Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1916-11-17
FEARED GERMANS
WOULD Be HURT
French Colonel Orders Prisoners
From Work He Considers
Dangerous.
SENDS IN French INSTEAD
Incident Makes Deep impression on
American Industrial Commissioners
Prisoners Well Fed and
Courteously Treated.

Paris.-Four German prisoners of
war were digging clay from pit
about eight feet deep just outside Bor-
deaux as the American industrial COM
mission of the American Slanufactur-
ers' Export association rode by in au-
tomobiles as guests of the chamber of
commerce of Bordeaux. Lieut.. Col.
Georges Clavel of the French army.
who was leading the long line of auto
mobiles. ordered his chauffeur to stop,
and leaped from the limousine.
Call the officer in charge of this
work." Lieutenant Colonel Clavel Or
dered of the guard.
In moment the French officer stood
at attention and saluted.
Take those Boches out of that pit!
It's dangerous, the sides might cave
in and those prisoners might be hurt
or killed." Colonel Clavel peremptorily
ordered.
The French officer again saluted and
sent his orderly to call the German
officer in charge of the prisoners.
liz IIuSSlutls dn -
gray-green and stiff leather puttees, APP
peared smoking cigarette.
kindly call your men out of that
pit" the French officer said in
French.
The German officer went to the edge
of the clay pit, issued curt command
in German, and the four prisoners
threw down their spades and climbed
out of the hole The German officer
walked away, followed by his men.
But my colonel" said the French
officer to Colonel Clavel. 1--WE need tl~t
clay in hurry for work we are do
ing down the road piece"
you can put French workmen or
French soldiers In the pit to dig the
clay, but don't put any prisoners there;
it's too dangerous" said the Colonel,
as he re-entered his machine.
Although the American commits
sioners were mOtOred through the
country round about Bordeaux for
three days, were shown munitions fac
tories, the great automatic cargo dis
chargers along the Bordeaux quays,
where munitions for the French are
received in huge quantities, and viewed
everything else of interest in that sec
ton, the action of the French colonel
in showing more sOlicitude for the SAT
ETY. of his prisoners than for his
own men produced the greatest impress
sion on them. The incident was re-
called over and over again.
"Of course, we haven't seen the way
Germany treats French prisoners, but |
we do know they can't treat their pris-
Oners any better than the French treat !
the Germans" said J. G. Butler Jr., |
Of Youngstown, o., whose ambition ii |
is to see some of the barbed wire his
firm ships to France actually emplaeed
before the allies trench lines.
Yes" responded J. E. Sague, Tor
nerly a public service commissioner
in New York, those Germans look fat
md well taken care of and contented.
They even seem to have plenty of to-
)acco too"
These prisoners get practically no
parcels from their homes in Germany,
YOU must remember" said Daniel
iuestler, president of the Bordeaux
of commerce, land yet you
zee how well they look and thrive on
What the French military authorities
eed them. Nearly all English aud
french prisoners in Germany are prac-
ically fed entirely by packages sent
through Switzerland from England
nd France"
The sight of the Germans, their gar
lents stamped "PG" in great white
nd black letters (prisonnier de
uerre), impressed the American ,
commission chiefly; next to that, the
reat wine cellars of Bordeaux prob !
bly, occupied their chief attention.
Tour of Wine Cellars.
The commission was taken TO the
sllars of the firm of j. Calvet, which +
xports much wine to the United +
tates, and there the members I
amped through the damp, chill eel !
RS for miles, past seas of wines q
lcked in bottles and piled in casks. =
81 should like to see them make
said A. u. Farquhar, the 4
merican architect, who came as
ember of the commission TO plan n
pes of houses or bungalows that may
, built in the war zone to replace :.
e ruined houses In cities bombarded.
"Wait until you get in the Cham q
gne district, in the neighborhood OF
G great battle Of last year, and you
II see them making the sparkling
mes in great quantities; here we spe- p,
llize In our Bordeaux Wines" re-
Cd NJ Calvqt .