The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-02
German Prisoners Sustain Unfailing Faith in Final
 Triumph of Fatherland
COMFORTABLE AND
 WELL TREATED
Detention Camps Are Democratic and Prisoners Govern Them selves-Are Not Allowed
 to Leave Barracks

Paris, April 1.-t6s2o p. m.)-Captiv- ity weighs lightly on German prison CTS in France. Their spirits are sus- tained by unfaiiing faith in n final victory for the fatherIand and the good care they are receiving. These facts were discovered by foreign news paper men who have just visited the prisoner camps.
 My soldiers said General Poline at Tours. "are sleeping wherever they can--in barns. in sheds-while the German prisoners are enjoying the comforts of barracks"
 There are a thousand German pris- oners in the Issoudan barracks, from all arms of the service, of all ages. from 19 to 45, and from all sections of the battle front All are rosy and gay and satisfied with their fooa. which is the same as that given the French soldiers except as the quanti- " or meat is reduced quarter of a pound, in retaliation for the measures which are said to be applied to French prisoners in Germany"
 
 six hours light work a day. are well red and are treated with considera- ton by the French officers and sol diers,' said r. Rondholz of Constance. 2O-year-old private of the 142d reg iment of infantry in signed state ment to the Associated Press He Is a prisoner at 1ssoudan.
 Are More Depressed
 The 500 prisoners in the camp at Tours are housed less comfortably than those at Issoudan, but as well as are the French soldiers Recent ar- rivals in this camp are said to have been more depressed than those who preceded them, but nothing can con- vince them that the Germans are not bound to win and none of them seem to believe anything that appears in the prisoners newspapers. which Is being published in German for their ben eft.
 We know all about that. We have the same thing on the other side. It IS the kominadatur who does all that they say.
 What impresses them most is the vast military body employed in hand nng the immense commissary stores at Tours. "Who is going to wear these ] millions of shoes and shirts?' they ask They refuse to believe that there are
 
 The privates naturally are docile and the officers are compelled to be so after having given trouble at Mont auban. The officers seem depressed and less naughty since the new year, their hopes of being able to celebrate Christi mas at home having been disappointed Only one attempt to escape has been made at Issoudan and only two light penalties have been inflicted. At Tours the men are so glad to earn eight cents day that all of them work with will on highway repairs, in the stone quarries.
 News Has Changed The news received by the prisoners from home is said to have changed in tone in the last two months. The letters it Is declared. talk of hard times, but still insist on victory for Germany in the end. Officers at the camp say that pack ages containing sausages, preserves, to- bacco, condensed soup, cakes, soap and many other articles are not arriving as often as at first. Receipts of money also are less frequent. Where previously they distributed 2000 francs each week the of ficers declare they now distribute only 1000
 The contrast between the soldier pris- oners and the interned German civilians in the concentration camp at Chateau roux is striking. Most of the civilians show plainly the influence of their long contact with the French people. Their faces cloud when the question: Would you like to be sent back to Germany?' Is put to them.
 Numerous races comprise the colony of 300 prisoners housed with modern com forts in a new building of the asylum in the department of the Indre. Germans are most numerous among the mass, which includes Austrians. Poles. Alsatians and Czechs. Single men and single women occupy separate light airy dormtories Families are provided with little apart ments where they can enjoy sembance of home life. Here II children have been born. There have been only two deaths. The prisoners are well and happy and grateful to the French. who. their spokes- man said, have done everything they possibly could to make us forget our try ing situation.
 The prisoners are given a democratic form of government The camp delega-
 tContinued on Page Twelve)