Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-02-05
|NTERNED At PALACE
Civilian Prisoners of War Well
Cared for in England.
Correspondent Visits Britain's MIL
tary City and Discovers Why Cap
tives Find Joy In Confinement
Have Theater Privileges.
BY WILBUR S. FORREST.

BY WILBUR S. FORREST.
London. = Alexandra palace, Eng
lands largest single internment camp
for civilian. prisoners of war, CORE
spending to Germany's Ruhleben, near
Berlin, is the fascinating interesting
British military city | was permitted
to visit today, No other press repre-
sentatives were there; and this Is the
first time press man has been per-
Knitted to enter this camp.
More than 5000 enemy aliens, rich
and poor, from all parts of tAs werld,
are living at Alexandra pAfANe, Nerth
London. Hundreds Of croats and
Poles from Pittsburgh and Detroit,
captured on their way home to fight
wen-known European musical artists,
anterned while performing in England;
eermans and AAstrians taken from
ships In the Atlantic and the North
sea, and Austro- German directors of
big British firms, together with alien
inhabitants Of England, some of 80
years residence, make a unique and
remarkable cslony-for the duration
of the war.
There Is no social distinction in the
three battalions of thousand men
each. Military discipline prevails. It
affects the English-Germa aristocrat
and the lowliest Pittsburgh steel
worker alike. A company of British
soldiers guards the palace, which In
peace time serves as London Coney
Island, or White City.
There are benevolent societies, d.
rectors' meetings, institutes of paint
ing, drawing sculpture; a theater that
that would do credit to Broadway,
workshops for dozens of trades, fully
equipped hospital: schools post ON
ces, football and swedish drill; hnn-
dries, mammoth spotless kitchens,
stores and shops, commodious bath
rooms and dozens of other things In
side the barbed wire inclosing this
multitude.
"They are making the best OF II
and 1t is my duty to let them enjoy
life to~the limit of military possibili-
ties" remarked Col. Frood Walker, a
British regular army veteran of TWEEN
ty years in the Orient, who Is the COM
mandant.
The commandments words voice the
British attitude toward prisoners of
war both military and civilian. It
considers the human side of those
forced to live behind wire entangle-
ments Once week the commandant
turns over his Office to prisoners who
have complaints. He hears the stories
and does what he can.
Twice weekly the commandant per.
sonally inspects every one of the 1900
beds housed under the great roofs of
the palace. These beds are neat and
clean, with four blankets and q soft
mattress for each.
There are eight cooks for every
thousand prisoners. The food Ia pre-
pared and taken to three great mess
rooms, each of which can compare
in floor space to the main lobby of
New York's Grand Central station.
Here Is the food allowance. per man
per day: One and one-half pounds OF
white bread, one-half pound of meat,
pound OF potatoes, two ounces
Of peas, lentils, beans or rice; two
ounces of sugar, onehalf ounce of tea
Or two ounces Of coffee, one ounce OF
or two ounces OF cheese,
timed milk. salt and pepper. There
10 afternoon tea with bread and but
.er.
Each battalion has q large canteeQ
where prtsonsr may augment his
God supply The Weather intornes
RELY pstronizs the canteens, but thN
ordinary fare IL better than the Az.
'rage Pittsburgh steel worker ever
lad In his life. These Pittsburkhers
trent anxious for the war to oloss.
They're satisfied.
The American embassy, godfather OF
III enemy aliens in tie British isles.
works hand in hand with q special
OF the Weather interned
men to care for the special wants of
he poor.
Almost every prisoner looks foe.
yard eagerly to the weekly theater.
1ere artists, some high In the pro-
ession, perform vaudeville stunts.
Professional actors present the latest
lays The theater will seat 1900
ersons. The scenery was painted by
rtists who rank high in British and
Ierman art circles, and 10 infinitely
etter than that found In the average
,ondon playhouse.
A smaller hall, for 500 persons, Ia
ct aside for the evening musicals.
his hall is always crowded. At
light concert Herr F. Lorant, an
AUSTRIAN violinist, who will be heard
| America after the war, was the star
TRACTION.