Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-05
WAR PRISONERS
ARE LIVING Under
BAD CONDITIONS
Corey Calls Treatment of
Men Held by Belliger-
ents as a Scandal.
FINDS 5000 MEN
IN AFFECT MISERY
Chief Item of Discomfort is Monotony
and Imposslbility Of Keeping Them
selves Clean - Vcrmin Infested
Camps Arc Described.
(By Herbert Corey.)


Copyright, 1914, by Herbert Corey.)
Berlin, Nov. 9.-There are 5000
very miserable men in the camp for
prisoners of war at Doberitz. No
doubt the conditions under which
they live are forced by military ne
cessity. Nevertheless they are very
miserable men.
I'VE would treat them better If we
could" said the guard who escorted
me. But we cannot. We are doing
the best we can"
Camp Makeshift.
I am inclined to credit that state
ment. Certain things show for them
selves. These men are sleeping-200
to 500 to the tent--in horse tents
which have been cast off by the Ger
man cavalry. These tents are very
old. Some of them have been patch
ed and thatched with torn and discol-
ored bits of canvas. The present
camp Is but a makeshift. intended to
bridge over the time until the winter
barracks shall be completed. BY
this time they may be housed in these
permanent huts. Germany says she
holds 43S,000 prisoners of war. The
housing and feeding of so great a
number must be q tremendous strain
upon resources drained by the neces-
stiles of war.
H1OUOCOuy CHtl3GS DlS1SUUVCuGs
Nevertheless these 3, 900 men r. at
Dobertiz are very miserable men.
- The chief item In. their bill of dis
content is the monotony. They have
nothing-absolutely nothing-to do.
It is true that they. are tvermfn ridden.
They have no way of keeping them
selves clean. Some Of them are not
warmly clothed. They could bear
with all these things If only they had
something to do.
"They sing" said the guard. "They
sing "Tipperary.
zone wouldn't think they would
feel like singing" was the comment.
1T Is something to do," said he.
International Scandal.
The plain truth is that the treat
ment of prisoners of war by the fight
ing nations is an international scan
dal England holds prisoners. and
France holds prisoners, and Russia
holds prisoners, and so does Germany.
For some reason no exchange can
be arranged. Humanitarian ideas
are no part of the war program. One
hears of battles in which no quarter
is granted. There are stories of one
side or the other refusing an armis-
tice to permit the other to gather Its
wounded. Each side is desperately
determined to win-and neither Is
counting the cost. So men must rust
in prison camps until the struggle is
over.
We went into one of the long tents.
A British soldier was sitting on his
bed roll, carefully examining the in
terror of his trousers. His long white
legs were bare. When he saw us he
hastily covered himself up and
blushed.
'.He is killing lices-louses." the
guard explained in his hating Eng
lish. THAT is the only way they can
keep themselves clean"
No Bath While War Lasts.
That proved to be the case. There
are 5000 men in the Doberitz camp,
elbowing each other, sleeping two in
q bed. Not one has had bath since
he was first brought to the camp. 1t
isn't likely that one will have bath
while the war lasts. When winter
comes, and they move into the per-
manent wooden barracks which have
been provided for them, conditions
must grow worse. They will be hud-
died about stoves then, and In the lack
of proper clothing Will not keep In
the open air. Even now
Don't touch anything" said the
guard. you'll get 'em on you."
When a man can stand the torture
no longer, he is sent to the hospital.
There he gets-not bath, but a thor
ough daubing with vermin killing
ointment His clothes are disinfected.
He Is sent back to be reinhabited.
Wash in Freezing Water.
Some of them do their best to keep
clean. In the center of the camp is q
horse trough, perhaps fifty feet long,
into which water may be turned from
q tap. It stands in the open air. Men
who have money and can buy soap at
the canteen wash their clothes In this
trough. If they are particularly par