quantity of Coke was reduce to 1½lbs per head per day, and we have been shivering with cold all through the winter in this privileged camp. Coal for baths were entirely stopped. The rations have lately been reduced to a quantity which is entirely insufficient and inadequate - and on the other hand the buying of provisions for our own money up to now permitted and the receipt of parcels from England, containing foodstuffs were prohibited. Are these reprisals for wrongs done by our Allies to British Allies? If so, we are punished with them and have to suffer for them;and British subjects in Austria-Hungary live in freedom and comparative comfort!
Our numerous appeals and applications to your authorities have consistently been ignored;and when we asked, that a copy of one of them could be forwarded to Vienna,the answer was a flat refusal. Lord Newton said about the German Concentration-Camp:"...have been imprisoned for over two years and had gone through a period of great suffering and were entitled to release, especially in view of the fact that they were perfectly innocent men and had no opportunity of committing any act against..." "... this prolonged imprisonment had produced a most disastrous effect". Does this not also apply to our case, all the more so when we are subjects of a Country, whose Authorities haveshown such highmindedness and good will to their enemy? The irony of our lot is bitter and the more emphasised, the longer the present state of things prevails. I have no right and no reason to criticize the attitude and methods of our Government, but I and some thousands and thousands feel the deepest regret that the Austro-Hungarian Government have as yet not adhered to the principle of reciprocity and have not interned British Aliens under the same conditions, to which we have been and are now subjected. The Great movement lately come to life for an exchange of German and British interned Aliens will, should anything come of it, certainly not benefit Austro-Hungarian subjects, because no exchange will - on account of the lack of interned British in Austria-Hungary - be impossible.
It may still be mentioned that a good many British subjects, among them many who spent the season at Karlsbad, Marienbad etc,were permitted to leave the country months after the outbreak of hostilities, while no such permission was granted to Austro-Hungarians in this country. And even those who never had any intention to come to or stay in the United Kingdom coming from overseas places. like myself were taken off the boat and marched to Internment Camps.
Is it the intention of the British Government to improve on our lot and to put it on an equal footing with that of their subjects in Austria-Hungary?
As mentioned the discrepancy in treatment of enemy aliens by the UK and Austro-Hungarian governments was a point raised many times - an earlier letter in March 1917 has Lord Newton's comment on the cover page "what they mean is that they ought to be let out in view of the lenient treatment of B.S.S. in Austria and I own to feeling that there is a great deal of truth in their contention".
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