The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-03-22
$500 GERMAN PRISONERS OF
WAR IN THE UNITED States
Of1cers and Men From the Vessels informed at the Beoinntno Of the
War and Men Arrested as Alien Enemies Since the United
States Entered the War Are Being Treated
IN Most Humane Manner.

.He GERMANS nave been per
mitted to find amusements for them
selves. They have developed a life
OF their own. They developed II and
perfected 1t until what a few months
ago was merely an internment camp
nus now become a center Of every
kihu OF activity. On the river banks
u German village was laid out. It is
suggestive Of Old Heidelberg. the
crooked streets OF Nurnberg, or some
little village In the Black mountains.
One almost forgets that one is In the
Mountains Of North Carolina MS he
ak along the narrow, crooked
streets OF this German village, flanked
on either side by artistic p~layhouses
built by the men themselves. TIE
houses are not for living in, although
ingenious stoves have been built to
Keep them warm from stones picked
up along the riverside. And the
nouses themselves are made from
scraps of lumber, from brokeo
branches Of trees, from little pieces of
wood. They are shingled with tin cans
and are papered within and tinted at
very little expense.
AT the head Of the roadway Is q
miniature Gothic church. It's lines are
good; 1t has pews within 1t, a pulpit.
and all the accessories Of q church.
But It Is merely q play church. Flow
ers OF all kinds are planted. and In a
shor time the German village was a
flower garden. And when this work
was completed the men who had con
structed these buildings organized
classes for study. One Of these houses
- an artists studio: two or three are
cabinetmaking shops. Some old men
are weaving. They are plying all the
trades that they learned In their idle
hours on shipboard. Wonderful mo-
sale work made out of cigar boxes is
turned out. as are little ships complete
In every detail.
Y. N. G. A. Takes Hold.
The Young Mems Christian associa-
ton followed the Germans to Hot
Springs. MS 1t has followed our SOL
diers to their environments, and It came
with plans for service, with money
enough to buy lumber, but no money
for labor, and the representative Of the
Young Mems Christian association
called a number Of the German sen
men together In their camp and asked
them If they would be willing to build
a Young Mems Christian association
building II supplied with material and
tools. Immediately the men organized
a construction squad. They gave their
labor gratuitously. They erected a big
building. probably 200 by $50 feet, ar
tistically designed, as a clubroom and
schoolhouse. and Immediately all the
classes were filled. Four hundred men
were Immediately enrolled. The Ger
mans produced their own teachers.
Glasses were established In elementary
and advanced English. Other classes
were formed In French and In Span
ish. Shorthand, geography, chemistry,
marine engineering, and navigation
are taught. All day and all evening
these classes are at work studying
various subjects.
Similar classes were organized In
the officers detention camp.
The Young Mems Christian associa-
ton has also stationed secretaries and
inaugurated work at Fort Oglethorpe
and Fort Mcpherson. Ca, and at. Fort
Douglas, Utah. They have cooper
ated heartily with the government
and have rendered most valuable serv-
Ice along the lines Of work usually car
ried on by the neutrality-suspicious.,
educational, athletic. music. and gar
dening.
Life Is irksome in any camp. The
get what the doctors call the
"barbed-wire sickness" It affects
mems minds to be kept In an Enclosure
with nothing to do. That Is the most
serious complaint.
There have been but few attempts
to escape. and the guarding OF the
prisoners 10 relatively easy.