Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-26
g12NANS MAKE THEIR OWN LITTLE HE'LL IN CAMP
WHERE UNCLE sam PROVIDES THEM WITH COMFORT?
Strange Commonwealth Ruled bv =
United States Colonel in a Vest
ern State Where AU the "Citt-
zens" Are Foes to America

You sh1uld see these mel. with ozl'
the elan of a German "unter 0mxtef.
They issue edicts and orders Of az:
sorts. Aud II is never please or II you
will. 1t is always you must" you
are ordered" And the word "ver-
boten," SO dear to the German hoAft,l
is in constant Use. They sumn1on
their men with police whistles, they
strut with the swagger step OF a DER
man corporal and act with all the
ridiculous verve OF Prussian 81
perior y
What a contrast TO the military but
courteous mode of Intercourse between
the American officers and the IN
terms.
As matter cs fact. 1t is really ~
markable how little feeling seems TO-
exist among the officers and Guarlos
against the prisoners. I have never
experienced any such indignitiea ~
reported by British and French pri4-S
oners who escaped from German
prison camps. / have never heard Of
an American. officer splitting into .
Germans face. nor of a soldier hitting
a prisoner with the butt of his rihe.,
And when an American soldier warlte
to treat prisoner decently he d0o3
not have 10 take him behind the bar
racks or sneak about 1t. Treatment
in camp depends entirely on the nnan'a
own behavior. 1t is strictly $3.50" At
Fort Douglas, and presume 1t Is the
same in the other camps. because
$3.50" is an American national virtue
If a prisoner observes the rules he II
treated with kindness and respect 1k
he is unruly and suffers from the hal
Inclination that the Kaiser will person.
ally avenge every wrong, imaginary Or
otherwise. that is done 10 his dear.
IL.
the opportunity to see the error Of his
ways. Sometimes that is done by die.
ciplinary measures, but often the cx-s
ecu.ye officer takes the trouble OK
talking to .he man and trying TO-
change his ideas.
More than once the officers ani s0l.i
diers have gone out of their way to do
favors for me and other prisoners.
More than once fellow prisoners Of
mine have gone out OF their way to
make life harder and more miserable
for me.
say this with no intention Of nat
terng any one nor of criticizing any
one else. I say it in fairness to those
who are supposed to be our enemieA
and whose decency and sense of jus.
tice, to my mind. are characteristic Of
tho whole American nation.
a few evenings ago 7 was standing
outside of my barrack. One of the
sergeants was eating nice, ripe. fresh
cherries out of a bag. ! do not know.
what expression was on my face, but
the sergeant said
Long time since you've had cher
ries. eh?" Ny
Il should say So" was my answer.
And the soldier insisted that take
half Of his fruit. The men in the camp
office have repeatedly civ us iruits
cigarettes. matches and many other
little things for which they paid ont.
of their own not too ample wages
or course. they are not all like that
There are 'grouches" everywhefe.
there are always bad exceptions to =
good rule. Undoubtedly some of fh2
little men could he more polite, but
soldering is not a DariOr game. and
ten tn twenty years IN the service aro
bound TO spoil a mans company n1ohs
ners somewhat.
1NP second and idsf iRstaHH,euf 81
Jir. BrdRdeis's story UiH appear Terti
SATURDAY. in the EVENING PUBLIC
LEDGER.