South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-11

rank in the United States and navy.
They are housed in model sanitary
camps and recently one of the
prisoners sending a letter 10 his
prospective wife in Germany wrote
that the pay he would accumulate
during his Imprisonment would not
only permit him 10 retire from the
navy but would set them up in a lit
tie business as well.
Send Photos TO Germany.
Photographs showing the COM
Portable surroundings Of informed
German prisoners in this country
have been forwarded to Germany
by the war department through the
state department and a neutral
agent.
They are intended to show that
informed Germans are we'll treated
by the United States and to reveal
the expectation of the United States
that similar consideration will be
shown American soldiers and sail
Ors, who may be captured by Ger
many.
Two classes of German prisoners
are detained in this country. One is
comprised OF German sailors taken
into custody when the United States
intetned various vessels at the be-
ginning Of the war. The other class
is comprised of enemy aliens. civil
ians who have been arrested and are
now being detained under govern
mental regulations for various rea-
sons.
The principal detention camp is at
Fort Mcpherson, Ca, where ap-
proximately $50 war prisoners are
held ia custody of the war depart
ment. At Fort Oglethorpe, Ga, there
are 165 enemy aliens who are not,
strictly speaking, prisoners of war.
At Fort Douglas, Utah, there are
SIT prisoners of war and so intern
ed aliens.
Small detachments Of other in
termed aliens are now temporarily
quartered at army posts throughout
the country but their number is re-
! 0vely small. In addition the de-
paetment OF labor has in custody
several hundred Germans, members
of the crews of various German
ships. This group is divided between
the immigration station at Ellis
island and a detention camp at
Hot Springs. North Carolina.
1851 Prisoners i'm L. :.
Altogether there are 1864 actual
prisoners Of war in custody Of the
war department and about 400 in
termed enemy aliens held at the re-
quest Of the department of justice.
OF this number about three score
are located on Taboga island, Pana-
ma Ii is estimated that Germany is
now holding $50 sailors taken from
American ships by commerce raiders
and other German vessels, besides
| the first prisoners taken from Gen.
Pershing's force.
! A representative Of the Swiss lega-
ton. the war time diplomatic rep
! resentative of Germany in this
/ country, recently inspected the de-
/ tention camps at Fort Mcpherson
and Oglethorpe.
Conditions at both camps were re-
ported as satisfactory by the Swiss
representatives
The detained Germans wherever
/ located in the United States are
/ considerably treated and are not
I given onerous tasks. The duties as
signed are strictly in accord with in
ternational law. Their work has been
\ confined TO construction of barracks,
the cleaning up of grounds about the
camps and light road work about
their barracks. Some Of the German
prisoners at Fort Mcpherson are
engaged in making toys in their
ample spare time.
Reading and recreation facilities
are provided and the photographs
collected from the several detention
/ camps show German prisoners go
ing through outdoor gymnastic
exercises and staging amateur plays
on improvised stages in the recrea-
tion rooms. The quarters for the
prisoners are much like those pro-
vided in the environments for the
American soldiers.
The set of photographs transmit
ted 10 the German government
shows both exterior and interior
views OF the detention camps. The
sleeping quarters are rOomy and
clean and the sanitary arrangements
from kitchens TO bathrooms are
modern and not unlike those pro-
vided by the United States at the
national army environments.