The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11
TELLS OF VISIT ID
 PRISONERS OF WAR No Truth in Report That
 They Are Starved FOOD IS PLENTIFUL
Sanitary Conditions Are Excellent and There Is Very Little Sickness Anywhere-Anti-Ty Typhoid
 Serum in Use
By FREDERICK WERNER

Berlin. April Special Histories of cruel and inhuman treatment of pris- oners of war in German concentration camps have lately become so frequent in the French and English press that 1t was with great pleasure I accepted an invitation from the German minister of war to visit any camp I might de- sire. the only condition imposed upon me being that I should try my best to give an unbiased impression of what saw to my American readers.
 Supplied with an official document stating that I was travelling as repre- sentative of the war ministry and per mitting me to make use Of military trains. I was allowed absolute freedom of movement everywhere. and l can truthfulIy state that what 1 saw was not what the authorities parucuiariy wanted to show, but everything l thought would help to give me true idea of actual conditions
 Before l start to give details let me first state that I have personally con- vinced myself there is no truth what ? ever in the statement made time sand gain in hostile countries that xsermany Is starving her prisoners -of@Har. Thou sands of German citiZsdis would be de-
  piled captured .esiemies.
 Fare Is Sufficient
 TallSir. Without the presence of wit nesses with many English, Russian a,fd Servian and French prisoners of P War. who had no object in concealing anything from me. I was told time and aagin that the fare Is sufficient and we'll prepared. My visit to the food depots and 1arders of various prisoners camps confirmed this.
 On week days the prisoners twice daily receive a bowl of some kind of soup with squares of meat in it, diff ferent of course from the dishes with which they are familiar at home, but nevertheless good nourishing German soup made with beans, 1entils, kale, po- tatoes or peas, first time at ' in the morning, and second time at 4:30 in the afternoon, while at noon they are given a cold ration consisting of sausage, cheese and war bread. On Sundays they get three hot meals.
 The meat is cut up and put into the soup first because 1t is easier to see that each prisoner gets an equal amount of meat, and second because no knives are permitted within the camps. Every prisoner has a folding spoon which he carries in the breast pocket of his coat.
 
 see that he Is not losing flesh
 Sanitary conditions are excellent and there was very little sickness anywhere though the winter has been damp and cold. This is perhaps principally due to the fact that concentration camps have been constructed only in places where drinking water is good and plentiful. The barracks are well ventilated and heated Here I must also mention that the clothes of all arriving prisoners are disinfected and sterilzed in special ovens before they are admitted into the camps and the men themselves get a shower bath. Bathing at regular intervals Is compulsory.
 Among the French prisoners I saw near the front there was a good many special fever hospitals have been built in isolated places. All attendants and nurses are innoculated with anti-typhoid serum with excellent results.
 Nearly everywhere I found the prison CTS in excellent spirits. They got along splendidly together and their relations with their guards are quite friendly, though both sides are equally convinced of ultimate victory for their cause. Dis clpline is strict, but no more than reas- enable.
 What the prisoners complain of most Is the enforced likeness and the scarcity of reading matter in their own languages. While there was still snow on the ground Nthe Russian and English prisoners en- esged in many snowballing contests.
 seciety's Membership Continues
 The Membership of the Free National society," which was founded by Professor kshl little over six weeks ago, con