The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-21

Z On one occasion a number OF Jap
anese were waiting In the embassy IN
! order to take the night train for
! Munich. I sent a servant to take them
out, in order that they might get
/ something to eat in a restaurant but.
as no restaurant in Berlin would sell
them food. arrangements were made
I 10 give them meals in the embassy
/ The members of the Stamese lega-
] lion, who in appearance greatly re-
sembie the Japanese were often sub
tected to indignities, and for a long
time did not dare move about freely
! in Berlin, or even leave their houses.
( The Japanese were marvels of
courtesy, After visited some of them
At the civilian camp of Ruhleben they
wrote me.a letter thanking me for the
visit. Nearly every japanese leaving
Germany on his arrival in Switzer-
land wrote me a grateful letter.
( When | finally left Germany. as I
stepped from the special train al,
Zurich, Japanese woman. who had
/ been imprisoned in Germany, and
whose husband ! had visited In a
prison. came forward to thank me. A
2 japanese man was waiting in the hotel
, office in Berne when / arrived there
for similar purpose and early the
next morning the Japanese minister
called and left beautiful clock for
{ Mrs. Gerard as an expression OF his
gratitude for the attention shown to
I his cOuntrvnen
| II was really pleasure to be able to
do something for these polite and
charming people
FIRST VISIT TO \ GERMAN
PRISON CAMP
! On August 90 | paid my frat visit
| TO German prison camp. This was
to the camp at Doeberitz, situated
about eight miles west of Berlin.
sort Of military camp with permanent
/ barracks Some of these barracks
were used for the confinement OF such
British civilians as the Germans had
arrested in the frst DAYS OF the war
| Only n few British were among the
! prisoners there, together with p mum
! hcr Of Russian ara French. I was
allowed TO converse freely with the
! prisoners. and found that they had no
/ com paints
/ As the war went on, however. a
number OF British prisoners Of war
were made nv the Germans during the
course Of tho great retreat OF the
British In northern France Then
officers and privates began to come
| into Germany. and were distributed
J
! tumn Of 1914. the British govern
| ment decided on informing great
number of Germans In England, and
the German government Immediately,
and as q reprisal informed all the Brit
! lsh civilian men who. up to this time.
had enjoyed comparative freedom IN
Berlin and other cities Of the empire.
The British civilians were shut up
/ In A race track about FIVE miles from
the center OF Berlin. called Ruhleben.
This race track in peace times was
used for contests of trotting horses.
and on II were the usual grandstands
and brick stable buildings containing
/ box stalls with hay lofts above, where
the race horses were kept
I on August 20 / paid my first visit
ITO the police presidency in Berlin,
where political prisoners, when arrest
ed were confined. A small number
: or English prisoners subject TO special
( investigation we're there tnterned.
This prison. which I often subsequent
! ~ visited. was clean and we'll kept. and
never had any particular complaints
from the prisoners confined there
excent of course as the war pro-
| crossed. concerning the lnadeauacy of
the food
Special, CARE
FOR BRITISH PRISONERS
Ind organized a special depa TT
reuf Immediately on the breaking
out of the war to care for the In
terests Of the English At first Mr.
Revision Beal lawyer of Boston, AS
sisted nv Rivington Pvne. OF New
i York. was at the head OF this de-
partment of which later the Hon.
John r Jackson, formerly our minis
Liter TO the Balkan states. Greece and
Z Cuba took charge. He volunteered
j to give his assistance at the com
rnencement Of the war. and was glad
OF his help, especially ns he had been
twelve years secretary in the Berlin
embassy; therefore he was well
I acquainted not only with German,
hut with German official life and Gus
toms Mr. Jackson was most ably as
sisted nv Charles II. Russell. Jr. OF
Nav York and Iithgow Osborn. or
I course. others In the embassy had
| mucf, 90 do with this department.
! The erst privates prisoners OF war
came To TIE camp Of Doeberftz near
I parlin Early In the war Mr., Grew
our first secretary. and Consul-General
.iT,qv visited the camp for officers at
I TOrpau The question of the inspec-
+ t3ou ~ prisoners Of the camps and
the rights Of amba ssadors charged
with the interests Of hostile pow ers
4 was nuItp in the clouds. So many re-
norts came to Germany about the bad
/ treatment in England of German
prisoners OF war that ! finally arrang-
! ed to have Mr., Jackson visit Eng
( )and and report
/ This was arranged By mv colleague,
our ambassador TO England, and
/ in the nrst winter Mr. Jackson made
I his trim to England. His report OF
j conditions there did much TO alley
the German belief as to the tll-treat-
ment of their subjects who We're pris-
oners in England and helped me
greatly in bringing about better con-
ditions In Germany After vainly en-
I deavoring to get the German govern =
mert TO agree to some definite plan
! for the inspection Of the prisoners
| tier my notes to the foreign office
! had remained unansw cred for a long
! period OF time. and after sending n
, personal letter 10 Won Jagow. calling
r. Z. b Fl - II