The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-07-23
AMERICAN Y. N. C. A.
BUILT FOR THEM
Commander Credited for Good Con-
ditions; Called PRISON Genius"
by U. 5. Anbassador;
800 Of Allies Held
BY CARL W. AckERMAN.

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent.
Prison Camp. Goettingen, Germany,
June 1S.-tBy mail. Here Ia one
spot in belligerent Europe where pris-
oners of war enjoy more personal free
dom than they did at the front as
soldiers. The camp is almost free
city" The men do almost as they
wish and after several months under
rigorous orders at the front they are
enjoying their freedom" even II they
can't go outside the grounds. Camp
rules are the most simple and neces-
sary to safeguard the health and COM
fort of the inmates.
When / came into the camp today
the Main street" was crowded with
English soldiers, many wearing
wooden shoes; with Frenchmen in tat
tered red trousers and blue coats:
Scottish Highlanders in plaid skirts
and brighter plaid stockings and a
few hundred giant Russians. Not
German officer or soldier except tho
two at the gate could be seen.
For several hours visited among
the Canadians. the English and the
French, entirely out OF earshot OF any
German authority asked the men
If my impression of their freedom was
correct and everyone said 1t was
fact. Every man believed what an
English soldier said, "of course. it's
unfortunate 10 be war prisoner but
we are fortunate to be in camp where
we are given so much freedom.
In what other prison camp. i ask
ed, "are the men permitted to gather
in groups and talk as they please and
do what they please?" Many, who
had been in other camps, said Goet-
tingen was the first Of its kind and
they attributed this fact to the ad-
ministrative ability of the camp COM
mander, whom every prisoner praised.
Ambassador Gerard and the Span
ish ambassador of Berlin, who were
here some weeks ago to dedicate the
first American Y. NJ. c. A. ever built
in a prison camp or prison. declare
the commander is prison genius
Gerard said if this officer could take
charge of all the prisons in Europe
there would be no complaint against
| the handling of prisoners OF war.
Even among Swedish investigators
| Goettingen is considered the finest
camp in Europe. John B. Jackson OF
Trenton, N. j., former American min
lister to Roumania, who has seen all
the camps in England and Germany.
holds the same opinion.
| Camp conditions are excellent. the
spirit of the men is inspiring. the
camp health is equal to that In the
most healthful spots in the world. Less
than 25 were in the hospital today. The
men not only appeared happy but said
they were happier than they ever ex-
pected to be as prisoners of war. And
today there are about 500 former sol
diers of the allies imprisoned here.
among them 100 Canadians, members
of the former forty-eighth Toronto
Highlanders who were captured at
Ypees, April "a.
/ This camp was founded in large
| field outside the old university city
of Goettingen and at the foot OF q
high hill on top OF which is Bismarck's
tomb. 1t is made up of several hun
dred frame upholstered shacks, one
story high and similar in every way
to cheap cottages one sees at Ameri'
can summer resorts. Between every
fire cottages is street, some SO
wide that the ex-soldiers have potato
patches in front for flower gardens.
The Y. M. c. A. building is largs
cottage with a library of French. En-
d glish and Russians books and maya
! zines at one end and stage at tbs
!. other. A Frenchman was paintinl
!. ecanarv for the stage. Belglane Weri