The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-10-26
The Question Which 10 on Eseryone's
Lips but for Which There
Has Been No
Answer.
PRISONERS IN
Germany Has heused Them All p
sether and the Allies % Not
Relish Thsir Close
Confinement
by Karl H Won Wiegand. United
Press STAR CorreSpondent.l

fIGSE SI6H I-OIEGSpOH1Sat.
MUENSTER. Germany. Sept -
(By courier via Rotterdam to New
York.p-How long sir. do you think
the wal wiz last."
More than . score of Englishmen
literally pricked up their ears to catch
! the answer when the bare-kneed High
landsrs asked this question Round
about were thousand OF Frenchmen In
their dirty res trousers. staivart Bel
gIans and a sprinkling Of sadfaced
Turcos and Zouaves from the deserts
| and mountains Of Algiers, all prison
ers of war
How long will the war laste' was
repeated. It was the unexpressed
question mark or every one OF the
thousands of faces.
Are YOU tired OF it,. was asked
OF the Highlander.
-Hrd rawther be playing golf at
'ome than be In this bloomin' blasted
place he answered. -Cawn't you ask
them to let Us have a golf course out
there. Y'know We Gavin use these
bIoomin' barracks for bunkers.r
Hi shouted another, "cawn't You
persuade them to give rs a bawth
tub. Hi 'aven't 'ad a bloomin' bawth
since they brought US to this blasted
place"
How long will the war last. No one
is asking that question mor often
than the prisoners OF war. Their lot
is rather . melancholy one. Aside
| from police work." that is, keeping
the camp and their barracks c,ean.
there Is little to do. The hours. the
days and the weeks drag. Cigarettes
and tobacco. the CONSIDERS when all
else fail, run low.
While substantial, the food Is simple
but there Is none too much Of it and
the manner in wht-h it is served.
crates somewhat on the nerves of the
squeamish among the English prison
ers here. The Belgians and French
fraternfze but the English with their
customary alofness keep pretty much
to themselves.
They attribute the war I o the Rus
SLAMS. for whom they eyinca no great
love. and their immediate predscament
10 the French. who failed to come
II their support In the fighting.
There are $4,000 prisoners In the
big camp here on the military maneu-
yer grounds. 1t Is said that In ! few
days several thousand Russians OF
whom the Germans now have 90 many
that they don't know what to do with.
will be adder to the Muenster camp.
Knowing the aversion Of the aver
age E~ngiishman to the less immacu-
late Russian soldier. the Germans con-
slider it a huge joke that they should
be put in the same camp to give the
allies a chance to get thoroughly ac-
quainted with each other"
The Muenster camp Is surrounded
by a high plank and barbed wire
fence. About 1000 men OF the land
strum." guard the prisoners. There
is a sentry every fifty yards apart.
The public Is NOT allowed to talk 20
the prisoners and can only pass the
enclosure at a considerable distance.
The captured non-commissioned Of
fcers endeavor to keep q little discf-
pine among their men, especially In
so far as t compel them to keep the
"non-coms" boots and clothing clean.
give them the best sleeping places.
etc. This often results In nc little
rowing. the prisoners being unable TO
see the logic OF doing the will OF the
noncommissioned offcers when both
are in captivity.
Among the Belgians are quite q
number of civilians. old men with
grey hair and beardless youths Of IS
and IS. They are charged with being
"Franctireurs" Or having engaged IL
guerilla warfare against the German
soldiers In Liege anc other points in
Belgium
They are awaiting court martial.
Six were stood up and shot in the
camp last Thursday. Two prisoners
court martialed for treason" arrived
today to be executed here.
The prisoners Occupy the large q
racks used by the German soldiers
during maneuvers- They sleep on the
ground on beds Of straw
Application for Receiver.