Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-13

ditions among the German prison
ers in France is manifestly impossi
bic for one who hopes to do any
thing else during the period of the
war. writes Will Irwin. The 100000
or more Germans and Austrians
held prisoners by the French are
scattered all over the country, from
the battle lines to the Midi. Also
they are arranged to great extent
in small groups, sometimes OF only
five or ten men. For civilian trans
portation is difficult. and especially
in winter. AS a matter of fact, 6
searching investigation would take
man furnished with an automobile
with unlimited petrol and with ali
special passes, from six months TO
year Such conditions are fulfilled
for the Investigators of the Swiss
embassy. who look after the prison
ers on behalf of Germany: and the
work keeps two or three men con-
tinually busy.
Unable for lack of time TO make
an investigation of this kind. / have
chosen the next best course. Provid-
ed with q blanket order from the
French Ministry of War-an order
virtually permitting me to visit any
camp at any time-I have looked
into five of the larger camps in three
main districts and into several OF
the smaller ones. In every case but
one made these visits without pre-
ytoIs warning Of my coming.
And ! may as well state in begin
mig my general conclusion that the
G rmdns and Austrians held prison
or by The French are treated as " Il
as might be expected under the cir
cumstances.
The greater part of the Ger mans
held captive in France are taken in
lots of from a thousand, say. TO flf-
teen thousand, during the periods OF
the great attacks. AS soon as hey
are beyond the zone of shell fire
they are concentrated in temporary
camps near the front. where they
are cleaned up in order o prevent
infection or the spread of vermin. As
soon as possible thereafter they ara
sent back by the troop train TO the
headquarters OF several prison dis
;ricts, situated, for the most part, in
central France.
These moves are made wi!h 4 lew
&c the need OF workingmen Arrived
al the central camp of the district,
they remain until the authorities
have examined them. learned what
trades they followed in civilian life
and assigned them according TO
their abilities and to the needs of
France. OF course, among so many
captives there are a great number
who have followed fancy or lux
ury' trades. a printer, who has, Of
course always set only German type,
is of no use 10 the industries Of
France; neither, in the present state
Of things, is goldsmith. Such a
man. if of sound physique, is usually
given some form OF common labor.
though he may be assigned to a
trade analogous to his own
The mechanics among them are
in great demand, Both as a military
measure ana to maintain business,
the railroads OF France must be kent
running. Owing TO the demand for
skilled labor in nunition works, the
railroad shops are constantly short
of expert mechanics to make repairs
Next creates, pelhaps, is the de-
mand for carpenters Shoemaknrs
and tailors, turned up in the general
combing out of the prisoners, are set
to repairing clothes and boots for
their fellow prisoners and for the
French soldiers. AS far as consistent
with order, safety and decipline, the
clerical work of the camps is done
by prisoners,
The main employment of the Ger
mar prisoner is in the field Of I.iain,
hard work, with shovel, pitch
fork, a crowbar, or his own unassist-
ed two hands. This has been the rule
from the very first
Outside Of the harvest season the
loading and unloading OF ships in
the tiarbors and Of trains il the
great railway centers probably oc-
cupy more prisoner labor than any
other single activity.
So far as possible. prisoners are
given tie same hours Of labor az
civilian worknen, and the hours OF
labor run from nine to ten vine
and a half is probably the average.
Usually they start to work at seven
o'clock and return at six. with an
hour and half for luncheon. N the
dead of winter, when darkness sets
in early, they usually knocked OF
work at five O'Clock, making their
hours for that period about eight
and half Sundays they have off:
in cases OF special emergency, such
as congestion of freight at the
docks, they are sometimes worked
on that day; but the authorities In
every case give them free day dur
ing the week as compensation. The
same rules apply to the wood-cut-
ting camps.
The five large camps which i Wis
tied house each between 700 and
! 500 prisoners In construction all
are monotonously alike A double
barbed-wire ENHANCEMENT, electrical
iy charged, surrounds stockade-a
hollow square of one-story buildings
all erected. in the early days of the
war, by the first patches of German
prisoners. These houses are water
tight and we'll lighted--by day with
windows and by night with electri-
city They afford, in fact, about the
same accommodations as the bunk
houses put up for our American sol.
diers during their training period
In only one item is the comparison
uniavcrabie to the prison camps A,
present the demand for sawed Ium-
Der is much greater than the sup.
rply So in the German prison camps
the authorities have economical BY
using floors of packed dirt.
In the bunk houses the cots, one
for each man, are ranged side By
side against the wall, with ample
space between. In one camp which
insnecfed these hunks stood in VIZ