The Washington herald., 1914-10-18
BRITISH CAPTIVE
TELLS OF PRISON
Germans Didn't Treat Him 81
Badly, Says Civilian After
Release.
GIVEN SOLDIERS RATIONS
John A. F. AspinaIl. Imprisoned with
2s.0O0. Relates Experience in
Military Camp.
seial oahis . ne washingtOn Hsrad.

Special olhls 10 he WashinRtou Hrr.H
London. Oct. H.-Prison life IN Co.
many IL not 30 dreadful. according
the account Of John A. F. Aspinafl.
prominent English railroad man. wh1
happened 10 be caught by the war vhiI1
on tour and was sent to the eararI
at Muensterlager. near Bremen. wher1
S.ooo captives are held Later he va
released and he has Just arrived here
He said today:
This camp covers a very large area
and is divided into rectangular snace1
by stone paved roads, between whtckl
are the buildings vlhich are uSuaIYl
used, We are told. during the summed
naneuvers by the German troops We
were placed FIRST Of all in No 4 Cavalry
Barraeis, a wooden shed with a CORFU
gated iron roof The center part Of the
building contained the space for the
horses. There were two rooms at the
end designed for the use Of the men.
We were placed in one OF these room.
with about eighteen other Engiishmen
ana some French and Belgian civilians.
slept on the Floor. n
For a few days We had iron bedi
ana straw mattresses. but afterward thu
: beds were taken from US and we had ID
sleep on the floor. Each prisoner Ia
to purchase. or II he had no money wal
given a bowl for his food. a tin spoonI
zinc basin for washing and towels. w
Were fortunate in being placed in thes{
END buildings. as the larger part Of N
barracks usually used for horses wa
/ occupied by civilian prisoners, who hal
to sleep in the stalls.
The food which was served IL IN
same as that served to the troops "
were called out at Eve and at six wer
given bowl Of black coffee. At abou
nsS0 We were given a bowl Of soup con
ststing mainly OF potatoes. though sorne
| times there was some fat bacon in
l sometimes the soup consisted Of peas d
beans. At about p. m. we were give
a bowl OF coffee and sometimes a bow
OF cocoa Bread was served IN the loa
every second day and when we hrs
reached the camp the bread alIowanc
was half a loaf per man per two DAYS
which worked out about A cubic inche
Of bread per day per man. The formed
allowance had been es cubic inches pei
man per day. 50 that the reduction was
considerable.
! Sanitary Conditions Rad.
Sometimes we did not get any ooE-
fee at night, but only little piece Of
cheese or sausage. and had to go to
bed rather hungry. The water supply
Of the camp was plentiful. but I could
well We were not permitted to leave
the barracks between the hours Of 9 D
m. and a. m. The sanitary arrange
ments connected with the camp were
bad. but officers were being made &c
construct better arrangements. 1t wal
surprising how bad they were consider
ing a large number Of German sofdlSr-
were quartered close 10 the camp. There
were millions Of flies and mosquitoes
/ On certain occasions prisoners got NJ
coffee or food at night
| "One day a number of people who werC
! said to have come from Louvain 'wer'
brought into the camp. Against thest
the Germans seemed to have I con
siderable in-feeling. and stated the
civilians had fred upon the troops. Thii
later group included a number Of peo
pie from the goals in Belgium, and dur
ing the night some trouble arose witt
them and there was a great deal d
rife firing within a few yards Of oul
barracks The firing took place asaiI
next day and a number Of pr:sorer'
were killed.
1T was difficult to know how many
but one Of the German soldiers PLACED
the number at twenty-siX. One pris
oner hanged himself. We were adviseS
by the sergeant major in charge Of Vi
that whenever We heard firing we wer
to lie down on the floor as this wa
the safest thing TO do and We folloveS
his instructions"