The Washington times., 1917-10-22

and
work for the prisoners of war was
taken up by the Young Mems Chris
, tian Association. DR.. John R. Mott
was at the head OF this work and
was most ably and devotedly assist
ed by the Rev. Archibald G. Harte
shall give an account of their
, splendid work in a chapter devoted
to the charitable work of the war.
At only one town in Germany was
any interest in the fate of the pris.
oners of war evinced. This was, ]
am glad to say, in the quaint uni
versity town of Gottingen. visited
this camp with Mr.. Harte, in April
of 1915, to attend the opening OF the
FIRST Young Mems Christian Associa-
tion camp building in Germany. The
camp was commanded by Colonel
Bogen. an officer strict in his disci-
pline- but, as all the prisoners admit
ted, just in his dealings with them.
There were, as / recall. about 1000
prisoners in this camp. Russian,
French, Belgian and English.
Model University Prison Camp.
1t is a pity that the methods OF
Colonel Bogen and his arrangements
for camp buildings, etc, were not
copied in other camps in Germany.
Here, as have said, the civil popula-
tion took some interest in the fate
Of the unfortunate prisoners within
their gates, led in this by several pro-
fessors in the university. The most
active of these professors was Prof
STANCE. who, working with a French
lawyer who had been captured near
Arras while in the Red Cross, pro-
vided library for the prisoners and
otherwise helped them. or course,
these charitable acts of Prof. STANCE
did not find favor with many of his
fellow-townsmen of Gottingen, and he
was not surprised when he awoke one
morning to find that during the night
his house had been painted red, white,
and blue, the colors OF France, Eng.
land, and America
/ heard of so many instances of the
annoyances OF prisoners by the civil
population that 1 was quite pleased
one day to read a paragraph in the
official newspaper, the North German
Gazette, which ran somewhat as fol.
lows:
THE following Inhabitants of Cnam.
ing a small town near the borders OF
Denmarkl, having been guilty of i'm
proper conduct toward prisoners of
war, have been sentenced to the fol-
lowing terms Of Imprisonment and
to the following fines. and their
names are printed here that they may
be held up to the contempt of all
future generations OF Germans"
List of ImprIsoned.
And then followed a list of names
and terms of Imprisonment and fines.
thought that this was splendid, that
the German government had at last
been aroused to the necessity Of pro-
tecting their prisoners Of war from
the annOyances Of the civil popuIas
tion, and / wrote to our consul at
Kiel and asked him to investigate the
case.
From him l learned that some un-
fortunate prisoners passing through
the town lin a part of Germany In
habited by Scandinavians) had made
signs that they were suffering from
hunger and thirst: that some OF the
kind hearted people among the Scan
dinavian population had given them
to eat and drink, and for
This they were condemned to fines. to
prison and to have their names held
up TO the contempt of Germans for
all time.
do not know OF any ono thing
that can give a better idea of the
official hate for the nations with
which Germany was at war than this.
The day after visiting the camp
at Gottingen l visited the officers
camp. situated at the town of Han
over Munden. Here about eight hun
ired officers, of whom only thirteen
we're British, were confined in an old
factory building situated on the bank
Of the river below the town. The (
Russian officers handed me some ar |
rows tipped with nails which had |
ID little town boys. and the British |
pointed out to me the hlthy condi- |
ions OF the camp.
In this, as in unfortunately many
other officer camps, the inclination I
seemed to be to treat the officers |
hot as captured officers and gentle |
men, but as convicts. had quite a /
Iharp talk with the commander of |
his camp before leaving and he af-
erward took violent exception to the |
-eport which l made upon his camp. |
However, ] am pleased to say that |
he reformed, as 1t were. and / was |
informed by my inspectors that he /
,ad finally made his camp one of the \
pest in Germany.
Much as I should have liked TO. |
.ould not spend much time myself in /
the prison camps. many du- |
les and frequent crises kept me in |
Berlin, but members Of the embassy |
we're always travelling In this work of |
amp inspection.
For some time my reports were
published in parliamentary White /
Papers" but in the end our Govern
nent found that the publication of /
hese reports irritated the Germans /
o such a degree that the British gov
was requested not to publish /
hem any more. Copies OF the reports !