The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-08-29
U s. WAR PRISONERS
Red Gross Perfects Plans for Men In
German Prison Camps.

German Prison Camps.
The American Red Cross has per
fected plans to care for Americans
who may be captured and held in
German prison camps. A prisoners
relief committee has been organized
at Berne, Switzerland, under the su-
pervision of Ellis l.. Dresel, of the
American legation. Mr.. Dresel
served from the outbreak of the war
in 1914 up to our breaking off diplo-
matte relations as an attach OF the
American embassy at Berlin, where
his duties included relief work for
men of the entente nationalities in
German prison camps.
Today only about one hundred Am
erican prisoners are held in Germany.
Most of these are civilians taken OF
American merchantmen that have
been sunk by Teuton submarines.
More recent arrivals in the prison
camps had served as gun crews,
since the arming Of our merchant
ships.
Speedy provision for their relief
and for those who may be taken pris-
oners is necessitated by the German
policy of giving their prisoners OF
war food totally inadequate to keep
men In good health. The extremely
high death rate among Russian,
Serbian and Roumanian prisoners in
Germany and Austria $50 per cent
in the case OF the Roumaniansl has
been largely due to the inability of
Russia and the Balkan states to or
ganize the rationing Of prisoners OF
their nationalities from their home
countries.
A recent cable dispatch from Paris
tells OF a French soldier just back
| from a German prison camp and in
| the last stage of tuberculosis. This
soldier was one of a battalion Of a
thousand young and healthy men cap
| tured In a body, early in the war,
| more than 80 per cent. of the number
| are now dead, or have been returned
| to France, via Switzerland, as incura'
| bles.
| Malnutrition. no less than unsani
tary conditions, produces these re
slltso British. Canadian and Austral
ian prisoners of war In Germany now
depend exclusively lyHupon food shipped
to them from London and generally
give the prison camp ration to prison
ers OF other countries, who are, as O
rule. less we'll provided Bread is al
ready being dispatched from Berne t'
the Americans in Germany. and ar
rangements have also been made fol
transmitting letters and money from
their families and friends in thii
country.
Thus far only bread has been sup
piled by the Berne committee OF tn,
American Red Cross Assorted fooI
parcels and clothing will also be for
warded soon. In the meantime tn
Central prisoners of war committe
of London is acting on behalf o
American prisoners in German
sending them such foods as the con
mittee regularly dispatches to Britis
: and colonial prisoners.
= BY arrangement with German.
, these food parcels are sent to th
prisoner three times fortnight. TIL
: parcels supplement the bread whic
2 is also regularly supplied and each
l them contains ten pounds of moa
butter, sugar. Jam. coffee, or tea, sal
rice and dried fruit. The America
Red Cross is forwarding to Bern
stocks of the same foodstui1s, as we
as cheese, evaporated milk. codis
l. and mixed biscuit Timed goods ca
not he sent to prisoners, for German
I. has made over tin containers
:, hand grenades.
I. Nine.fve per cent. OF the Britil
!. packages sent into Germany, wi
% postalcard receipts 10 be mailed ba,
k by the prisoner. have been duly !
Is ccipted for. The American RI
II Cross, also. will enclose postal.cart
p. as a means of making sure tn
* American prisoners do actually
\. ceiye the food parcels.
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