Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-05-29

lNTERNED FOES
). ENJOYING ]. N !. LIFE
Germans on Ellis Island Have
Everything but Freedom.
WELL FED, HOUSED NICELY


Alike-Many Books For Them to
Read.
Through the courtesy Of Commits
sioner General Of Immigration Anthony
A. Caminetti and Frederic G. Howe,
the New York immigration commits
sioner, reporter was permitted to get
first hand facts on the way the Ger
man sailors taken from their ships are
being treated at Ellis island. He
writes:
ELLIS island is an armed camp. An
armed guard Of infantrymen is stretch
ed about the island, giving it the ap-
pearance of a military reservation.
The second thing that attracts one who
was accustomed to the island in peace
times is an array Of searchlights strung
on each tower and at all the upper
windows of every building, including
the hospital. Every blade Of grass on
the island can be Illuminated by the
pressing of button.
"The Germans, officers and men, Of
whom there are exactly 1,1OO-the
women and children from the ships
having been permitted to leave there
are housed in what is called the bag
gage and dormitory building. 1t is an
H shaped brick building on the north
side of the island. On the first floor
are the baggage rooms for immigrants,
on the second floor detention rooms and
on the third floor dormitories. The
Germans occupy only the two upper
floors, although some Of their trunks
are stored on the ground floor.
Officers at Second Table.
"When the reporter entered the
building the German officers were
marching from the lounging rooms to
the dining room, which is on the Sec
ond floor of the southwest section of
the building. The men Of the crews
had finished their MONDAY meal.
There was not room to feed all at
once. and the officers were given their
choice Of hours for meals. They chose
a second table. 1t was a choice of
later breakfast and dinner at later
hour, rather than sidestep in favor
of the men.
'The messroom has a white tiled
floor, and there are ten long tables.
some Of which are surrounded with
chairs and some with benches. The
men were permitted to select their. own
tables and their own seats. One table
at the officers mess Is occupied almost
entirely by captains. Other masters
chose to sit with the officers under
them on their ships.
both the officers and men have the
same food. There Is no distinction of
rank made in this. They also have the
same food that the government OIL
Gals on the island eat. at dinner
while the reporter was present they
had soup, fresh Goldfish, potatoes, bread
and butter, pudding and coffee. 1t was
we'll cooked food, and there was plenty
Of it. The men all ate with relish
and chatted freely during the meal.
Many Bald Heads.
"As they filed in it was noticeable that
many Of them were tall and slight and
as many more short and stocky. One is
impressed by the long and short of
them. There seems to be no happy me-
dium to their size; also as the officers
sat at the table the number Of bald
heads was noticeable. Badness among
seafaring men Of most nationalities is
almost rare, but a German officer Of
ship lives under heavy cap.
'Blonds also predominant among the
men. They are healthy looking and
appearing lot, and most Of them have
grown fat in their confinement. The
members of the crews are better fed
than they were on board ship.
I'm one Of the detention rooms on the
second floor, which might better be call
ed lounging rooms, the hand baggage Of
the men is rackcd End in another that
of the officers. The officers have their
own rooms and the men others. In
this lounging room for the officers hang
several birdcages with canaries brought
from the ships, and on one side is
large cage. the abode Of a parrot from
one Of the ships at HobOken. The door
Of the cage is left open at all hours
and the parrot rules the roost. 1t can
swear in German with any mate and
squawk over all the human voices in
the place.
There are several framed pictures
on the pillars of this room. One in
the center is photograph OF Captain
Lieutenant Otto Weddigen, with the in
scription. commandment of the 10 and
U-29.' The picture is two feet high.
There is also a picture Of Bismarck,
and several illustrations cut from mag
azines are pasted about.
'ln these lounging rooms the men
sit about tables and read magazines
and books that have been provided for
them. play chess. checkers and cards
and join IN endless talks among them
selves Most Of the officers smoke.
1.-The only real criticism of the hous-
ing Of the Germans on the island could
be the small quarters afforded there.
The best has been done for them that