The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-01-12
PITTSBURCHERS AND
DETROITERS THERE
Musical Artists Of Fame Among Prisoners;
Social Distinctions Swept Aside and
All Share Alike in British
Hospitality
BY Wilbur S. Forrest,

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
London, Jan. 2.-(By mail. -
Alexandra Palace. England's single
internment camp for civilian pris-
oners OF war. corresponding to
Germany's Ruhleben, near Berlin,
is the fascinatingly interesting Brit
iTh Military City ! was permitted
to visit today No other press rep
resentatives were there; and this
is the first time press man has
been permitted to enter this camp.
More than 5000 enemy aliens,
:.ch and poor from all parts of the
world. are living at Alexandra Pal
ace, north London. Hundreds OF
Croats and Poles from Pittsburgh
and Detroit. captured on their way
home to fight: well known Euro
pean musical artists. interned while
performing in England; Germans
and Austrians 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
thirty years residence. make a
unique and remarkable colony
for the duration Of the war.
There Is no social distinction in
the three battalions OF a thousand
men each. Military discipline. pre-
walls. 1t effects the English-Ger-
man aristocrat and the lowliest
Pittsburgh steel worker alike. A
company OF British soldiers guards
the palace which in peace time
served as a London Coney Island,
or White City.
There are benevolent societies,
directors meetings. Institutes of
painting. drawing, sculpture; a the
atre that would do credit to Broad
way, workshops for dozens of
trades. fully equipped hospital;
schools. postofices. football and
Swedish drill; laudries. mammoth
spotIess kitchens. stores and shops.
commodious bath rooms and doz-
ems Of other things inside the barb
ed wire enclosing this multitude.
"They are making the best OF it
and IL is my duty to let them enjoy
life to the limit of military possi-
bilities," remarked Colonel Frood
Walker. British regular army vet
eran Of twenty years in the Orient.
who Is the commandant.
The commandant's words voice
the British attitude toward prison
ers Of war, both military and civil
ian. II considers the human side
of those forced to live behind wire
entanglements. Once week the
commandant turns over his office to
prisoners who have complaints. He
hears the stories and does what
he can. The man with a crouch
tells his troubles to the captain of
his mess. If it is meritorius, the
complaint is passed to the alien
commander, another alien who gov
erns a thousand men. Then the
complainant may appear in person
before the veteran commandant
who never "strafes' the enemy.
Twice weekly the commandant
personally inspects every one of the
5000 beds housed under the great
roofs Of the palace. These beds
are neat and clean, with four blan-
kets and a soft mattress for each
There are eight cooks for every
thousand prisoners. The food Is
prepared and taken to the three
great mess rooms. each of which
can compare in floor space to the
main lobby Of New York's Crane
Central station. Here is the fooC
allowance, per man per day; ! x
pounds of white bread, Y pound
of meat; a pound of potatoes, two
ounces OF peas, lentils, beans oil
rice: two ounces of sugar, Y ounce
of tea or two ounces of coffee; one