Tensas gazette., 1916-01-08
|GET BEST OF CARE
Interned German Sailors Are A.
lowed Many Privileges.
Have Little Farm. Keep Poultry and
Get Beer From city-Buy Base
ball Equipment and Try to
Learn the Game.

Norfolk, Va. - Perhaps nowhere
else in the world, not even in their
own country, could the welfare and
| personal comfort Of 655 Germans be
better looked after than in the case
| OF this number of the kaisers sub
jects now interned at the Norfolk
navy yard on the auxiliary cruisers
Eitel Friedrich and Kronprinz Will
helm. They are allowed more privi-
leges than are American sailors.
While recent orders of the navy de-
partment have for the time being put
a stop to the liberty formerly granted
the crews Of the two ships, they are
still accorded every courtesy to make
their stay on shipboard as pleasant as
| possible. The government has even
permitted the officers to have their
! wives and children on board, a priv
ilege that is not accorded officers on
American warships nor. so far as
American naval officers know, to those
of any other nation.
Secretary Daniels some months ago
issued an order banishing wines. beer
or any other intoxicants from Amer.
lean warships. The sailors on the
Eitel Friedrich and Kronprinz Will
helm are allowed beer, wines or any
thing else they want. The Germans
are provided with the best of things
to eat. OF course they pay for it.
They appear to be plentifully supplied
with coin of the realm.
The navy department permitted the
Germans to cultivate a tract of land
near the pier where their ships are
moored, and this miniature farm is
really a greater attraction for visi-
| tors than are the former sea raiders
| themselves. The interned Germans
are an Industrious lot. When they
were allowed unrestricted liberty they
spent considerable time working their
garden and in making various little
trinkets for friends and to send home.
When they were not working they
were walking the streets of Norfolk,
rowing in the harbor or swimming in
the surf at the various seaside re-
sorts.
Their garden is filled with potatoes,
cabbages. tomatoes and other truck"
They also have quite q number of
fOwl-geese, chickens and few
ducks. Geese appear to be the IA
vorite fowl of the Germans, and goose
dinners are on the bill OF fare on
both ships almost every Sunday
The Germans have provided unique
and attractive little homes for their
fowl. In America a place where chick.
ems roost is called "henhouse." The
Germans call them homes" A num-
Der of these homes" have been erect.
ed on the land loaned to the Germans
Each home" Is provided with a chin.
ney and has a pathway leading to the
door. The chimney Is of no use be-
cause there is no fire. Not more than
four chickens roost in one house.
The Germans built the homes out of
scrap lumber. wooden boxes and bar.
rel tops. They are painted red and
then striped in white paint to repre-
sent bricks. They are clean and at.
tractive.
Captain Thierichens of the Eitel
Friedrich and Captain Thierfelder of
the Kronprinz Wilhelm were seen re-
Gently standing on the pier at which
their ships were moored watching q
number of men from both ships try.
ing to learn baseball. Over 5000 was
spent in buying baseball equipment
and several men of the interned ships
showed every promise of mastering
the game.
Captain Thierichens apparently
takes more interest in things Ameri-
can than does Captain Thierfelder.
who appears to be downhearted; he
says he would rather be fighting than
remain here with nothing to do. Cap
tain Thierichens takes things as they
come. He. too, says he would like to
be able to fight for his country, but
he believes that he and his men made
a gallant record while they were raid
ing the sea for ships of the enemy.
He laughs at American jokes and en-
courages his men to enjoy life while
tuey Cdu. I1o luTulSucS tucm Will
news from the war front by pasting
brief items on a bulletin board. He
permits his men to have games on the
ships. He allowed them to have en-
tertainments and to invite friends un-
til six officers from the Kronprinz Will
helm violated their patrol and went to
sea in the yacht Eclipse.
Doctor Krugerneck. one of the off,
GERS missing from the Wilhelm. is said
to have wept bitterly every time he
received a letter from home or wrote
one of his relatives.
HE lost brothers and cousins in
the war;" Captain Thierfelder told a
friend who had noticed the doctor
weeping.
Captain Thierichens, who. according
to American naval officers, is a sim
cere and able commander, disapproves
Of the German officers violating their
paroles.
"A German officer never breaks his
word" he said. Il gave my word for
all my men, and those who violate my
confidence will be punished II they
are caught"