Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-26

pune. The kussitns quarrel with con-
ditiOns frSt bccairc AN angry one when
The famine rations began. due To- tho
severe FOOD shortages The English
prisoner has been dissatisfied with his
ra;ions from the beginning. He misses
s"fc!N tn" nlarnuiades. the fresh eggs
TIC butter the excellent tea and coffee
ana the hearty roasts. all Of which go
10 make up his accustomed English
rare. and all Of which il has been i'm
possible" for IL" ccrmnns 10 supply ,n,.
der blockade conditions The Russian
however. has felt no want fo. Ties.
things. lie IL not accustomed TO such
Injuries al home. and brings no de
nand for them into ;hc prison c.Inu.
ftus~iHn Wants Black Bread.
Black brcad in quantity, i'm huge
quantity, the Russian peasant mus,
nave 10 be contcntrd. He is a heavy
cater of most plain foods. and to ,i-
mlnish the cubic supply of his tnbl.
i"'c' no matter what the actual c;tioriHr
content may be. or how scirntiiicuilv
calculated for the upkccping of hc.,I,j
;,hG strength, is - severe hnrds,ip fo,
MN Thus, as the bread rations shrnrL
ana shrank last spring and summer
the Russian prisoners became more am,
moro restless. They believed. despi,.
me explanations OF their officers t,n,
'hc Austriaus were conSpiring to st.ry.
'h.m u was in vain LG,t larger vcuc-
'"oi@ rationS were uivcnN = Diminished
"'e"u supply meant diabolical plotting
on the Dnrt Of their cuptors
NOT an" these simple Russian prison
cFS take much, If any, comfort FROM
the rcassurinG words Of the dinlo,n.,
ISIS anG philanthropical workers who
!"suia'ly Inspected their camps and
'"Stcu Their SOUPS stcws and other
articles OF diet. The Russians disdaiu-
'h'iN called ihcs" people soup tastcrs..
ana vowed that they wished that ,hcv
wouldn't come. Some Of the best work
ln rcconciling the russians to the nc
"cssitics OF tho sCanty food supplies
81 tncIr enemies was done by tho young
Americans. sent lay the Young Mcn's
Christian Nssocittion's international
committee /" tighten the burdens In
the thousands OF prison camps abroad
One Of these Americans. Or. j. r.
lieckcr well known in this country
Tor tn" social work that hc has ac-
c"mpiishcd in the big cities. won tho
lasting gratitude OF the Austrian com
inanders. as he possessed the FUN ar
icct!ons Of the prisoners by Keeping
ia" several camps that he served
bright. quiet and cont"utcd, notwith-
standing the necessarily Spartan food
conditions.
Y. VI {. 4. well Represented.
one iinds young American "uuE
Mems Christian Association men IN
iros; Of the prison camps, whore tIlcv
organic" the prisoners time aud com
b'ti me ttHitnlDE ilctdn'NnIit ~ nj AIM
lcssn"ss "f prison life They organize
The trained men in each camp into u
t'achin. corps and III" unframed mon
into CLASSES They establish shops for
PRISONERS "f an Industrious turn Of
II md, and theatrical troupcs CLEO CLUB,
and bands for camp entertainments.
They establish camp Gynpasiums. ana
institute sport contests. In brief, these
yonnr men have contributed 10 con-
siderable degree In am"liorating ths
hardShips of the lifc 81 tn" prisoner OF
War.
The East rs nca-lnf"S,ed ana ac,awl
With body lice, ~ these ycrmiu are
dangerous carriers Of disease. III, Aus
triauS and Germans nav" l"ft NOTHING
undon" 10 bring about Their complete
destruction. The prisoners arc hrSt Put
through a process OF cleansing before
they are brought to tho concentration
CAMPS. rhcy arc given nov clothes,
and the OH clothes arc thoroughly
treated. II later. va Tia" cnmp, 81 urls
ouer Discovers louise ia his clothes
nov clothes are. immediately issued -
him, AMI tho ola garments pass through
The louSc-cMicrmination treatment
Prison life is hard and bitter. II
has been more especially irkSOwo I"
Ihc civilian prisoners who. since tho tirSt
IS Of the war. have dragged out weary
eXistcnccs in civilian camps. \, the
outbreak of the war. these civilians were
gathered un everywhere ana thrown
into common jaNs In the Notgtlnnd.
where many Env!ishmcn wer" caught
at the wars outbreak. unsuSpiciously
pursuing their work in the great lace
industry there. the fate OF weeks or
coinmon jail life vas spared them by
the energetic representation OF y. Cur
tIs Roth, American vice-consul thcr-
Elsewhere these civilian victims await
ed the making ready of the prison
camps in jnls.
While almost every Where the pris-
oucrs are treated humanc!y, the mo-
.notouy. restraint homcs!ckncss and tn"
.iudeHnition TO their possible sentence
TO this lie, produce an atmosphere or
depression and hopclessncss which -
very hard to hear The days and
nights are always the same. Visitors
arc seldom allowed near the camps.
The same food shortage must be Gu
durcd by the prisoners that Is being
endured by the civilian populations or
The countries, in which they are suffer
ing confinement. And, separated from
families. friends and employment, they
have no means for guessing when
peace may put an end 10 this bitter
trcadmill existence.