Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-26
ONLY 1900 GERMANS
IN CUSTODY HERE
5000 in All Under Guard, But Are
Not Confined in Camp
or jail.

or jail.
Washington, June 25-Oficial figures
show there are about 5000 German sub
Jects held as prisoners of war or enemy
aliens III the United States, and renewed
interest in their treatment by the govern
ment has been occaSioned by recent
German propaganda and threats from
Berlin of reprisals against Americans held
In Germany.
The Germans held in the United States
are divided into three classes prisoners
of war. dangerous enemy aliens and un-
desirable enemy aliens or commercial
prisoners as they usually are designated
10y the War Department
1t is the general belief that many more
than 5000 Germans are held IN intern
ment camps in this country, but the tact
is that not more than 800 enemy aliens
have been ordered sent to the camps by
the Department of Justice, which IS
charged with the administration OF
statutes against German subjects.
THOUSANDS or CASES INVESTIGATED.
MANY thousands Of cases have been
inves igated hv the Department of JUS
tee. but 800 represents the number OF
Germans and Austrians whose intern
ment has been ordered. In thousands Of
cases enemy aliens both Germans and
Aust rianS have been investigated bv the
government and permitted u retain their
-, lalu sometimes under surveillance
- on probation but always subject t.
restrictions Oh their movements provided
hv the President under the espionage act
Each of the three classes of enemy
aliens has different legal states under
international law and wartime agree
Il, /.
r:zcd in tho manner Of their treatment
the nature of their imprisonment, thor
subsistence and the character OF work re-
CURED Of thon
r.;I>, tNiRS IIf!D ABROAD.
Incra arc about ,lu1 pr- .ncrs II war
Ill Fort III, tiiclsrn, pear Atlanta Ga
\ituaH, All of tiesc mcu acre taken by
naval ultharIt :, nono OF the military
prisoners tak y tie American cX-
pcdlti mary tG,,r, have been brought tn
The nitel ~tatc, Thay are being hc!d
bv General l,r-aing. most u them ln
ri:i>h camps he4iud the lines. pending
,.ce.,lIi by Secretary oi Nar Eakcr n
IT, their tirGd ll>2 2tSI'I,n Il has not been
determined whct Ter they shall hc brought
t3 the nltci TAFT, Or hci Ill France and
exchanged for American prisoners II
stated licrlpl~
y. y nf The German prs 'Ecrs were
IA tilc German shiir~ pTlnz EltCl
H. hranprinz Wilhelm and the
\ tCW were takor from the gun
Gclcr and the small cruisers Lock
>,lh and C,rn.orau THIRTY eight prison
cr~ were brought to tho nItcd states
after being captured on the lbs 10y the
mtcd States DESTROYER Fanmng
GERMANS PROTEST RLMoNAL
todv about $500 enemy aliens. classified
as undesirable aliens under the mmigra-
ton act They arc lnterned n Hot Springs
y G., but it Is expected they viii he turn
ed over TO the War Department shortly
and transferred to Fort Mcpherson The |
Germans have protested against the pro- |
posed change as they have built a type |
ally picturesque German village al tho |
North Carolina camp.
There are S43 German and Austrian /
subjects AT Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. across |
the State line from Chattanooga. Tenn |
and Al Al Fort Douglas, Ariz In adj |
dltion to these there are about 100 others /
being held in iails In various parts OF the /
country All Of this group were taken by |
the Department OF Justice on presidential |
warrants under the espionage act .tp- |
proxinlatclv 100 enemy aliens are held at
Kills Island. y T. and a few at other /
points pending their transfer 70 Fort |
Mcpherson.
200 AMERICANS IN GERMANY.
II i estimated that there are about 200 |
American citizens interned in Germany |
The prisoners Of war held BY the [ nited !
States are paid and otherwise provided |
for bv the German government Their
welfare l. guarded by the Swiss legation |
IN Washington. which handles German
diplomatic interests, just as the Spanish
minister at Berlin looks after the interests
OF American prisoners Of war IN Germany
majority OF the so-callcd commercial
prisoners composed the crews Of German |
merchant ships which were seized By the
nlted states Government after war with
Germany was declared They are pro-
vIded for chiefly by tie North German
Lloyd and the Hamburg american Steam
ship Companies Money clothing and
other neceSsaries for them are furnished
BY the companies. but handled and con-
trolled by officers Of the War Depart
ment These prisoners must make requI
stIon to the American officers for their
wants
WAR PRISONERS MUST WORK
The enemy aliens ordered Interncd Isl
the Department Of Justice are direct
charges on the | nted states Govern
ment. All prisoners of war are required 10
work Commissioned officers are except
ed Those who labor are being employed
on road work, construction Of barracks
and in other WAYS. The enemy aliens
may not be required to work except wish
their own consent. They are not per
mitted TO work more than eight hours d
day except on farm work, where ten hours
is the limit, and they are engaged on con
tracts The money derived from Their
services is held for them until the close Of
the war.
SEE ICEBERGS OFF COAST.