Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-11
GERMANY IS KIND
TO ITS PRISONERS
Stories of Cruel and Inhuman
Treatment Are Without
Foundation.
CAPTIVES WELL CARED FOR
Their Camp Fare Is Better Than
That of Many
Citizens.
CAPTIVES WELL CARED FOR
ny rnEDEnICK WERNER.

| ny FREDERICK WERNER.
| Especial Cable to The Times Dispa tch.I
| BERLIN. April !O.-Storics of cruel
and inhuman treatment of prisoners of
war in German concentration camps
have lately become SO frequent in the
French and English press that 1t was
with great pleasure accepted an in
vitation from the German Minister OF
! War TO visit any camp | might desire.
tho only condition imposed upon mo
being that ! should try my best to
give an unbiased impression of what
| saw 10 my American readers
! Supplied with an official document
stating that | was travelling as "a rep
rcscntativc of the war ministry, and
permitting me TO make use OF military
trains. was allowed absolute freedom
OF movement everywhere, and can
truihfully state that wh1t saw was
not what tho authorities particularly
wanted to show. but everything T
thought would help TO give me a true
idea of actual conditions
GERMANY IS NOT
STARVING: PRISONERS
Before I start to give details. let
''i' HtSt state tnat nave personally
convinced myself there is no truth
whatever IN tho statement made time
and again in hostile countries that Ger
many is starving her prisoncFs OF war.
Thousands of German citizens would
nc delighted ii they could get the fare
supplied TO captured enemies
Talking without the presence of wit
nesses with many English. Russian and
serbian and French prisoners of war.
VINO had no object in concealng any
thing from me, was told time and
again that the fare is sufficient and
we'll prepared. My visit to the food
depots and lardcrs Of various prisoners
camps confirmed this
ON week days the prisoners twice
daily received bowl OF some Kind OF
soup with squares OF meat in Il, differ
rent, OF course, from the dishes with
"h'ch they arc familiar ut home, but
nevertheless, good. uourishinc German
SOUP, made with beans, lcntils. kale.
potatoes or peas. first time at in tho
morning and the second time at 1850
III the afternoon. while at noon they
are given cold ration, consisting or
sausage. cheese and war bread on
sundays they get three hot meals
nc meat - cut M and put into the
SOUP hrS'. because il is easier to soc
'hat each prisoner gets an equal amount
o. meat. ana, second because no knives
are permitted within the camps Every
prisoner has u folding spoon which he
carries in the breast pocket of his coat.
Every captive is weighed regularly
10 sec that he is not losing flesh.
'a'E conditions are excellent. and
mere was very little sickness ann
where. though tho winter has, been
camp ana cold, This is perhaps prin-
c'pallN due TO the fact that couccu
tra'ion camps have been constructed
only III places whore drinking water
Is good and plentiful The barracks
are we'll ventilated and heated. Hero
must also mention that the clothes
], OF an arriving prisoners are disin
tected ana sieriiiacd in special ovens
: neiore they are admitted into the
camps and the men themselves get y
= shower bath Bathing at regular in.
tcrNals is compulsory
2 Among the French prisoners saw
l near the fronr there were a good manv
cases OF typhoid and cntcric fever and
spec'a' fever hospitals have been bui,t
!" 'Soiate places. All attendants and
= nurses arc inoculated with antityphoid
| serum, with excellent results.
r PRISONERS ARE FOUND
IN tNCEIIEAT SPIRITS
Nearly everywhere found Tho
: prisoners in excellent spirits. Tbey
got along splendidly together. and
, their relations with their guards arc
quite friendly though both sides are
e'"aily convinced OF ultimate victory
for their cause Dsciplinc is s+ri,.t
but no more than reasonable.
What the prisoners complain of mos,
is the enforced
city OF reading matter in their own
Hnsuh&es. While there was stl snow
. on the ground, Russian and ENGLISH
prisoners engaged in many snowbalIinc
: contests.
The membership Of tho Free Ma
tional Society," which was founded bv
Professor kahl. a little over six weeks
, ago, continues 10 increase by leans and
bounds, fact which speaks wei! for
the patriotism Of the German people.
The object of the society is not so
much 10 arouse enthusiasm for the wa >
2 as Z" preserve the surprising unity OF
Y purpose and obiteration of all partv
{ "'"crchces, which has astonished the
world ana added Immensely TO the
0 strength OF Germany during the war
J. AS Tar as The national aims OF the
/ society arc concerned 1t has the hearty
Endorsement of the government hut Ito
$ political aims arc even now looked n,
5 WITH suspicion by the ruling classes
y III Prussia, because IT opcnly advo
Gates that when the war is over all
= relations between the government and
INC elected representatives of the peo-
t pie should be based on more candor
, and trust than has hitherto been the
, ease. both in tho realms OF foreign and
Z, domestic politics.
P0PE'S PRAYER FOR PEACE