The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-10-05
|NTERNED CREWS
OF GERMAN SHIPS
BUILD A VILLAGE
Scarcely Six Months in the Max
ing 1t Attracts Wide
Attention.
LITTLE GERMANY IN ITSELF
Three Hundred Little Model Houses
and Other Structures That Go TO
Make Up Village Are Con-
structed From Scraps.

Norfolk, Va.-At the Portsmouth
navy yard, near Norfolk, Va, there
is a village of almost thousand per
sons that has been scarcely six months
In the making, which is attracting at
tention throughout the country. Visi
tors to the yard vie with one another
for the precious and somewhat rare
passes which will admit one to the
peculiar place, and thousands of post
cards showing scenes within it's linn
it's are sold daily.
The village is unincorporated and
without legalized form of government
It's residents, though filled with civic
pride rare in it's intensity, are abso-
Iutely opposed to increasing the popu-
lation. They toll and spin in the vii
lage only as it pleases them, yet they
eat regularly, sleep regularly and are
assured of a comfortable existence, at
least, until the end Of the great Euro
pean war.
And, now that war has been men,
toned, you have the key to the iden-
tity Of this strange municipality in
the making. It is the village built by
the interned crews of the Kronprinz
Wilhelm and the Prinz Eitel Friedrich,
German war vessels, which ran into
the Virginia capes within 80 days of
each other for safety, about year
ago, and since have been interned by
Int a
duration of the war.
Build Wonder Village.
Cast into the waters of a neutral
country and realizing that their stay
probably would be long, these sturdy,
blond Teuton sons did not sit on the
decks and mourn their fate. Instead,
they sprang upon the land, grabbed
every scrap of wood and metal and
cloth and leather and every drop of
paint that came their way and began
the construction Of their wonder vii
lage.
From scraps gathered from hither
and yon in the navy yard and out Of
1t, more than 300 little model houses, a
windmill, a chapel and other struc-
lures that go to make up the village
have been constructed. They line pref
ty streets.
Their front yards bloom with flow
erS and their back yards are filed with
garden truck. Nor is the end yet. To
day you see a load of old boxes or dis
carded ends of boards going into the
village and tomorrow a new house, of
which they will be part, will be I'M
der construction. Building operations
always are under way.
The start of the village came with
the granting of the use of the east end
of the yard, near where the great in
termed ships lie, by the commandant
to the interned men. It is composed of
several acres cut off from the remain
der of the yard so completely that it
seems q little Germany within itself.
On one side In the Potomac river lie
the two ships. Another side is bound
ed now by the immense United States
collier Organ, in the making. Green
grass, wood and some water form
the other two sides.
Must Have Pass.
The village must be approached
through guards from the Organ col
lier side; so, unless you have a pass,
there is little chance of seeing 1t. The
executive officers of the informed ships
issue the passes, regular navy yard Of
ficerS having nothing to do with them.
AS the village grew it became OBJ
vious that it was planned with infinite
skill. Not only were there houses and
yards laid out, but even streets and
parks were added. The owner of each
piece of property was made to realize
that he would be held strictly respon-
Sible for his place being kept neat and
clean.
When word of the building progress
that was being made reached the out
side world German sympathizers be-
gan to lend a hand. Contributions of
various kinds poured in, and when. a
few weeks ago, the first formal open
ing was held, visiting crowds marveled
ut the wonders the interned crews had
worked with their poor material and
few outside contributions.
That opening day was a proud one
for the residents. The band from the
ship-nnd it is good one-played
the men marched and showed visitors
about the village, and a regular carni-
val was staged. With all of the bust
ness acumen of Yankee horse traders
the Germans arrested persons for al.
legged violations of their village laws
and fined them before magistrates.
All paid their fines willingly, for the
money went to the German Red Cross
fund for the benefit of blinded soldiers
Every prisoner was permitted to assess
his own fine. Where fines were toe
low or the prisoner was good nature6
he was arrested again.
All of the usual attractions of ar
amateur carnival were at hand. There
were cold DRINKS, hot dogs and mu-
seums TO soothe the palate and ease
the eye. Frequently the mayor. oil
DorfSchulzs. w0usd post 4 new bulletin
on his bnIletin board. and Immediately
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