Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-24
GERMAN WAR PRISONERS
VERY HAPPY LOT OF Men
They Work In Fields With French
Peasants, and Have Plenty
to Eat.
NO ONE EVER SPEAKS TO THEM
Declare Their Compatriots Go to War
Only When Ordered, and They No
Longer Believe Their Country VIII
BE Victorious.

Especial Cable to The Times Dispatch.l
PARIS, October 23.--It would be inn
possible to imagine happier lot of
people than the German prisoners Of
war who are bllleted with the French
. peasants. whom they help In the field.
\ friend of mine who has visited
farm near Chateauroux writes:
Il found ten German prisoners seated
at dinner at n big table They rose as
! came in, saluted and sat down again
watched Thorn eating, and must say
was surprised It the bill OF fare.
They had fried fish, roast goose. beans,
fried potatoes and half bottle OF
wine.
Really, I said to farmers wife.
II is all right to be humane. but you
are going too far. You are feeding
your prisoners too we'll
FEEDS THEM FOWL.
TO SAVE MONEY
81 am doing that to save money
sho replied, and showed me the regu-
lations for the feeding OF prisoners OF
war. 1t called for one-half a pound
OF meat. two pounds OF fresh vegeta-
bles. three quarters of pound OF
bread. seven grams Of coffee, eight
grams OF sugar. and lard or butter as
needed. When 1 remarked that did
not see anything in the regulations
about roast goose or fried fab or wine,
she said:
That Is true. nut did you notice
] must give them meat. The nearest
butcher lives nearly four miles away,
and we have no time to go that far.
We caught the Ash hero in the pond
last night after the work was done.
I have more than 200 geese on the farm
and plenty OF potatoes and beans We
make our own bread. so you sec we
buy nothing. We have butchers meat
only on Sunday.
II spoke to one Of tho prisoners n
sergeant. who declared that he had
never been treated better. and / ex-
pressed the hope that French prisoners
in Germany might be treated equally
we'll
oh. they are he replied I have
JUS, had letter from my aunt who
has prisoners on her farm near Stet-
ain. She says they are growing fat
And do you still believe Germany
will win?
Not now he said The war lasts
too long But. OF course. we know
nothing here
But why don't YOU hope then"
PEOPLE GO TO WAR
ONLY WHEN ORDERED
In Germany. as in France he re-
piled. the people fought because they
were ordered TO do so. The people did
not want war but We were attacked
and had 20 defend ourselves The
whole world was jealous Of Germany
and conspircd against US
And you are going TO lose, YOU
think
Most likely. did not think so.
bur the French soldier who came back
from the front yesterday made me an!
all Of us change our ideas
What did he say?
He did not say anything much,
but he is very cheerful You French
men are very peculiar people. | have
lived ten years in France working i'm
shops and on farms. Nobody, / know.
wanted war here. You were afraid OF
1t. but now the soldiers come back
from the front cheerful. Look at that
fellow. In Germany the soldiers are
sad at present 49,"
AT this moment q whistle was
blown. the signal for the prisoners to
return to their work. noticed that
nobody ever spoke to them. The girl
who waited on them turned her face
away when she distributed tho plates
When they leave here she said,
they cannot say they ever saw my
eyes"