The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-03-19
UNCLE SAM'S REPRESENTATIVES
 ON FIRING LINE WITH ARMIES
 OF WARRINC EUROPEAN POWERS
Arrangement With Foreign Government Empowers Amer Visit Prisoners Camps-Yankees Play Important Reciprocal Exchange O Wounded Prisoners

The British government, the other hand, interpret these provis- ions as merely requiring the Hbera- I ton on parole in Great Britain of the crews of captured merchant ships, un- der the ressrvatio that subsequent ly they will be treated no more fa- varoba1y than other Germans residing in Great Britain.
 stIt is understood that the British government is re-exanining these provisions in the light of the mean ing attributed to them by the Ger man government.
 t'This' question has not arisen be- tween Great Britain and Austria Hungary, as these two governments reached an agreement. at the fbegin- ming of the war, releasing each oth- er's merchant ships and crews, and very few have since been captur- ed.
 .eThe arrangements made by France and Russia with Germany and Aus trda-Hungary are understood to be similar to those made by Great Bri- tain.
 1In regard to military prisoners no arrangements have been made for the, | exchange of such prisoners, except that on the suggestion of the govern ment of the United States early in l November, both sides have agreed | that all wounded prisoners who are permanently disabled for military ser
 
 basis.
 l with regard to the treatment of prisoners. it appears from MT. An derson's report that each of the bel. | 1igerent governments has establish ed for itself standards and rules gov erning it's treatment of military pris-. 1 oners of war and civilians in deten- ] ton camps. They have all an- nounced their willingness, on condi- 1 ton of reciprocity, to give effect to Articles XIV and XVI of the Annex | to The Hague Convention No. " of 1907, which provide for the estajb- | lishnent of a prisoners of war, in quiry office for furnishing informa- 1 tion about prisoners in each country, and the delivery of mail money and many other respects the arrange
 ments adopted are similar on both I sides, but as is inevitable where no l common basis of treatment is estab- Iished, there are also many important l differences.
 Attention is directed by MT. An l derson to the fact that Germany | alone claimed several months ago to have upwards of 53O, 900 prisoners of i war. consisting of about 20, ,09e Brit l ish, over 3O0,000 Russians and 2O0,- 1 600 French and Be1gians. There are several thousand German prison CTS of war in Great Britain in addi-
 fion to the 12,o0e or more German
 and Austro-Hun Sarian civilian pris- l oners interned in concentration camps. Many thousands Of German and Austrian soldiers are known to 1 be held as military prisoners in l France. and the number of prisoners 1 of war who have been taken on both sides between Russia and Germany and Austria-Hungary runs to very large figures. 1 t'1t is unauestionaply true that l 1 this very difficult situation in man ner which will be satisfactory to all l concerned in so far as circumstances l permit. Nevertheless, in view of the known differences, there naturally | have been misunderstanding and I rnisgivings on both sides about the treatment of their subjects who are held as military or civilian prisoners I in enemy territory. This situation l has been aggravated by sensational l stories of abuse and maltreatment of l prisoners on both sides which have l been given wide circulation in the newspapers in many countries, and l although for the most part without l foundation of fact, have been popu- larly accepted as true The result of all this has been to excite and in ' flame public feeling in all of these countries to the extent of demand
 ing retaliation and reprisals.
 Tn this difficult and dangerous sit uation the governments of Great Bri-
 tain, France, Germany and Austro-
 Hungary have called upon the gov
 ernment of the United States, as the
 friend of all parties, and the repre-
 sentative of their interests in enemy
 territory, for information, assistance
 and advice Perhaps the most i'm
 portant and useful service which this
 government, as the custodian of their
 interests. has rendered to these bel
 Hgerent nations, has been to bring
 about through the exercise of it's good offices, the present arrangement which will lead to 8 better under ,j standing among them as to the exist
 ing facts and the best method o1 dealing with this situation in flu ture.''