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

bed has mattress made OF gunny
sacks and packed with straw, which
is renewed from time to time, two
heavy army blankets and pillow
In every case | found bed. mattress
and blankets Historically clean. This
work of cleaning is done by prison.
ers and disinfectants. | made my in
spec ion. during the latter part OF
December and the first part of jan
uary. when France was gripped by
the worst spell of cold weather she
has known in years The country
lacks heating facilities for meeting
such an emergency and coal is short,
At no time during this period was
so warm as in these prison bunk
| houses for each had big stove
blazing with coal fire. Each OF
| these larger camps has series Of
hot shower baths. Every prisoner is
required to battle once week and
can usually battle oftener if he wish
es
Each camp has a dispensarv in
charge of a prisoner from the sani-
tary service. and provided with the
services Of an army physician. The
French say that the health of the
| prisoners has been excellent on the
whole.
The two larger camps have long
| wooden recreat ton buildings like the
rest. but furnished with chairs and
| benches, a few pictures. a library.
and>a small stage for shows and con-
eerts. Enough musical instruments
to furnish All orchestra for each of
these two camps have been sent
thrnnoh frn in nris
ers' packages. Work and supper are
usually finished by half past six in
the evening. and the bugle for
lights out" does not blow until half
past eight. During that time the huts
are crowded, and the air Quivers
with music and conversation.
Warm undertaking is scarce in
France just now. The Swiss inspec-
tors, trying to do everything they
can under the rules for their charges
seem to believe that this is the great
present need.
AS things have finally worked out
the French have adopted. in this
item of meat. three regimes. The
first is known as favored" 1t is for
Alsatians, forcibly modified in the
German army, for the CZeezs among
the Austrian prisoners, and in gener-
al for the members of subject races
fighting for the central powers
against their will. They receive 500
grams day The ordinary" regime
is the one followed at the beginning
Of the war. before the action of the
Germa ans made reprisals necessary
Under it live the Austrian prisoners
since Austria is still giving prison
ers the same ratiOns as their own in
active troops. 1t allows so grams of
meat day. Finally. there is the
special regime. made necessary by
the conditions of the times for the
Germans.
The ration, 10 begin with. includes
500 grams of bread a day-about
one and one-half pounds. This is
exactly double the quantity of bread
allowed TO the civilian workingmen
OF Germany when last I had knowl-
edge OF their food ration-last
September. 1t is also exactly double
the allowance made by the Germans
to the French prisoners in their
hands
The great loaf of brown war
bread which represents 600 grams
is issued to every prisoner each
morning. The rest of his nourish-
ment comes in the form of scenti-
fically compounded soup of stock,
ssains and vegetables. which he re-
ceives three times a day in his army
grub can" At the noon meal he re-
ceives his eighty-six grams of meat.
Eighty-six grams is slice about as
big as the portion of a boiled NUT
ton. say, which would be given one
at cheap restaurant in the United
States
Every camp has canteen, at
which the prisoners are allowed to
buy food or other supplies.
Doubtless the average German
prisoner has not quite enough to eat
as We define enough" in liberal-liv-
ing America AS compared to the
newly arrived prisoners or to the
Austrians, the average "old' Ger
man prisoner, who has been in cap
tivlty from two to three and half
years, is a little lacking in color.
And still they lock much better
physically than the German civilians
whom l saw crossing into Switze--
land last summer Except for the
soldiers at the front and very
small class Of we'i-;o 10 civilians,
scarcely any one IN western Euroue
has enough to eat, if we go by the
I'd standards