Iditarod pioneer., 1917-08-11
GOVERNMENT IS PREPARING
 TO HANDLE WAR PRISONERS

recently issued by the war department in- side wire fences at three war prison bar racks the war department hrs even now a considerable number of German prisoners and since its business IS to be ready ahesd of time, IS completing plans for handling any number of thousands that the future may bring The statement continues:
 Work and pay for prisoners their care and food, ceasorlng of thelr mall guarding them and a dozen other parts of the whole problem have been gone over and are now so near final solution that an outline of the organization and plans can be gwen,
 All war prisoners whether military or nava, wiK ultimately be placed ln the GUS toeiy of the war department, and the ad- jutant general of the army wiN have gen erai control through five praeipal bureaus:
 l. A bureau of administration charged with the composition and personnel of the guards. the pay, rations, clothing and trans portation of them
 ?. A bureau of employment in charge of the labor of prisoners, both within their places of internment and on federal, state and private projects without the prisons
 8 A bureau of religious and educational welfare, to which bureau al matters con nected with religion, education, recreation and the dealing with Red Gross and beneV- olent associations will be conducted.
 i. A bureau of inquiry charged with the custody of the records of war prisoners, and through which information concerning the prisoners viii be transmitted to the enemy s government and to the National Red Cross Society. This bureau IS also charged with the forwarding of mall, money orders, and packages sent from the prisoners home country foy delivery to individual prison CTS; and
 5. A bureau of repatriation, charged with the fina restoration Of prisoners to thclr home eountry at the conclusion of hostIl- ties
 The places of detentlon are known as the war prison barracks, and at present three such barracks have been established, located at Fort McPherson, Ga; Fort Oglethorpe, Ga, and Fort Douglas Utah Each bar racks IS commanded by a colonel of the regular army, assisted by a staff of officers similar to that of a comm aading officer of an army post or camp
 The general regulations under which WAT prisoners are held were made the subject of q special article of the fourth Hague convention. In addition to this, the United States Is bound by certain provisions of the Geneva convention.
 Officers who may be made prisoners are allowed, under the provisions of the Hague convention, the pay of officers of the cor responding grade in the army of the cap tors government and such IS the present practice in the United States
 The enlisted men who are made prisoners are given the same medical attention, pay, clothing and quarters as are allowed United States soldiers. The quarters authorized for war prisoners are similar to and con structed in accordance with the specfca- tions governing the construction of can comments used by the army of the United States. War prisoners are not confined in the sense of being placed in Jails or prisons or penal institutions, but as 1t is necessary to limit their freedom of movement, the cantonments in which they are confined are surrounded by a wire fence. Within the limits of this fence prisoners are given lb- erty of action.
 The Hague convention requires that war prisoners shall enjoy complete liberty in the exercise of their religion. To provide for this there is chaplain of the regular army on the staff of the commandant of each war prison barracks, who has general su- pervslon of the religious matters connected with the prison, and services are authorized for all prisoners so desiring where churches of special denominations are located in the vicinity of the places of internment. A representative of the international commit tee of the Young Mems Christian Associa- tions IS also accredited to each war prison barracks and in conjunction with the bar racks chaplain assists in the othetic and so- cal affairs of the prisoners In the event of the death of a war prisoner the same honors and respects are shown as in case of the death of an individual of corresponding rank in the United States army.
 The educational welfare of the prisoners IS under the immediate control of the bar racks chaplain, who is charged with the or ganization of courses of instruction as elected by the prisoners, and who is aided in the work by the prisoners themselves. Later, vocational training will be introduced in each barracks to provide for prisoners who are without any trade or vocation, the qualified prisoners being used as instructors for the others.
 Prisoners are entitled to send mail matter through international mails without postage. Mail matter for domestic destination Is sub ject to postage, as is also all incoming mail, both outgoing and incoming mail being cen sored at the barracks.
 As the number of prisoners increases the adjutant general will, under the authority granted him by paragraph $ of the fourth Hague convention, authorize the employ ment of these prisoners on work connected with the public service, for individuals, and upon their own account.
 In arriving at the wages to be paid pris- oners for the above classes of work, the pro- visions of international law govern. When the work is for branches of the public serv- ice or for private persons, the conditions are settled in an agreement with military au- thorities. The wages of prisoners go to- ward improving their positions, and any balances remaining are paid them on their release after deHuctinp the cost Of m aiDte-