The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1917-12-14
AS TO WAR PRISONERS.

AAAAOu6
waged in some parts Of the country
regarding the generous and humane
treatment of German prisoners in
this country. as distinguished from
the cruelty practiced by Germans up
on prisoners captured by them. There
is evidence that Englishmen are made
the special objects of established Hun
barbarity. and it may be taken for
granted that Americans who are so
unfortunate as to fall into their hands
will be treated even worse than their
English cousins. if some method is
not found for forcing Germany to
live up to the recognized rules of war
and to respect the solemn treaty ex-
listing between America and Prussia
touching on this subject.
A recent dispatch that
many women in Ashville. N. c.. have
refused to sign Hoover food pledges,
owing to the abundant food served to
the German prisoners of war at Hot
Springs. They proceed on the wholly
mistaken yet eminently natural the
DRY hat Americans should not be
forced TO stint themselves, or do so
voluntarily, while German prisoners
are fed on the fiat of the land"
Along this line of thought, MI. Hoov-
er has suggested to the government
that the sane grade and quantity of
food be served to Germans in Ameri-
can hands as is served by Germans to
americans in their power. That is
an eminently human sentiment, but
a mistaken one in view of the laws
of war and the treaties entered into
between this country and Germany.
1t is provoking to compare the
generous and enlightened treatment
by Americans of their prisoners with
the treatment accorded Germany's.
That the latter r. not only INSULT
GENTLY fed and housed but are hand
led roughly there is no question. The
inadequate food allowance might pos
sibly be excused on account of the
well known scarcity of food in Ger
many. but there is no justification
for brutality. The United States
government has announced IA deter
mination to acquaint the German gov
ernment with the exact treatment
meted out to Germans in American
prisons or detention camps, insisting
upon similar care for Americans in
German prisons. But this is differ
ent from entering upon a cold-blood-
ed, though specifically logical, poll
cy of reprisal and retaliation.
The average American unquestion-
ably would favor the same sort of
treatment for German prisoners here
as is given Americans in German pow
er. That is human nature. But Ger
man nature and American nature
are radically different, it seems. There
Is in existence a solemn treay enter
ed into between the two countries,
originally negotiated by Franklin and
Jefferson for the country and subse-
quently reaffirmed by the younger
Adams and Mr.. Clay, providing:
Each power shall place its wal
prisoners in wholesome situa-
tons, not in dungeons, prisons
or prison ships; they shall not
be put in irons; they shall have
room to exercise in the open
air. and they shall be allowed as
good food as the rations COM
monty served to the men of cor
responding rank in the army of
their captors.
a state of war shall not be
made a p%reteXt for suspending
this agreement, but, on the con-
trary. il is precisely during wan
between the two powers that its
terms are to be scrpulously OBJ
served.
The whole world knows how little
confdenc~ can be placed in German
honor in the observance of treaties,
which are mere scraps of paper"
when German interests are concern
ed. But Americans cannot sink to
amy such level. They must observe
their agreements with the most scru-
pulous fidelity, no matter how bar
barously or contemptuously they are
treated by Germans. 1t may go
against the grain" but there is moth
ing for American honor to dictate
but rigid compliance with all obliga-
tons entered into in good faith.
Greater satisfaction will be derived
by rig~ht-thinking Americans from
such compliance than from vindictive
retaliation vented on helpless Ger
man prisoners, or from refusal TO en-