Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-11-12
life IN PRISON
CAMP ENDURABLE
Man Released From the Isle OF
Wight Gives His Ex-
perienceS.
WAS NOT TREATED BADLY
lnterned Germans Are Well Supplied
With Food and Diversions-Self.
governing Prison Camp-Abuses
Are Remedied.
BY FREoA TcHERKEsoFF,

London.-Wishing to obtain some
authentic Information about the life
Of 'aiien enemies" In the internment
camps. went to see my friend. Lud
wig. who had been interned six weeks
in the kn0ckaloe camp on the Isle OF
Wight. and who now was released on
the ground Of having no nationality
at all.
Ludwig was born in Russia of Ger
man parents. He had been educated
there. had married a Russian. taken
part In the revolutionary movement OF
the University of Moscow students.
and finally had been expelled by the
Russian police. going to Germany.
Here he was not only not welcomed
but was denied the rights of German
nationality. At last, after some years
spent In Bulgaria and France. he came
to London.
When the war broke out all Ger
mans were forced to register. My
friend. from an excess of honesty. con
fided to the police the puzzle of his
nationality: from an excess of piu
dence the authorities interned him
until his papers Of identity had been
examined.
Did you find life in the camp very
hard?" I asked.
Existence In the camp" he said.
IL quite bearable: Of course one must
fix in ones mind once for all that one
IL no longer free and has to submit to
regulations. Within certain limits
however. we were quite at liberty tn
organize our internal life. and we. in
our compound. made full use Of this
permission. We chose among Us our
own police for each section. and this
arrangement worked 50 perfectly that
the English soldier-guards left the
keeping OF order entirely to the men
elected by US and entered only on
their request-a good deal Of unpleas-
antness and friction being avoided
In consequence.
Generally speaking. the food Is
good and sufficient.
Settling the Meat Question.
Each person Is supposed to receive
half q pound Of meat. including fat
and bones or four ounces Of corned
beet. But the German cooks. who are
appointed and paid by the English
contractors. are hand In glove with
their masters. and even some Of the
officials know what Is going on: In
any case. the amount of cooked meat
each man receives is nearer two than
eight ounces. This question of the
meat portions has given rise to much
friction and was at the bottom Of the
riots in the Douglas camp. when many
we're killed and wounded.
II was impressed at once by the evi.
dent disparity of the official and the
real portions Of meat. and consulted
with my fellow prisoners. Whenever
q public question has to be debated q
general meeting Is called. resolu
ton was passed and a delegate sent
to the governor. As similar resolu
tions had been forwarded to him on
several occasions. he told US that now
we would receive each our half.pound
of raw meat.
This caused CONSERVATION amonc
the wealthy prisoners. who did not
like at all the idea Of having to cook
their own dinners. The poorer oner
proposed to find among the prisoners
some cooks and walters who could
prepare the food for US all together
But a resolution was carried by the
majority asking the governor to rever,
to the old way. As q result OF oui
protest. however. we received after
ward somewhat larger portions.