Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-11-06
UNCLE SAM HAS
PRISONERS OF WAR
THEY ARE THE GERMAN SAILORS
TAKEN FROM WAR VESSELS
IN AMERICAN PORTS.
KEPT IN INTERNMENT CAMPS
They Are All Well Treated and Well
Fed, and Are Denied Virtually Moth
ing Except Their Liberty and Intoxi-
eating Liquors.
BY EDWARD 9. CLARK.

BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Westinghouse it not possible that
a great many of the American people
viii be surprised to learn that the
| United States already has in charge
| a considerable number of German pris-
| Gners of war?
1t is to be taken for granted that ev-
| erybOdy in the country knows there
are a great many alien German civili-
] ans who are undergoing internment in
| various camps in the United States.
| But interned civilians and interned
! prisoners of war are on the very basis
! q war c'nditiOns two entirely different
! propositions. One probably would not
: o- uiOwvd to tell just where the pris-
! oua"@ of war are under confinement,
a. is it likely that the government
/ would care to have the news spread
OF the exact location of the camps
where the civilians are interned, but
the facts of the internment of both
classes of Germans have been given to
the public in some form or other from
day to day though never with any elab-
grafton of detail.
The prisoners of war which the Uni
ted States has in its keeping are those
who were taken from German men-of-
war which put into our harbors prior
10 the entry of this country into the
great conflict. When war was declared
between this country and Germany it
became Of
THESE men into camps where they could
be cared for and well guarde to pre-
vent their doing mischief in their own
way 10 the land Of their captorS. It
must be remembered that these sail
| orS, for such they are, are on the same
footing as if they were soldiers taken
On the field of battle.
They Are Well Treated.
1t is possible, without going into de-
tails as to how many of these prisoners
there are, or as to where they are, to
say Il word or two about their condi-
ton and their treatment. The United
States is particularly kindly to it's in
termed charges whether they be sim
ply civilian alien enemies, or men who
have been taken from the ranks of the
armed services. Virtually the only
thing which is denied these prisoners
is their liberty, although of course,
only certain kinds of reading matter
and no intoxicating liquors are permit
ted them; but beyond this they live
well and seemingly are cOntented.
1t is possible that some time in the
future this country may have huge
number of prisoners of war in its Keep
ing. OF course no one can tell about
this because in the first place you
must catch your prisoners and in the
second place decision must be made as
to whether they shall be informed
abroad or in this country. But if
Uncle Sam ever does have any great
number under his charge on this side
of the water it can be taken for grant
ed that they will be well fed. Uncle
Sam and John Bull are a good Geal
alike in this matter of "full feeding"
Loyalty Kills Partisanship.
Ever since Washington was estab-
lished as the capital of the United
States there have been currents and
cross currents of political, economic
and legislative opinion, and there al
ways has been a fire of criticism from
one party or another directed at this
or that policy of the administration.
The fire at times has been heavy and
never has it died away altogether.
Today, however, in this city, and
through the country as well, there is
manifest a good deal of a change.
There are, of course, still criticisms of
policies and sharp criticisms of the
administration in many places, but
by comparison with former times the
critical sea" is comparatively quiet.
Let 1t be noticed, however, that the
word comparatively is used.
What is it that has produced the
change? 1t is the simple fact that we
are at war and that the president of
the United States is commander in
chief of the army and navy. It is q
sort Of curious thing, perhaps, but in
a way the American people, as Wash
ington views it, have voluntarily en-
listed in the army and the navy, which
means simply that they feel, or most
of them feel, that they are bound to
loyalty 70 the man who as civilian
head of the armed forces must by his
oath try TO defend the colors. 1t is
probably this feeling of the American
people, Washington thinks, that keeps
them in large part from their lively
practice in peace time of criricizing
those things which they do not like
and being sometimes a little back
ward in praising those things which
they do like. In a sense partisan
spirit subdues itself in war time.
Stand by the Commander.
This condition of things, of course
Is likely to change at any moment but
If the lessons of other countries and
of their own country in previous war
times goes to prove anything, it will
change materially only when gross
errors of administration force the peo-
pie to demand that changes of meth |
cd shall be made. Even in such
a case as this, however. the history
Of the past shows that there still re-
mains an abiding loyalty to the fact
S~@~~~-~~~~~~-~~~
Only on the Market.