The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-11-26
HOW GERMAN PRISONERS, DETAINED IN BIC CAMPS
 WORK FOR THEIR LIVING

interest. Nearby was a large estab-
 1ishment where the Germans were
 seen at work, their uniforms put aside
 for a, rough working blouse. Big
 wheels were turning and hydraulic presses were turning but bales of tight
 pressed hay ready for shipping. Eight
 big Germans were on the top of a flat
 cars ranging the bales in place, and
 scores of others were working the
 machinery and passing the product
 through the various processes of ship
 ment.
 At the little town of Aubier a dozen Germans in bIouseN were running a was falling in a steady stream as the
 Germann passed the sheaves from the
 storehoLse and ran it through the ma chine. Others were running the engine steadying the movement of the long shafts leading to the thrasher. This was typical of the thrashing of the wheat yield, now going on all over France, Germans being scattered all over the little farming centers doing the heavy work of the machines.
 At Montefacons 100 Germans were in the courtyard of a substantial build ing formerly used as a convent. It was their hour of leisure, and they stood about in groups like athletes on a big sporting field. The French mail wagon had just arrived bringing the letters and packages coming within the regu- lations. The soldiers can send two let ters a month and a, post card weekly, the letters being of four pages, 16 lines to the page, dealing only with health conditions and personal affairs, but not of the war. There is the same fa- eility for incoming mail, and the men were eagerly awaiting the parcels and letters.
 | German Poles. were seen in large
 numbers at one of the village encamp- ments. They were not sturdy a set as the men from western and south
 ern Germany; irregular of build and many small men. Some were we'll along to recovery from wounds, but still had bandaged heads or arms. One Pole had the whole side of his jaw slassed off with a saber stroke, but the wound had healed and he stood among his fellows with his narrow face tapering down to an acute point. Two young German Poles stepped forward and showed the Polish spirit underlying German doTnt- nation, by reciting the evils of Ger men rule. They spoke simply and earnestly, maintaining that the Poles fared much worse under German rule than they did under Russia. "Do all your companions here share this view?" was asked of the Polish boys.
 ''Not all, but large number of them do.'' was the reply.
 One of the important Polish camps visited was near St. Ettiene, the heart of the coal region of Central France, where the Polish niners-recently serving in the German ranks-are bringing up the stores of anthracite and bituninous coal. It is the chief dependence of France. for fuel and fn- dustria1 energy, now that the northern cia1 fields have changed hands. All around were the gaping mouths of the coal pits, with the machinery for raising, and long lines of dump cars carrying off the coal improvised sidetracks to the man lime. It was late in the day when the. visit was made, and the Polish miners had come to the surface and were now crowding forward in hundreds to receive their pay.
 What, are German prisoners paid?'' was asked.
 E'Yes, and they make good wages, about one franc and so centimes day (32- cents),'' was the reply.
 As the Polish miners pressed up for their money they were paid by typical French accountant. with big safe and rows of tin money eases be side him. The men had on their Enining clothes. b1ackened and stain ed, but through the grime stood out the fact that they were German sol diers, most of them wearing the red edged caps and some using old uni forms for the work. A Polish sergeant names and the men eagerly pocketed their earnings
 Occasionally some question is raised about the payment of wages to Ger man prisoners. But the answer is