The copper era and Morenci leader., 1916-01-21
LIFE IN PRISON CAMP FAVOURABLE Man Released From the Isle of Wight Gives His Ex-
 periences.
WAS NOT TREATED BADLY
Interned Germans Are We'll Supplied With Food and DiVersions-SeIf- governing Prison camp-Abuses
 Are Remedied.
By FREDA TcAERKEsoFF,

authentic information about the life of "alien enemies in the internment camps, 1 went to see my friend, Lud- wig, who had been interned six weeks in the Knockaloe 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 pru- dence the authorities interned him until his papers of identity had been examined.
 Did you find life in the camp very hard?" asked.
 Existence in the camp" he said, is quite bearable; of course one must fix in ones mind once for all that one is no longer free and has to submit to regulations. Within certain limits, however, we were quite at liberty to organize our internal life, and we, in do fY1I1 nf nj permission. We chose among us our own police for each section, and this arrangement worked so 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 a pound of meat, including fat and bones, or four ounces of corned beef. 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 were killed and wounded
 T was impressed at once by the evil dent disparity of the official and the real portions of meat and consulted with my fellow prisoners. Whenever a public question has to be debated a general meeting is called. A resolu- tion was passed and 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 consternation among the wealthy prisoners, who did not like at all the idea of having to cook their own dinners. The poorer ones 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 revert to the old way. As result of oul protest, however, we received after ward somewhat larger portions.
 Worry Over Hot Water Supply.
 "The next cause of trouble arose in this way: An excellent rule hat been made by the authorities that ho water could be obtained in the officia cookhouse from early morning till latt at night. But the German cooks en forced an unwritten law that penn! must be paid by each person eacl time hot water was required. I paiC my penny, like everybody else, ant obtained the hot water at once. no ticed, however, a sailor who did no get any until all had been served When asked for an explanation, h. frankly told me that he had no none. and therefore was bcycotted by tn cooks.
 "The next day I asked for water but did not pay. On the succeeding days I was ignored systematically b. the cooks. At my request our section chief called general meeting, t WHICH AduO my CO1up1dlhI dUOuI LII impossibility of procuring hot wate without payment, and explained tha as about three thousand men thre times daily fetched hot water thi meant about e3 to e4 (s15 to $2O day for the six cooks. Accordingly a unanimous resolution was sent t the governor, who promptly abolishe the abuse.
 Regulating Camp Affairs.
 "As a rule the military officials wer Q willing to make any alterations sut gested by us. For instance, there wa much delay in the delivery of letter and postal parcels sent to the prisol