Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-18
PRISONERS ARE
WELL TAKEN CARE
OF in ENGLAND
bennington Hall, Erected by
Charles Ii. as Home For His
Favorites Being Used

London. Jan. fS.-(Correspondenc
Of the Associated Press - Next to
bennington Hail. Holyport is the
most important German officers
prison in England and for the first
time the authorities have permitted
unofficial neutrals TO visit the camp.
Most of the prisoners have their
quarters in the large building of the
Holyport army preparatory school,
but with an increase in their num-
bers IL has been necessary to supple
ment this with temporary wooden
structures built in the school yard.
The chief school building was erected
faYorite Nell Gwynne. 1t has been
restored for school purposes, and,
while architecturally ugly in appear
ance. forms a comfortable roomy
building for its present use.
The temporary huts are built close
about the main building and the
whole group, which does not occupy
more than three acres, is surrounded
by fence in the form of barbwire
entanglements. The commandant of
the prison with his assistants are
quartered in a large brick residence
at the gateway of the school grounds
which probably served as lodge
when the place was used as a country
home. The company of soldiers
guarding the prisoners occupy the
HtdbltSs anu ldulluEleS ol Tie StIOOl.
These quarters are in the rear OF
he barbwre enclosure, which is en-
tirely devoted TO the quarters of the
Imprisoned officers and their orderlies.
Must Exercise
When the party of neutral corre-
spondents arrived to inspect the camp
the prisoners were preparing TO leave
the house for the eighteen-acre
athletic field. Twice weekly the
prisoners are compelled to seek this
field whore they take whatever form
of exercise they desire. Every day
the prisoners have the privilege of
using the field for two and one-half
hours, but the half-hour period twice
weekly is compulsory. In the sum-
mer the tennis courts were in almost
constant use, but this form of sport
at which the Germans were parti-
cularly keen, has now ceased on ac-
count of the weather. Football and
hockey are now played with the Off
GERS prison orderlies taking a lively
interest in the first named game at
which they have become quite adept
few minutes before the arrival of
the recreation hour an armed patrol
is stationed about the wire fence
which encloses the field The officers
then stroll from the house in groups
through the main gate of the prison
and down a lane between row of
sentries to the field. Later their
orderlies appear under escort of an
armed guard. The groups that reach
the field remain intact, and according
TO the British officers in charge, this
same grouping takes place within the
prison. Differences of rank and so
cial position are sharply accentuated
and only broken down in the event of
a general celebration of some sort
Among the prisoners are a number
of navy officers and cleavage between
the army and navy is particularly ap-
parent in the relations of the officers.
The visit TO the camp was made on
wintry afternoon when the vivid
and picturesque uniforms of the Off
GERS gave touch of color to the dis
among the officers of so many bril-
liant garrison uniforms is accounted
for by the fact that whenever a Ger
man reserve officer was seized from
ship enroute to Germany, he was
permitted to send home for his uni
form. The officers actually captured
in action wear the usual German field
gray uniform while the naval officers
most of whom were captured at the
battle off the Falkland Islands, wear
blue uniforms which differ little in
appearance from those of their cap
tors.
Building Well Equipped
While the officers were in the recre-
alton ground the visitors were con-
Quoted through their quarters. The
with bath tubs from the school, which
while hardly mans size are plentifully
supplied with hot water. During the
summer the officers had the use of
the school swimming tank, but as
there is no means of heating the
water, the winter has compelled them
to give up this pleasure.
The ground floor OF the house con-
tains several large rooms used as
smoking and loungingrooms by the
officers, but these are seldom occupied
as the prisoners seem to prefer the
small sittingrooms, which they have
partitioned off from their bedrooms
by the use of screens. The second
and third floors are given up to bed
rooms In which from one to six Off
GERS sleep. Besides the open CRATE
heaped with coal each room has one
or more coal oil stoves and with every
window closed these rooms seemed
sitting to the visitors who had be-
come accustomed to the Inadequate
heating of English houses. The bed
rooms are furnished with very COM
Portable cots, each of which is cover
cd with clean bedspread Some OF
the naval prisoners have equipped