Albuquerque morning journal., 1916-02-25
SOCIAL sTRATAS
IN PRISON CAMPS
CAUSE TROUBLE
Intelligent Russians Decline to
Associate With Inferior
Classes Of Cars SoIdlerSi
Maintain Separate Barracks
ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence.)

LlnZ, AuStria, Jan. i-.MaJVi
General Clemens Notes, commander
Of the Klein Muenchen camp for
Russian military prisoners, looked
over the motley array Of men in Rus
sian uniforms and Austrian suits of a
semi-mllitary cut, who had lined up
along the wall OF the detention bar
racks which in the camp named
houses Russian prisoners who have
made attempts to escape or who have
violated camp rules.
Most Of these men." said the com
mander to the Associated Press cor
respondent, "haye been guilty Of
breaches of discipline. There are n
! few, however who have made at
{ tempts to get away. One OF them
has tried it twice"
With that General Notes told one
of his officers to bring over certain
man. The prisoner, q rather hand
some young fellow of about 25, step
ped before the commander, halted
with a sharp thud of his heels. and
then raised his hands 20 his cap, al
| attention.
They brought YOU back" COM
mented the grlzzled general.
The Russian said: "Da,' with the
/ faintest smile on his face.
General Notes, too, smiled.
mo doubt, you found it cold out in
the mountains" he said. "For the
next sixty days you can think il over
| in here. and then you may be of a
different turn of mind. Russia is a
long way off from here at present and
| | wish to warn you that the next time
| YOU get away from the camp IN your
Russian uniform, you may not fare
so well. They may see you some
where. recognize you and do you
harm. our peasants don't like Rus
slams any too we'll just now
The fact that the Russian soldier
was what may best be translated as
officer -aspirant, before he fell into
the hands of the Austrians, gave him
the right to reply to the comment OF
the camp commander
He said something in Russian.
"Vcry we'll" said General Notes.
please yourself. You say 1t is your
right and duty to escape, If you can'
That | grant you. At the same time
/ it is my duty TO keep you here. |
will see to it that you are kept here.
AS he walked on, General Notes
patted the Russian on the cheek
Don't be foolish" he said. ITS
cold out there" The Russian smiled
and faced about.
"Plucky chap" remarked General
| Notes. "and a good Russian. Knows
German well, but never used it with
the officers. The last time he man
aged to get as far as the vicinity Of
Triest. He hoped to get across to
the Italians. In his Russian uniform
at that. Speaking Of grit, his is an
I exceptional case. On his way to
Triest he travelled at night, hid during
the day and must have helped HIM
self to food in a manner as yet un-
explained
Notes Good Sport.
General Notes has been spending
many months at the Russian front IN
| Galicia. and like so many others OF
his countrymen is a thoroughly good
snort. The daring of the man I'M
pressed him very much.
The Klein Muenchen prison camp
/ is a huge establishment. 1t covers
ian area of about five square miles,
and its barracks are capable or nous
ing so 600 men without crowding. 80
| far about 10000 Russians and sever
al thousand italians have been quar-
tered there, since the establishment
of the camp in January, 1915. Al
nresent there are in the camp 304
! Russian officers and about li,ooV
mon. the remainder having been de-
tailed to do work on the Aus'f'a'
farms.
The barracks are large wooden
structures covered on the outsiue
with thick tar paper. painted white'
/ Above the pine board floor, two SLOT
les of platforms. eight platforms LOT
each building, provide the space up-
on which the straw pallets OF the men
are spread out at night sixty men
are so accommodated To the rear
of the barracks is the dining rooh''
in which the prisoners gather FOR So
cial purposes when fatigue or WORK
| is over.
The barracks described are intend
od for the ordinary Russian. the
ueasant. who, as rule, is wholly IL
literate. and with whom the "ntelli-
gent does not want to associate ! np
! experience has been that the two
classes do not mix well, and rather
than have constant strife between
prisoners, the Austrian government
decided TO separate them,
For the Intelligent
I For the Intelligent Klasse,' di-
ferent sort of barracks has been
built 1t resembles the common bac-
racks but instead Of having eish'
sleeping platforms, it has two floors
upon which sort Of wooden fleio-
he'd has becnp laced. This arrange
ment wastes a great deal OF space.
only fifty "intclligents' can be housed
in a building Of the usual size.
1--WE try to satisfy, so far as We
can. the wishes cf the prisoners
| said General Notes. In our own
army we do not know such dlstihc-
tions. We have officers and privates
and no other class. But with inc
Russians IT seems TO be different
The 'intelligcnts are usually peopie
of some refinement to whom the con-
stan, association with the untutored
neasant would undoubtedly DC a sTeh'