The Washington times., 1917-06-22

being the first to render aiC
prisoner OF war held in Germany. CO.
incident with the news in the Wash
ington papers of the imprisonment in
Germany of American prisoners of
war-the seventy-four sailors who
were brought in by the raider Moewe
and who were held by Germany and
treated as prisoners of war-came let
tiers from Ethel Hugli-Camp-Mme.
Emil Hugh OF Berne, Switzerland
saying that she, as secretary OF the
American Red Cross Society, estab-
lished in Berne under the direction OF
the wife Of the American minister to
Switzerland. Mrs. Pleasant A Stovall,
had dispatched to prisoners seventy
four packages OF clothing and eat
ables leach costing about So and had
given orders at the Franco-Belge So
ciety to begin sending them the regu-
lar bread packages that go OF every
fortnight
Sought For Recognition
at seems strange" she writes, that
We have been in direct communica-
ton this week with Seventeenth
street. for we have been cabling to
Washington to have our society rec
ognized as a branch OF the national
society there. In the course OF a
couple of weeks you can go down
there and read my report, for today
is an historical date May 21) and
have helped TO make history.
These seventy-four men are our
first prisoners in this war. and these
are the first packages to go to them.
How dreadful will their situation be IL
America bottles up her flour. We
can't send them any more bread, and
they can't get II elsewhere"
Berne Is the distributing point In
Europe for help for American pris-
oners of war and Nine. Hugh, whose
delightful singing has won for her a
prominent position in the artistic life
OF the city, represents Washington
most admirably in her enthusiastic
support OF this vast work that is de-
veloping under the name of the Amer
lean Relief Society.
Again linking Berne with Washing
ton, is the news that Mime. Hugh
writes OF the arrival there OF Mime.
Grouitsch, the brilliant Virginia wife
OF the Serbian minister to Berne, who
is well known here. Nine. Grouitsch
again ventured tie hperils OF a pass
age to Europe after months spent in
this country on the behalf of the
starving people of her adopted land.
And now the allies in the East are
centering their efforts in a great
movement that has as its objective
the retaking of Serbia, or at least
part of II, and We have two proud
American women banded together in
Switzerland as helpers for the unfor-
tunate of that land and of our own.
Tommy Joins In Song.
The entertaining OF wounded Tom
mics. for whom Nine. Hugh sang, she
| relates as follows:
You would have loved that after
noon with the Tommies who are in
termed at Berne. Three OF them were
in bed, one very bad off indeed. but
he, too, insisted on being wheeled in.
DR.. Nighst, who operates on the Tom
mics, told us afterward that his frost
bite was SO severe he will have to
take off one OF the legs at the hip
joint. Well. will you believe me, he
Joined in the chorus of some of my
songs. I almost broke down myself.
81 had Colonel wyndham sing-he
hardly thought he would. but he made
a tremendous impression on DR..
Nighst, who is himself an officer in
the Swiss army, and who said: I'd
like to see a Swiss officer, or a Ger
man, singing to his sick soldiers
why, It simply couldn't happen"
sang some OF the songs you sent me,
The Garden of Roses.-which they
all love. and heartily join in with me.
And have sung Dixie at some din
ner parties here until I have had them
all patting and shuffling."
On war economies she writes: Now
that war has really thrown its
shadow on our home in the form OF
rice and sugar cards, we are begin
ming to get a little more provident.
l am now putting away a few things
against the evil day. at least as
much as is allowed by law; that is,
provisions for two weeks. l have
been forced into all sorts OF subter-
fuges. the latest being sweetened
condensed milk ia my tea, ! find II
awfully Eood-and molasses is SPLEEN
did in stewed fruit. Think OF hav-
ing to fall back on long sweeten-
ing Twice in the week we must
do without meat, but this is positive
ly no hardship at all. / assure you"
Telling OF the many interesting
people one meets there, she quite
reflects the social atmosphere of
Berne, as for instance:
I'VE met a Mr.. DeNter-consul at
Lausanne. A tremendous man. He
speaks German without the shadow
of an accent. He was brought up in
Vevey, spent six years in Berlin high