The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-21
GERMAN PRISONERS LIVING IN. BRITISH
 BOILER FACTORIES
Concentration Camp Containing 2,0O0 Prisoners of War Said
 to Be Not Overcrowded

more than 2,20oS aliens.
 The camp is housed in a score of spacious factory buildings formerly occupied by a firm of boiIer-makers. 1 The buildings set aside for dormitory purposes are divided into wards" sfblocks," and bays" All the build ings are solidly built and the sleep i ing and living quarters are by no 1 means crowded, with due considera- ton for matters of light, ventilation and heating.
 l A centFaI heating plant. formerly 1 the factory power house, furnishes i steam heat and hot water for all the buildings. There are wash houses with hot and cold showers at convent | ent points about the camp. The men have shown considerable I interest in decorating their rooms. Some of the wards, containing from four to ten men, are decorated in al- ships, or streets. Sign-boards, paint ed with more or less elaboration, di- rect the visitor to ssVilla Enden, ,''- an imitation of the famous German cruiser, "stadt Hamburg t'Unter den Linden and Windsor Castle
 Each man is provided with three blankets and a mattress for his bunk. There are a. few "day rooms,'' fitted up for 1ounging and for indoor games such as checkers, dominees. chess, and cards. No gambling is allowed.
 The hospital contains provisions for twenty-five patients, and is amply equipped. with medical and surgical appliances. A resident medical off, ficer is in charge, with two sanitary officers who continually inspect all parts of the camp. Every new pris-. oner is submitted to a rigid examina- ton, and the medical officer keeps regular office hours, during which any resident may consult him without charge. Every man whom he sees is given card on which are entered his name the nature of his complaint, and the prescribed treatment. Cases Of severe illness are sent to civil hos pitals in London. The general health of the camp has been excellent.
 The camp postoffice handles about 2,500 outgoing letters each week, and a rather larger amount of incoming mail. All letters are read by censors and outgoing mall is limited to two letters a man per week. No letter may be longer than can be written on two sides of an ordinary sheet of note paper. The censorship of incoming mail has caused some annoying de- lays; letters from Germany are often in a handwriting difficult to dectpher. Letters from the United States are more satisfactory, a large proportion of them are in typewriting and many are of purely business character. Nothing relating to the war passes the censors
 There is a camp library, from which residents may borrow books of varied character. Newspapers are forbidden in all the camps Facilities are given by the postoffice for the receipt of money, and all sums are accounted for and paid out as the, prisoner di- rects
 Prisoners who have money can take full advantage of the "canteen, ,'s where special tariff lists for purchases of all kinds are posted
 Much of the routine work of gov erning the amps is done by the pris- eneFs themselves. There is a head captain for each 'sbloclz,'' a captain for each ssbay," and the various. bays are again broken up into naesses. un- der charge of petty officers. All these officers are chosen by vote of the men themselves. The captains and head captains hold stated meetings at which they consider and adopt reeu lations for the conduct of camp af- fairs.
 The commandant and his adiutant have office hours during which thev may be seen on any matters which the captains wish to bring to their at- tention. Any prisoner is privileged to appeal for the remedy of grievances
 The occupations with which the men busy themselves are as various as the calHngs and trades represented A number of men devote themselves to constructing models Of steam or sailing ships, and derive some profit from their skill by offering their nanofwork to the highest bidders some with a less mechanical turn lJn- dertake outside work, such as level ing, laying ashes, using the tar brush and painting. An attempt has been made by the trade unions to put a. stop to this activity the ground a 1oh rates. A few men occupy their leisure in painting water colors
 There Is plenty of opportunity for sports. Football and boxing are pon- ular, and prisoners without skill at these sports occupy themselves at quite Juvenile in character. Model boat sailing on a small sheet of water adjoining the compound has a nupoher of devotees
 German and Austrian schoolmas- ters, university graduates, and college professors have united to form ff7es facuity or camp school, which offers day and evening classes for men and boys The average daily and nightly attendance is very high. especially in on the lines of higher education. ;, in cludings courses in theology. history English literature and language and navigation.
 The camp has brass band. an or chestra, and several glee clubs Sey- eral squads have been organized for gymnastics and military drill. and there are occasional exhibitions by prisoners of gymnastics and aero battles.
 Religious services are held on Sun day by both Catholics and Protestants One of the prisoners is a German pastor. He was given a chance of re- lease, but preferred to remain, de- claT1ng mat ne could do better work within the camp than outside.
 Officers 1nterned in the camp enjoy some special privileges, and are gen erallyp rovided with servants of f1air own nationality. They are paid in accordance with the provisions of the Hague convention-half the pay Of