The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-04-06
$500 GERMAN PRISONERS OF
WAR IN THE UNITED STATES
Officers and Men From the Vessels informed at the Beginning Of the
Wa and Men Arrested as Alien Enemies Since the United
States Entered the War Are Being Treated
in Most Humane Manner.

BY FREDERICK c. HOWE,
United States Commissioner Of ImmI'
grafton at New York.
1t has been nearly sixty years since
the United States has held any prison
ers on American soil. And the pris-
oners of the Civil war were our W
people split asunder by the strife over
slavery. Already there are approx
mately $500 German prisoners in the
United States. They are not captives
in battle. They have lever seen the
trenches, but a portion of them were
active participants in the war as off,
GERS and seamen on the German sea
raider Prinz Eitel Friedrich, which
ventured into Hampton Roads for
coal and supplies In July, 1914. But
the great majority Of our prisoners
of war are officers and sailors, the
stewards and employees Of the Ger
man merchant vessels which were
seized by our government immediate
ly on the declaration of war and men
who are held as suspects who have
Uctu dITcSleu Ill fdIlOuS puILo VI LIN
country.
There were 20 merchant ships which
had been in the harbor of New York
since September, 1914. They had on
board about LOO Germans who were
taken from the ships and interned at
Ellis island. There were other Ger
man ships at Boston, Porto Rico, Pan
anna, while over so Germans were
brought across the Pacific to New
York from the harbor of KiaOuchou,
captured by the Japanese. Since the
outbreak of the war. too, German and
Austrian subjects, from bankers to
~stevedores, have been arrested as alien
enemies and placed in temporary de-
tention at various places throughout
the United States awaiting final action
by the government.
We were new In war methods-un-
prepared for prisoners of war. Ard
whatever the treatment Of Germany to
American prisoners, the United States
determined that German prisoners
held here should be treated on the
assumption of the president that this
was a war not against the German
people but against the rulers of Prus-
STA.
Moreover, the great majority OF
these prisoners were here On a peace
full GRAND; they had come in their
ships, of which the greatest of all
was the Vaterland, now the Levfathan,
and were m%arooned in American
waters. They remained by their ships
for nearly three years. But they were
trained men. Many or all of them
were reservists, identified with the ia
therland.
The great majority OF: these prison
ers were held for six months at the
Ellis island immigration station in
New York and on an island In Boston
harbor under the jurisdiction of the
United States immigration authorities.
The officers and sailors of the Prinz
Eitel Friedrich were first taken to
Philadelphia and then to Fort Ogle-
thorpe, Ga.
Under the provisions of The Hague
tribunal, agreed to by all the pow
ers, prisoners of war have certain
rights. They may not be compelled
to work at anything that will con-
tribute to the military activities Of
the government. They are to have
means of communication with their
friends. If they do any industrial
work, they are to be paid on the same
schedule Of wages as that paid to Off
GERS and soldiers Of the same grade
in the army.
Secretary of Labor Wilson, when
confronted with the maintenance and
care of 1000 German subjects placed
under his care, many of whom had
wives in this country, decided that the
States should set a standard
of prison administration in harmony
with the disinterested and nonpunitive
wal aims of America and so humane
that our humanity would serve as a
means of protection tc American sol
who might become prisoners OF
war in German camps.
Camps Built by Germans.
Hot Springs, in the mountains OF
CarOllna, was SeleClcu as al liz
ternment camp for the interned sea-
men. 1t lies far from the sea and
In the midst of mountain
ranges in western North Carolina.
Other war prisoners are interned at
Fort Mcpherson and Fort O~glethorpe,
Ca, where cantonments have been
similar to those occupied by
troops. These camps were built by the
Germans under direction of American
officers and are surrounded by stock
ades.
Relays of officers and seamen were
transported from New York and Bos-
on to Hot Springs during the summer
early fall months of 1917, and
rom out the crews of the ships all
,inds Of mechanicians and artisans
we're selected. And the German pris-
'ners were set to work building their
'wn camp.
When the work vas completed there
vas nothing for the men to do There
no provision for activities oxcoDt