South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-22
DESCRIBES. VISIT
To ONE Of KAISER
| PRISON CAMPS
Correspondent Tells How Cap
tured Soldiers of Allies Fare
in Internment Under German
Guard-Food Is PaIatable.
Br a special Correspondent.

GERMANY, April 22.-On the crest
OF hill overlooking a broad valley / o
acres Of fiat land have been enclosed
10y a wooden fence seven feet high,
surmounted by two lines of barbed
wire The road on one side is a main
highway Peasant carts, wagons,
motor cars and pedestrians pass BY
untrOublcd by the fact that behind
these boards are more than 5000 men
of various races and tongues, prison
ers OF war. II is one Of the German
we had entered. I'VE keep all newly
arrived prisoners here for a period of
four weeks 20 make sure that they
have no diseases. There are 500 here
now" Siost of the prisoners iE this
prison camps. where Eng. ish, French
Russians. Belgians and Turcos are
detained
was escorted through the camp by
an officer This is the quarantine
pen" ne announced To me as soon as
pen" were civilians. BelgianS-cOn-
sidered unruly or insubOrdinate. who
had been removed from Belgium. and
interned prOmiscuously with the sol
diers. / noticed that they were ali Of
the arms bearing age. The pen" it
self covers about an acre and half
OF ground. 1t is separated from the
adjoining pen by barbed wire about
four feet high, loosely strung, and
bounded on all sides by a path eight
feet broad.
The camp is divided into 10 of these
"pens" Each contains four long, low
buildings, built Of stained pine boards,
and standing on a brick foundation.
Each building accommodates 25O men
and is heated by 10 coke stoves, light
ed by electricity, and ventilated by
windows The sleeping mattresses
are OF unbleached ducking, filled with
excelsior" or wood shaVings two feet
thick and placed on the floor.
Hospital Il Provided.
The blankets seemed rather scanty,
and most Of the men, / was told, used
their great coats as cOVerlets. In the
center OF the room are oblong tables
at which / . men can sit comfortably
for meals and games. Outbuildings.
containing kitchen. stores, lavatOries,
etc, are also provided, as is a hos
pital building for light cases All the
buildings are new and specially con-
strUcted for housing prisoners.
After a cursOry inspection, Is the
men were out Of their quarters at the
time. we passed TO the adjoining pen.
In all respects Identical with the first.
the buildings were more interesting as
they were full of prisoners chiefly
French, though with sprinkhng OF
Belgians and a few black" troops. !
] spoke with several of the men.
Many had been 'oro for four or five
months. but they all were in good
whether the Russians were in Berlin. |
and said they daily expected to hear
the boom of friendly guns.
"AU the discipline is maintained by
their own nOncOmmissiOned officers, |
my glide remarked. They have full
charge. also full responsibility. If
anything goes wrong. lookout touch |
es bell and then of course we take
action" He thereupon pointed to the
batteries OF artillery posted on ele-
waited platforms at various points OF
vantage. I also saw lookout towers
in which sentries were s. suoned, who
commanded a clear view of each pen. /
BY the time we had reached the
sixth pen we found the men getting
their MONDAY meal The food is pre-
pared and cooked by the prisoners. !
The chief meal OF the day is at noon. /
and consists of a big tin bowl of meat
end potato soup and a piece OF black /
bread I tasted the soup and it seem
ed very palatable. For breakfast l
was told the prisoners receive coffee |
with sugar and bread; and in the
evening bread with sometimes pota-
toes or other vegetables In all one
pound Of bread q day for each man.
Each Pen Has "Store."
Each pen has a store" which is
open al stated hours a printed price
list Of the articles sold hanSs in front /
OF the booth. Soap brushes shirts,
towels German dictionaries, and
French English German grammars
are the chief items. No food, chOc- |
olate. CT tobacco is sold. but the pur-
chase Of German grammars is en-
couraged. and the prices charged are |
ridiculOusly low. ! believe six cents. !
"YOu see we want the English and !
French TO learn our language, to un-
derstand us better" my escort remark /
ed 20 me In one of the buildings L |
came upon a group OF British sol |
diers, guardsmen, tall splendid fell |
lows. far eXCelling in the physique and |
bearing of all the other prisoners, eX- /
cept that they were unshaVen. ] be- |
Heve they are not allowed TO shave |
oftener than one a fortnight-they /
seemed remarkably tit, and only COM /
planned that IL was hard &c pass the 1
time.~but otherwise they were well I
treated. Questioned about their food 4
they said IL was good, but one man /
spoke up. We want more bread" I /
was informed that the allowance was /
the same as that OF the German sol /
diers.