The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-06-13

Whatever fate awaits our soldiers
who fall prisoners to the Germans;
whatever hardships and tOrtures Karls-
ruhe or the mines of Rheinhausen and
Ewald have in store for them, fact
with which Fritz may well console
himself is the comparative cOnsidera-
ton with which the American army
will treat him when he greetS US with
"kamerad."
While the American scheme for han
ding prisoners Of war is still in the
embryo, 1t may be said to be one OF
the best that has yet been devised. For
months, American army men have been
visiting immense prison colonies In
Great Britain and throughout France.
They studied the systems in use in
both countries, and while they have
found no pronounced defects in the
British system il is undoubtedly the
French plan which they will follow
closest in preparing the American
camps. This, it is explained, is quite
| natural, as the American government
will be dependent on the French for
location of the collecting stations, dis
| triIuting centers and the final quarters
| for the barracks. The French have
three large collecting stations in the
| interior. 1t is more than likely that
the American forces will be allotted
one of these stations for its war pris-
oners until our own are completed and
ready for use.
A Great Experiment.
The handling of military prisoners
in France has been a gigantic expert
ment in sociology. For the past three
years the French government has been
conducting prison camps according to
the newest formulate Of group alimen.
tation 1t treats its prisoners somewhat
/ after the manner Of refugees, popu'
lation made homeless and hungry by
some disaster. This has been repeated
over and over again by every one who
has come to France since the out
break Of the war. But it cannot be
said too often. / have seen during the
early days of the war huge concentra-
ton camps of homeless Belgians on
the Dutch border. AS the war pro-
crossed l made visits to neutral intern
ment camps and saw the living condi-
lions of Russian, Austrian and Ger
man soldiers. From what I have seen
of French military prison methods
can say that in humaneness Of treat.
ment, the good quality'of food and the
liberty Of movement allowed both Of
ficers and men no other nation, bellig'
erent or neutral, which has cared fol
great masses Of people during this wal
has equalled the generosity Of France
1--WE Americans have had a great
deal Of experience in sociology-more
, perhaps, than any other nation in the
world. We should find 1t interesting
work, applying our vast knowledge anC
experience to a new and unique phase
of social science" said high army Of
fetal who has made a thorough study
; of prison camp methods in Europe
BE spoke of the handling of war prts
oners as being q real humane problem
and while emphasizing that war pris
oners' camp was not a picnic grount
or a health resort, 1t was at the same
/ time not a black hole for the breeding
Of diseases and the starving and tor
turing of human beings, as seemed t
be the Prussian idea. l asked hin
whether he thought reprisals to be ,
: satisfactory means Of insuring bette
treatment for prisoners in Germany
, and he answered quickly that Ameri
ca would not and cannot enter int
y competition with medieval tryannism
5 Germans Barbarous.
S "French captives in Germany hav
4 endured tremendous suffering, hav
4 died of tuberculosis and skin disease
and of just plain starvation; the worl
knows and will long remember tn
story of that martyrdom. Yet despit
v such intolerable sufferings of its me-
n and the bitter insults and offensiv
,. treatment with which they wer
e coupled, the French government polio
i has not been one Of reprisal or imits
: ton Of German method. Germa
: pamphleteers were busy several month
ago informing the neutrals and thei
own populations Of the terrible hare
|, ships Of German and Austrian prison
! ers In France and Great Britain
4 Switzerland sent Investigators and oil
e servers to the French camps and the
:. came home, not merely with reports G
t their observations but filed with Ell
:. thusiasm for the system Of treatmen
e the food, sanitary sleeping and Twin
= quarters, hours of labor and opportun
u ties for recreation. The men who hay
, found shelter in French camps ar
ucite contented. Aside from the opil
e ion of the neutral observers, the te
!, timony of the prisoners themselves
: the best refutation Of Germany's all
cations. No prisoner has yet bee
# found who complained.
e "The American prison camps, cor
IT bining as they will the best Of the Bri
l. ish and French systems, are expecte
to be a great object lesson to the el
envy in the human treatment of priSol
k ers Of war. AS In the French camps, Ii
If bread ration will be an ample one, col
'e siderably higher than that Of the be!