New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-23
German Prisoners
Behind Lines Well
Treated by British
Ample Food, Good Quarters and
Humane Treatment Found Uni
versally in France
By ARTHUR S. DRAPER

y. LII
London, March S.-The recent charges OF
General Won Stein, German Minister of War,
regarding the treatment of German prisoners
and the employment of them "close behind the
front" are certainly untrue, so far as the Brit
ish are concerned. Since October l have
visited the British front twice and have been
ri several points "close behind the lines" On
both visits | saw many German prisoners
hundreds of them-but never did | see
single one working in an exposed position or
any way near the lines. testify to this VOL
UNFAIRLY and as neutral.
Going from London TO the West front last
fall, the thing that struck me most forcibly
was the contrast in the attitude of the soldier
to the enemy, compared to that of the aver
age civilian. l do not remember hearing
single British soldier in France using the word
"Hun"-it was always "the Boche" or "old
Fritz and generally the latter. Despite all
his undetermined work, his resort to the tricks
of the gutter-snipe when cornered, his viola
ton of all the recognized rules of fighting, the
British soldier admitted his abilities as
fighter and treated him as a worthy foe. Once
the battle was over, the British soldier did not
bear the least malice toward the enemy who
moment before was trying his hardest to
kill him.
Nv last trip to the British front was in the
middle of February and again saw many Ger
man prisoners. but always well out OF range
of the guns They were working on the roads,
using pick and shovel An armed guard stood
near in every case. If these German prisoners
had been working under an American con-
tractor they would have been cursed, bawled
out and sacked the first day, but the BRUSH
Tommy was an easy taskmaster and wasn't
worrying his head whether "Old Fritz did
mans sized Job or "soldiered" along like a
Southern coored gentleman coming home
from a watermelon party. II is a common
thing to see guard give "Oll Fritz" cigs-
rctte. and even light from his Woodbine.
To some of the German prisoners life is
hard and irksome, but so is war The men
who are fighting in the various European
armies are drawn from all walks of life.
Three years ago some were schoolmasters,
preachers. architects, bankers, brokers, actors,
artists and even singing and dancing teachers.
Manual labor was not in their line. Under
the best of conditions prison life is irksome'
hard and dsagreeable, but though | have
talked with many German prisoners or war,
have yet to meet one who had any real COM
plaint about the treatment he was receiving
from his British captors.
An Incident of the Somme
A few weeks ago there was lively little
fight on the Somme; it was just one OF
hundreds like it in the last year For an
hour British guns pounded the German lines'
two or three companies of Tommcs went over
armed with bombs and bayonets. When they
returned they had with them twenty men and
Young commissioned officer Their prison
ors had been through an hour and hall OF
what for better description we call hell.
They were nearly deaf, covered with dirt, so
exhausted they were hardly able 70 walk and
too nerve-shaken to eat. II was the duty OF
member of the British Military Intelligence
staff to examine them He happened 20 be
a friend Of mine, and this IS the story ne
told me.
81 felt jolly sorry for the officer; rather
good sort, he was. offered him cigarette
hut he declined Wanted drink, so / got
him one. Seemed jolly grateful. / asked
him usual questions. You know | was edu-
Gated in Germany and have lived there sew
eral years, off and on. Found out he went
TO the same university | did, but several
years alter was graduated. As a parting
question / asked, Aren't you glad you are
prisoner? Jolly lucky for me he didn't have
his revolver. He gave me whitening look
and countered, Would you be if you were
over there. eh?' pointing back across the
lines. Pretty good spirit, eh? Funny devils
some of these Boche."
The best proof of the good treatment re
ceived by German prisoners at the hands OF
the British is found in their letters home Al
most without exception they tell of ample
supplies of food, good living quarters and
humane treatment. To most of them who
q H. Grrl.t
been transported back and forth from one
front to the other in freight cars, the pris-
oner's life is a blessing and relaxation after
the terrible hardships of modern warfare.
Confinement in a strange land under the best
of conditions is unpleasant, but there arc
mighty few complaints from the German
prisoners captured by the British.