Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-08-27
TO CARE FOR AMERICANS.
Red Cross Perfecting Plans to Feed
aner;ca, Prisoners i'm Germany.

Washington, Aug. Z.-1he hhlci
lean Red Cross has perfected plans
for Americans who may be captured
and held in German prison camps.
A Prisoners RELIEF Committee
ihas been organized al Bcrne, Swift
! zerland, under The supervision oil
Ellis l.. Drcsel, Of the American
/ Legation. Mr.. prcsel served from
the outbreak CT The war IN l9lI up
to our breaking off diplomatic rcla-
tions as an attachc Of the American
Embassy at Bcrln,wherc his duties
| included relief work for men OF the
Entente natiunalitics i'll German PITS
OH camps.
Today only about one hundred
American prisoners arc he'll III
Germany. Most Of these are civil
ians taken off American merchant
men chat have been sunk by Tcuton
submarines. More recent arrivals
III The prison camps had served as
gun crews. since the arming Of cur
merchant ships.
Speedy provision for their relief
and FOR those who may be taken,
prisoner is neccssitated by the Ger
man policy of giving their prisoners
of war food totally inadequate to
keep men in good health. The cx-
trcmcly high death rate amcng Rus
sian, Serbian and Roumanian prison
crs in Germany and Austria $50
per cent in the case 1ot the Rouman-
.ans) has hccn largely due to the in
ability Of Russia and the Balkan
states TO organize the rationing of
prisoners of their Municipalities from
their home countries.
A recent cable dispatch from Paris
tells of French soldier just back
from German prison camp and in
the last Of tuberculosis. This soldier
was one of the battalion Of thous-
and young and healthy men captured
in body, carly in the war. More
than fifty per cent of the number
arc now dead, Or have been returned
to France, via Switzerland, as III
curablcs.
Malnuti iticn. no less than un&ani-
tary conditions, produces these re-
suits. British, Canadian and Aus
tralian prisc ncrS of war in Germany
now depend exclusively upon food
shipped to thcm from London, and
generally give the prison camp IA
ton TO prisoners u other countries,
who arc, az Il rule, less, well pro-
vidcd. Bread is already being dis
patched from Bcrnc TO the Amcri
cans in Germany, and arrangements
have also been mad" for transmit
ting letters and money from their
families and friends in this country.
Thus far only bread has been
supplied by the Bcrnc Committee
Of the Americas Red Cross. Assert
I'll food parcels and clothing wilI Ms"
be forwarded seen. I'm the meantime
the Central Prisoners Of War Com.
mittcc OF London is acting on behalf
of American prisoners in Germany,
5cndinJ: them such foods as tn"
committee regularly dispatches to
British and colonial prisoners.
By arrangement with Germany,
these food parcels arc sent to the
prisoner three times fortnight.
These parcels supplement the bread
which is also regularly supplied,
and each Of them contains ten pounds
Of meat, butter, sugar, jam, coffee, or
tea. salt, rice, and dried fruit. The
American Red Cross is forwarding
- Bernc stocks of The Same food
stvirs, Is we'll as cheese, cvaporatcd
milk, coIfiSh, and mixed biscuit.
Timed goods canmot hc %raIt u
prisoners, for Germany has made
over the lin contsiners Il hand grcu-
AIDES.
NincLy-fve per cent Of The Brit
igh packarcs sent into Germany.
with postal card receipt to be mail.
cd bacl; by The prisoner, have been
duly rc2cipt2d for The American