The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-05-25
INTERNED FOES
ENJOYING LIFE
Germans on Ellis Island Have
Everything but Freedom.
WELL FED, HOUSED NICELY

|
Meals, Officers and Crews Faring
AIike-ManS Books For Them to
Road.
Through the courtesy Of Commits.
sioner General of Immigration Anthony
A. Caminettl and Frederic G. Howe,
the New York immigration commits
sioner, reporter was permitted to get
first hand facts on the way the Ger
man sailors taken from their ships are
being treated at Ellis island. He
writes:
"Ellls island Is an armed camp. An
armed guard Of infantrymen is stretch
ed about the island, giving it the ap-
pearance OF a military reservation.
| The second thing that attracts one who
was accustomed to the island In peace
times is an array of searchlights strung
ON each tower and ut all the upper
windows Of every building, including
the hospital. Every blade Of grass on
the island can be Illuminated by the
pressing Of button.
'The Germans, officers and men, Of
whom there are exactly 1,100-the
women and children from the ships
having been permitted to leave there
are housed In what Is called the bag
gage and dormitory building. 1t is an
Ell shaped brick building on the north
side Of the island. On the first floor
are the baggage rooms for immigrants,
on the second floor detention rooms and
on the third floor dormitories. The
Germans occupy only the two upper
floors, although some of their trunks
are stored on the ground floor.
officers at Second Table.
when the reporter entered the
building the German officers were
marching from the lounging rooms to
the dining room, which is on the sec
Ond floor of the southwest section of
the building. The men of the crews
had finished their MONDAY meal.
There was not room to feed all at
once, and the officers were given their
choice OF hours for meals. They chose
second table. 1t was choice of a
later breakfast and dinner at later
hour, rather than a sidestep In favor
of the men.
1.-THE messroom has a white tiled
floor and there are ten long tables,
some OF which are surrounded with
chairs aud some with benches. The
men were permitted to select their own
tables ana their own seats. One table
at the officers mess Is occupied almost
entirely by captains Other masters
chose to sit with the officers under
them on their ships
Both the officers and men have the
same food. There Is no distinction of
rank made in this. They also have the
same food that the government OIL
cials on the island eat. At dinner
while the reporter was present they
had soup, fresh Goldfish, potatoes, bread
and butter, pudding and coffee 1t was
we'll cooked food, and there was plenty
of it. The men all ate with relish
and chatted freely during the meal
Many Bald Heads.
"As they filed in 1t was noticeable that
many Of them were tall and slight and
as many more short and stocky. One Is
impressed by the long and short OF
them. There seems to be no happy me-
| dium to their size; also as the officers
sat at the table the number of bald
heads was noticeable. Badness among
seafaring men of most natiOnalities Is
almost rare, but German officer OF a
ship lives under heavy cap.
"Blonds also predominate among the
men. They are healthy looking and
appearing lot, and most of them have
grown fat In their confinement. The
members of the crews are better fed
than they We're on board ship.
''In one of the detention rooms on the
second floor, which might better he call
ed lounging rooms, the hand baggage OF
the men Is racked end In another that
of the officers. The officers have theil
own rooms and the men others Ii
this lounglng room for the officers hans
several birdcages with canaries brough
from the ships, and on one side Is
large cage, the abode of parrot from
one of the ships at Hoboken The doc
of the cage Is left open at all hours
and the parrot rules the roost. 1t cal
swear in German with any mate an,
sQuawk over all the human voices fl
the place.
"There are several framed picture
on the pillars of this room. One Il
the center is photograph OF Captain
Lieutenant Otto Wcddigen, with the In
scription, 'Commandant of the U-9 an
U-29,' The picture is two feet ,higl
There Is also picture of Bismarck
and several illustrations cut from mae
azines are pasted about.
"ln these lounging rooms the me
sit about tables and read magazine
and books that have been provided 70
them. play chess, checkers and card
and Join in endless talks among then
selves. Most of the officers smoke.
The only real criticism OF the houi
Ing of the Germans on the island coul
be the small quarters afforded Their
The best has been done for them ths
could be with the facilities available
but the men would rather be sent
GONE detention camp where they woul
| haya mora room and could ha oCcunia