The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-06-21
NORTHCLIFFE
WARNS NATION
OF PITFALLS
He Urges Country to Feed
Americans Taken Prison
ers by Germans.
SUGGESTS FOOD DEPOT
Would Have 1t in Switzerland
entertainments for Sol
diers Advocated.

In view Of the effectiveness Of the
the distinguished English-meaning
Irish-publisher and publicist now d.
recting all British war missions in this
country. among his own home folk dur
ing their first moments OF unexpected
trouble. a talk he gave yesterday to
our own people. through THE Bun. on
first steps toward war TING effectiveness
proved to be Of especial titneliness and
interest
The reader may be disappointed be-
cause he said SO little; but IL readers
had been In the chair occupied by the
reporter at Lord Northcliffe's busting
headquarters on the fifteenth floor Of
the Hotel Gotham yesterday they would
be astonished that he could find time.
despite the line Of celebrities waiting In
snterooms to get word with him. to
say anything at all. particularly when
Il Is remembered that no one seems to
realize better than Lord Northcliffe that
he has been sent here by his Govern
ment not to talk about things but to do
them.
As he proffered cigars and a box of
the longer cigarettes which an EEyp-
tian turns out for him Lord North
cline seemingly without effort gave the
Impression that he heartily desired to
talk exhaustively. but owing to ab-
nact influences that owned him body
ana soul he had to say his say inside
H minutes
Burden Of Feeding Prisoners.
1T is inevitable of course" said Lord
Northcline after preliminary greetings.
that Americans will begin to hear soon
mat some OF her young men are pris-
oners In Germany. For fighting men
10 be taken prisoners 10 no disgrace :
Is inevitable in war.
But ! have not yet seen, I have not
read that the Red Cross here has taken
any steps to promote the Organised
ieeding OF your soldiers who may soon
become prisoners Of war In Germany. II
the pohcy OF the German Government
pace tne onus OF feeding her war
prisoners upon the country from ,vaytrn
tnose prisoners come. This may or NAV
not be understood In the United States
Is true. :
EARLY In the war we made the great
mistake in England Of placing the "a.
sponsioility OF sending necessities and
iuxuries to prisoners on the fathers.
mothers and friends Of the men can.
ured. The result In innumerable cases
was that parcels were badly packed. As
oi'en as not the package sent did not
contain absolute necessities. Eventually
mere was SO much suffering caused by
he failure of transmission of these par
cis-by the friendless receiving no par
cels at all and the rich receiving too
many-that the British Red Cross So
cety, with which I have been intimately
concerned since the first of the war.
started special department of trained
packers
This department Of our Red Cross
now knows that our men imprisoned In
Germany have different needs in the
oiHerent seasons of the year, and there
ioEe now is packing articles and sending
nem with Intelligent thought for season
ableness.
suggests Depot In switserla nd.
"As the United States Ia n long wav
Hom Germany and many articles which
your soldiers will welcome are perish.
aole, ! think II would be Wise to estab.
hsn depot In Switzerland for American
prisoners OF war In Germany, provided
VI course. that the Swiss Government
gives permission to send food out OF
tneir country. Many may think here
ust this suggestion savors Of looking a
very long way ahead. but by the time
your soldiers are in the trenches winter
WI have bsen upon them and untold
sunering will be entailed through the
hck OF heat giving food and the dearth
" warm clothing and boots.
The so-called food which the German
government gives to war prisoners Is
rot the kind that Americans or English
men can eat. Ignorance of this caused
one OF the mistakes we made in the first
aays OF the war.
overcensorlng Of soldiers letters-letters
from soldiers to their families and let
tefs from families to soldiers. 80 far al
hs country is concerned, II Is hardly
possible that letters from American fam
mes to soldiers. which In war time will
take fourteen days to transmit, can con.
tain much that would be of value to thu
Enemy when printed. But IL the mill
tary authorities here have that fear the,
can detain the letters week, or ever
more than a week. to make sure that the
contents of the letters DO not give thu
enemy any aid.
Soldiers letters give the mos
graphic accounts OF the war. Such let
ters are real heart to heart messages
ana ! know OF no more vivid pictures o.
yfe at the front than these straishtfor
Eard eyewitness accounts from tn,
" hshters themselves.
A-- a-I
/ V"Now. as to amisements for the sol
Vrs: II didn't occur to us for lonj
une that a fighting man must hav
some material relief from the terrlh
strain in front and back OF him: tina
when he IL out OF the trenches and 4
resting in the camps. the billets. he mus
he amused
First NJ all the soldiers. your col
oleTs, should have an abundance OF read
ng matter from home. especially hi
rome town newspapers. He shoul,
nave plenty OF letters from relative
ana friends The arrival Of the mail a
the front is rare sight the man VIII
opesllt get letter Is a very much dis
appointed Individual.
Wnr on the scale OF the present ap
paliing conflict was entirely new to u,
we didn't realize at first that the me
mus have every possible kind of amuse
meht to keep them in good fettle. TIL
enlet smusements Of the British soldier
al the front are football. boxing and mo
uoh pictures. These relaxations are al
INC more necessary In this war becaus
-
Continued on Third Page.