The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-10-22


vidcd a library for the prisoners and 9TH
erwiSe helped them. or course. these
charitable acts of Prof. STANCE did not
find favor with many of his fellow
townsmem Of GuttinEen and he was not
surprised when he awokr one morning
to find that during the night his house
had been painted red. white and blue.
the colors Of Franco. England and
America.
I heard nf So many instances OF tn"
annoyance OF prisoners 10y the civil popi-
latlon that |, WAS quite pleased one day
To rcad a paragraph In the official news
paper. the North German Gazette. which
ran somewhat MS follows:
The following inhabitants If Tnaming
small town near the borders OF Den
mark. having been guilty OF improper
conduct toward prisoners Of war. nave
been sentenced to the following terms or
Imprisonment and TO the following fines
ard their names arc printed here In or
der that they may be held up To the
contempt OF all future generations. Of
Germans.
And then followed list Of names and
terms or Imprisonment and fines.
thought that this was splendid. that the
German government had nj last been
aroused to tho necessity of protecting
their prisoners Of war from the annoy
ancrs of the civil population. and wrote
to our consul nj kicl and asked him 10
investigate tho case.
From him ! learned that some un-
fortunate prisoners passing through the
town tin 81 part uf Germany inhabited
hy ScandInnviansl had mad" signs that
they were suffering from hunger and
thirst; that some Of the kind-heartcd
,l,t, In n
ton had given them something To eat
and drink, AMI for this they were ron-
demncd To fines. To prison and 10 have
their names hold UP To the contempt OF
Germans for all time.
do not know any ono Thing that can
give n better idea nj tho official hate for
The nations with which Germany was At
war than this.
The day after visiting tho camp nj
GntIingen visited the officers camp
situated Mt tho town Of Hanover Mum
drn Hero about eight hundred officers.
Of whom only thirteen were British. were
confined in an old factory building stu
atcd on the bank nf The river below the
town. The Russian officers handed me
som" arrows tipped with nails which
had hccn shot ut them by tn" knd-hcart-
cd little town boys. and the british
pointed ont To me tn" iilthy conditions
u1 III" camp.
In this. rs in unfortunately many 9TH
~ Officer camps. The inclination seemed
H. h,. Ia treat III" officers not as captured
officers and gentlemen. but rs rnnNiCtS.
I hnd nni,r Il sharp talk with tho COM
mordcr If this rnmp before leaving and
he aricrward took violent exception TO
tho report which made upon his camp.
However, am pleased In say that he re-
formed rs II were. and ] was informed
by my inspectors that h" had finally
made his camp one Of tho best in Ger
many.
Much as I should have liked To,
could not spend much time myself IN
visiting the prison camps. many duties
and frequent crises kept me In Berlin.
hut members of tho embassy wrr" al
ways travelling in this work OF 'nlnp
inspection.
l;or some time my reports were pub
lishcd in parliamentary whit" Papers.
hut In the end our Government found
that the publication of th"S" reports IT.
ritatcd the Germans To such degree
that the British Government was re-
uucStcd not In publish them any more.
Comics of tho reports were always sent
ny me both To- Washington and I" Lon
don. and handed TO the Berlin Foreign
office.
!, Reprisala Over Submarine Prisoners
While Winston Churchill was at the
head Of the british Admiralty. IL WINS
stated that the German submarine priS-
nncrs would not he treated as ordinary
prisoners ur war. but would be put IN
place by themselves on the ground that
they were pirates and murdercrs and no;
entitled tn the. treatment accorded IN
general To prisoners OF war
Grenl Indignation was excited by this
IN licrmany: the German Government
Immediately seized Uhirty-scrcn officers.
pickinE Those whom they supposed were
rrlnt"d L. the most prominent families
in England. and placed them In soil
tary confinement. few were confined
in this way in Cologne. hut the major
ity were put In the ordinary Jails Of
MardchurG and Burg.
As soon as heard Of this. accom-
panied by Mr.. Charles II. Russell. Ir.. OF
my staff. went TO MaEdcburG. using
my ordinary pass for the visiting u:
prisoners. The German authorities told
me- aftcrward. If they had known l was
going to make this visit, that theT
would not have permitted il. but on this
occasion the corrS commander system
worked for me. Accompanied by An ad-
iutunt-in peace times Il local lawyer
, from thr corps commanders office III
MnErchurg ami other officers. ] visited
thrS. British officers in their cells in
The common jail IT MuEdcburg. They
were in absolutely solitary confinement.
Zach In L small cell about seven feet
. long and four feet wide. Some cells
were n little larger. and the prisoners
were allowed only one hours exercise
Il day in RI" courtyard of the prison.
The food given them was not bad. but
trN.tr,
especially to Lieutenant Goschen, son
Of thr former Ambassador TO Germany.
who Ind been wounded and In the hos
pital nj nnuai. Among them | found
nm old acquaintance. Captain Robin
Grey. who had been often In New York.
The German authorities agreed TO cor
rect several mnCr matters or which
. the officers complained and then we
went To. the nci-hbnrinS town OF Burg.
where other officers were confined in
, the same manner and under similar con-
ditions In the ordinary jnil After visit
. ing these prisoners and obtaining for
. them from the authorities some modih-
, cations Of tn. rules which had been as
tublishcd, we visited the regular officers
camp NJ burg.
Officers Prison Camp at Burg.
This was at that time what | should
call bad camp, crowded and with no
gpaco for recreation. Later conditions
were improved. and more ground allow
ed TO the prisoners for games and rec
reation. At this time OF my ilrst visit
| found that tho commander a polite
bu. peppery officer. was In civil life
Judge OF the Supreme Court at Liep-
zig. the highest court In the Empire
AS had been a Judge in the State Of