Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-22
BOER PRISONERS CAMP
Good Treatment a Feature of
THEFT Captivity In Ceylon.
MANY OF THEM ARE PARoLBD.

British Guards at DIyntaIava.
Health of Cnptives Very Good.
school Established For the Beers.
Sheriff. Babcock, who has returned
to New York from abroad, told a re-
porter of the New York Times the other
day of his visit and examination of the
Boer prisoners camp mt Diyatalawa,
island OF Ceylon, during the summer of
the past year. About 5000 prisoners
are in the camp at Diyatalawa. Speak
ing of his visit, Mr. BabcOck said:
''Diyatalawa is 1G2 miles from the
coast and within about six degrees of
the equator. Its altitude. however. is
about 5000 feet above the sea level,
and the temperature is very agreeable.
In the evening. in fact, blankets are
necessary.
ION my arrival at Diyatalawa / was
given a permit to visit the prison in
closure. The Boer prisoners are housed
at the camp in buildings constructed
of galvanized iron, with board floors.
The buildings are OF sufficient size TO
permit n row of cots on either side,
with n space sufficient for large table
between. They all appeared to have Il
sufficiency of blankets. There was Il
very large building given over TO the
use OF the Beers for the purpose of
meetings or such other purposes as
they might desire.
'The grounds were surrounded by
two lines of wire fence about eight
feet apart. with the space between the
two fences filled with loose barbed
wire The English guards patrol
L.
and surrounding the camp were Il num-
Der of rapid fire guns. There w2s Il
very large open space in the camp
that the Beers could use for cricket or
football or other athletic games. There
was also provided for them n large
bathtub about 10 feet long by 20 feet
wide, with running water. Il conven-
fence necessary in Diyatalawa, where
it is very warm in the middle of the
day. The food of the prisoners ut Di-
yatalawa is exactly the same as that
furnished to the soldiers who guard
them.
The Beers, however. are permitted
to purchase anything in the shape OF
food that they may desire. The day
was there Il son of President Kruger,
who had just received $500 from his
mother, celebrated the occasion by
purchasing n sheep, which he and his
friends consumed at one meal. The
health OF the prisoners was very good
when 1 was there. The feeling be-
tween the soldiers and the prisoners
seemed 10 be very cordial. as the ser
Geant who went through the camp
with me talked TO a great many of the
I a
the Enclosure talking to the prisoners.
1.-The granting of paroles is very gen.
eral to the BOer prisoners, especially to
the officers, as they had money enough
to support themselves outside the in
closure. There has also been estab-
lished n school for the Boer prisoners
at the camp. The colonial government
has contributed 1000 rupees for that
purpose.
There was an occurrence that took
place while / was at Colombo that oc-
casioned Il good deal of comment. 1t
was the dining by Sir West Ridgeway,
the governor of Ceylon and the repre-
of the British empire. of Gen
eral Olivier and other Boer officers at
the official residence, Queen Cottage.
There is apparently an effort being
made by the British government to
treat it's Boer prisoners well. For eX-
ample. il pardoned one who had been
an inmate of the general hospital for
Il long time suffering from ailments |
due to old age. The most striking |
thing about the Boer prisoners in Cey- !
Ion was the sending Of over go of them |
from Diyatalawa to the seashore at |
L INF 1nnx
mitted 10 wander up and down the |
beach at their own free will, with APP |
parently no guards at all.
1.-The prisoners, from all that L can |
learn. were Il we'll behaved lot of men !
except the foreign contingent. With |
them there was once or twice little /
so that n separate camp was |
for the foreigners. There |
have been n number of escapes by the |
Boer prisoners from the camps. The
reason apparently is that everybody is
so used TO seeing the paroled prisoners
that no one makes any inquiry when
ever n BOer is seen. For example, n
short time ago two of the Beers got
put of the camp. took the train at Diya-
talawa and sat alongside some Eng
ish officers all the way to Colombo,
even taking dinner with them at the
The result of my observation in the
amp was that the majority of the 5000
prisoners seemed to be we'll fed, well
housed, well clothed and we'll treated,
and the action of the government in
their officers as equals must
BE very consoling to their national
pride"
Chandler on the Presidents Activity
ut is my firm belief" said ex-Sena-
tor Chandler in the lobby of the White
House the other day after n short con-