The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1916-11-16
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
CourteousIy Treated.

l
war were digging clay from a pit
about eight feet deep just outside Bor-
deaux as the American Industrial com
mission of the American Manufacture
ers' Export association rode by IN au'
tomObiles as guests of the chamber OF
commerce Off 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 a 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.
The Prussian, an Over-lieutenant In
gray-green and stiff leather puttees, APP
peared smoking a 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 a 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 that
clay in a hurry for work we are do
ing down the road a piece"
"You can put French workmen or
French soldiers in the pit ia dig Inc
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 luays,
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 rn-
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 ]. G. Butler, Jr.,
of Youngstown, O., whose ambition it
is to see some of the barbed wire his
firm ships to France actually emplaced
before the allies trench lines.
EYES," responded j. E. Sague,' for
merly a public service commissioner
in New York, 'thOse Germans look fat
and we'll taken care of and contented.
They even seem to have plenty of to-
bacco too"
"TheSe prisoners get practically no
parcels from their homes in Germany,
you must remember" said Daniel
Guestler, president of the Bordeaux
chamber of commerce, land vet you !,
see how we'll they look and thrive on /
what the French military authorities |
feed them. Nearly all English and |
French prisoners in Germany are prac-
tically fed entirely by packages sent |
through Switzerland from England |
and France"
The sight of the Germans, their gar
ments stamped "PG" in great white !
and black letters (prisonnier de !
guerre), impressed the American
chiefly; next to that, the
great wine cellars Of Bordeaux prob
ably occupied their chief attention
Tour of Wine Cellars.
The commission was taken to the
cellars of the firm of J. Calvet, which
exports much wine t. the United
States, and there the members
through the damp, chill cell
ars for miles, past seas of wines
,acked in bottles and piled in casks.
81 should like to see them mako
said A. B. Farquhar, the
American architect, who came as a
member Of the commission to plan
ypes of houses or bungalows that may
De built in the war zone to replace
he ruined houses in cities bombarded
"Wait until you get in the Cham,
oagne district, in the neighborhood of
he great battle of last year. and YOU
will see them making ths sparkling
vines in great quantities here We spe.
.ialize in our Bordeaux Wines" ra
)lied Nj. Calvet.