New Britain herald., 1915-11-23
GERMAN PRISONERS
 LABOR IN FRANCE
100000 CapttiVes Employed at
 Various Occupations
Correspondence of The Associated Press'

Loanne. Central France, Nov. Is. 1 "A Achtung" was the German com mand of attention given by German | sergeant-major, in trim German uni
 form. to 1,500 German soldiers, all l in their gray-green uniform with
 red-edged caps, range in long ranks twenty deep along the great court yard of the barracks of Roanne. The sharp and gutteral German command sounded strangely in this French set ting. with French officers receiving 1 differential salutes and giving direc- 1 tions, and French soldiers in their vivid red-blue uniforms standing at shoulder-arms at all the exits.
 100000 Captives.
 These long lines of German sol- diers were typical of the scores of German prison encampments center l ing at this little town of Roanne, and radiating from here to the Spanish l frontier and over to the French col onies in Africa-in all some 10000 ! German priso1ers gathered up from Champagne and all along the line maneuvering under German officers i.1 the prison courtyards, working the farm, running the steam thrashing machines, binding hay in bundles for r French artillery and cavalry horses, and helping supply France with it's sustenance for the army and the people.
 Mining Coal.
 Here at Roanne, too, is the center of another form of German industry on French soil, with thousands of German-Polish soldiers doing the same work they did in the coal mines of Poland, digging the coal from the rich deposits of Central France, off setting the loss of the French coal fields of Pas-de-Calais in the north east which have passed into the hands of the invaders.
 The Associated Press was given the opportunity to see a large number of these German encampments, and typical scenes of the soldiers doing agricultural and mining work, the party arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and under the escort of French army officers lieut.. Brunei and Lieut. Garcin.
 In the courtyard of the Roanne bar racks the Germans had been drawn up to give the visitors a typical instance of their appearance. They looked rather slouchy until the word of com mand was give1.; their uniforms were staned and dirty, showing the results of life in the trenches: they were ir- regular in height, big hearted Bavar- ians and short stocky men.
 Bring them to attention, and have them take three steps forward, turn, and three steps backward" said the French commandant.
 Orders From Chaos.
 The. direction was. interpreted to the German sergeant-major,a and then rang out his Achtung.' The effect was electrical on these soiled and slouchy ranks. They sprang into even lines, every head straight and shoulders back, transformed from an irregular mass into perfectly al- ligned platoons which would have done credit to a parade ground. Then, as the command of three steps wal, given in German, the long lines of heavy wooden sabots came up into the German goose-step. and fairly crashed back and forth over the stone pavement. In an instant the goose step and the crashing sabots stopped and the lines were rigid. It was lit tie short of sensational this galvan- izing of a whole regiment of mud stained men into body fairly vii trating with energy and force, and automatic military precision.
 Six hundred of these men had re- gently been captured in the French advance in Champagne, but they were mingled indiscriminate1y with the others. One large dormitory, how ever, was given over chiefly to Cham pagne prisoners. This, like the rest of the rooms, were scrupulously clean and in good condition, with mattress ses and blankets for each man, rooms for shower baths, and the equip ment of a we1l-ordered barracks. The l same place had been used before l for French soldiers, and the Germans ! were getting practically the same ] accommodations. Tn the dining-hal, ] German, was a list of "extras'' on ] the bulletin-board which could be | bought-butter, tea, cheese, soap, l cigars, tobacco and other l,xuries at l the current French prices.
 Efficient Workers.
 It was the work these men were | doing, however, which was of chief interest. Nearby was a large es- i tablishment where the Grmans were seen at work. The great warehouse was fairly alive with these workmen, their uniform put aside for a rough working blouse. Big wheels were turning and hydraulic presses were turning out bales of tightly-pressed hay ready for shipping. Eight big