Daily Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1918-191?, 1918-07-06
French Generous to Prisoners De-
spite Brutal Course Of
4 Enemy. -
ARE GLAD TO Be OUT OF n
Sight Of Long American Columns Dc
stroys Hun Hopes Of vietory--live
Like nsppy Family In
Prison Camp.

with the American Forces In France
France knows that her prisoners 10
Germany are treated badly. but Ger
man prisoners are treated humRne'y
and even generously In French pris-
ons lust the same. writes Don Martin
IN the New York Herald. ] asked
an officer In charge Of a French prts2p
eamp why this is. and he shrugged
his shoulders and said merely:
aAhr
Unless one could see the gesture
accompanying the rnonosyllable ne
would hardly know Whit meaning 70
attach 70 II. II really meant
aoh. what's the use Of being hru
tai TO individuals just because some
one else ISL We wish we could, but
we can't"
I have Inspected several prisons
some large and some small. ana IN
every one have found the Germans
treated quite as well rs civil prisoners
IN normal times and In many Instances
better. onicers are not Inundated In
any way. In fact they receive better
treatment. stranger would think,
than they are really entitled TO.
Prisoners live Happily.
On a low hill about 1000 feet from
n main road 81 France stands a prison
five low wooden buildings surround
cd by two barbed wire fences. With
armed plckets always patrolling out
side. Here are 200 Germans. many Of
them prisoners taken In the early bat
tie Of the Somme. but some taken
more recently. They are all privates
and constitute rs happy n family as
one could find where personal liberty
Is the one thing desired and denied.
The Germans stood at their barbet
fences hours at a time and watched
the endless line 81 soldiers. When II
was the blue Of France that was nov
ing past the Germans were not particu-
larry interested. They had seen that
for years. They know France always
has had an endless line Of everything
needed for war. But when they saw
the khaki Of America filing or rolling
by for a whole day and then for an
other. and heard the muddy shuttle OF
feet through the night. there was q
change In the dull expression Of those
German eyes. II was at this time that
I went TO the prison 20 learn what they
thought Of what they had seen. First
81 should be stated that these prisoners
see little Of recent developments In
the war. They must form their opln-
ions from ruch fragments Of CONVERSE
tion as they hear from their keepers
and from what they see. as. for In
stance. from the long. long line OF
Americans the first they had seen.
In this particular prison the new
Corners had brought the news situation
MP 10 early spring. but rs for the big
offensive the prisoners knew only that
there probably would be one.
Americans Surprise Germans.
When asked n there was a German
among the two hundred who could
speak English. a good looking young
man. with a typical Teutonic mustache
red cheeks. a glow Of health. was call.
cd out. lie stepped into my presence
like an automaton, clicked his heels to
gether and saluted the French captain
lie told me he was a private: that h,
has a home IN Lucerne. Switzerland
that he fought eight months. hut wa
never wounded that he Il In the whole
sale dry goods business In Berlin, an,
that he does business with John wana
maker. Marshall Field and Ster
Brothers.
"what do you think OF all the Amer
cans you have seen par ne here recent
Tyr asked him.
II have seen many Americans" h
said. II wns surprised that you hav
30 many In France"
Another prisoner. less prepossessin
IN appearance than the FIRST. was aske
about things In general. He spok
English poorly.
II I've In Berlin and work In banl
but was In the war for two year
When the war Is over am going
Switzerland 10 live. would 70
America. but they don't like German
over there any more"
"why are you going to leave oe
manyr"
For an answer there wns a shrug {
shoulders and half seowl. half smil
! "Are you satisfied heref"
Its n LOT better than being In