Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-13
BREAD IS THROWN
TO THE BOOBIES
French Military Cooks Have PITY
on German Prisoners
of War.
MANY WORK IN QUARRIES
Others Mending Roads-Treated
Well by Captors, Says
Correspondent.

poy' as our car turned n corner Of the
road and long line of men came into
sight.
had asked the permission of the
mliitary authorities to see n number
OF German prisoners employed behind
the French lines at Verdun. and the
permission was readily given me
There is nothing else TO do but to
give you tire permission" said the
officer At the War Department. who
handed me my passport for the military
zone with a smile. for II we refuse
YOU might take Il into your mind to
tell your readers in America that you
nave reasons 70 suspect that foul
things arc happening behind the
French lines. and that you have every
reason to believe the German prisoners
arc being made use OF TO construct
trenches and other things contrary to
international law. or course, we can
not run that risk, so you had better
20, but II you get hit 1t will be your
own fault"
He ,hereupon shook hands with me
most cordially and wished me "A safe
return. 1t was two days later that the
young lieutenant in whose charge they
had placed me pointed TO the Boches
who had just come into sight.
Yes, there they were, indeed march
ing a little ncrvousIy, as If they were
not yet sure that their captors might
not take revenge on them. There were
several hundred Of them marching
along that dusty shell-plowed road,
while in the distance the guns at Yer
dun We're laundering and roaring.
Their faces. almost without exception,
looked as If they were nodded in gela-
tine or cut with a Ratchet into wood
with soft or hard features. Looking
AZ them. you could not help getting
an impression OF how malleable these
self-styled supermen are.
They were on their way 10 the quar-
ries close By, or 10 their work at road
mcnding or cleaning up certain viii
lagos where their shells have wrought
havoc, and they were under the COM
mand OF their own noncommisioned
officers. who again took their orders
from French interpreter.
PRISONERS SURPRISED
AT KIND TREATMENT
Cyclists stopped on the road to look
at them as they were passing, military
cooks emerged from their rolling field
Kitchens and more than one of them
threw a roll or a chunk of fresh white
bread 10 these men. who caught the
Gift IN the air with smile OF thanks
and an expression OF surprise in their
faces They had evidently never ex-
pected to be treated like this or some
might have become prisoners long ago.
il is strictly forbidden 10 give bread
TO the prisoners. but the poilu has "A
1-;,
anybody suffering. not even the hated
Boches. who must be longing for their
dear ones at home and need little
encouragement.
we left the car and followed a squad
OF prisoners into a sunny quarry. where
they Immediately set to work cutting
stone TO he used In repairing the road
to Nerdun. which is badly cut up by
the wheels of monster guns and heavy
traffic. They were willing workers. one
could see. and they chartered like
lot of Cinnamon in Californian vine
yard. apparently all talking at once
without listening for any replies from
the other. The work was hard but
the men were not driven, and not :,
word was said II a man rested on his
pick or mallet for 4 moment, though
the German sergeant scowled and
looked towards the French Interpreter
in charge.
After while they rested for a meal,
plenty o! white bread. chunks Of meat,
and red young wine. During this meal
l was wondering what these men were
thinking OF. and | asked my companion
what he thought.
why don't you ask them" he re-
piled. You know a little of their lingo.
don't your"
I admitted did.
We'll, go ahead then. hut 7 warn
you that YOU are not likely to get much
information out OF them. The Boche,
are past masters in the art OF con-
cealing their thoughts They gem
orally answer what they imagine Won
would like to hear. and they arc afraid
OF telling anything that may do their
country harm. They are patriotic
enough, I'll give them credit for that"
SOME STILL RELIEVE
GERMANY WILL WIN
I found that some of these men SIN
believed in victory for Germany, though
they admitted that they were greatly
impressed by what they had seen be-
nina tho French trenches. Many of
them were greatly worried. but tried
to appear cheerful
81 cannot imagine that Germany
could he beaten" said one of them.
But do you expect you Will he able
to beat the French?"
The man, rather Misunderstanding
unter feldwobel (sccond corporaD re-
Piled
Il really do not know. Not long ago
i should have answered yes on the
spot. but now"
He did not say any more. but his
expression was more eloquent than
words.
Most OF these men had served under
Mackensen in Serbia. and their impress
sions OF that campaign were very sim
pie. They had simply pursued an army
that was short of supplies and ammu
milton. and which had been driven back