South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-03

garments 20. in exactly the same fashion as the
French soldier.
patched up in the When these out they
issued regulation army boots. All the prisoners
who under my inspection seemed to be well shod
Warm undertaking in France just
The Swiss inspectors trying 10 do everything they can
under the rules for their charges believe that
this is the great present need AT the beginning of las,
they arranged for the purchase of undershrts
and drawers in Switzerland and other neutral coun-
tries the expenses being betrayed from swiss or Ger
charitable funds These suits Of underclothes
being issued in most of the camps during my
visit
THE VITAL QUESTION OF FOOD.
Finally, comes the vital, an-mportant question OF
food.
In the beginning the French adopted the rule or
giving prisoners exactly the same ration their own
troops active service. The French
economical people. Though they insist good cook
ing they eat less in bulk, than the British the Ger
mans. the Americans. SO this ration is slightly
smaller than the liberal allowance of the American
British soldier. STILL il is enough the game
it established that French prisoners Germany
not getting the same treatment that in fact they
received far less food than the German reservists
idle troops. The French maintain that their only way
Of protecting comrades in German hands is TO take
reprisas and to threaten reprisas against the
prisoners which they hold. The Germans cut down
the meat ration French prisoners grams a
day. The French the giving their Ger
captives $50 grams day When, after
sensations through neutral channels the French aiieo
to get adjustment Of this matter they adopted the
reprisal policy and down the ration for German
prisoners to Sc grams.
As things have finally worked out the French have
adopted, in this item of meat. three regimes. The
first is known favored" 1t is for Alsaons forci
bly, modified in the German army. for the Czeczs
among the Austrian prisoners and in general for the
members of subject races fighting for the centrar
powers against their will They receive 800 grams
day. The Ordinary regime is the followed the
beginning OF the before the action of the Ger
made reprisals necessary. Under
Austrian prisoners since Austria is still giving prison
the ratons their own inactive troops 1t
allows $50 grams of meat day. Finally
toned before there is the special" regime made
by the conditions of the times the
Taking this special German regime the only
pertinent TO the present inquiry. the prisoners
divid into two classes-working and nOn-working.
Their rations scientifically calculated nurtive
value the basis OF 'caories'-the yardstck of tho
ceive little more than 21,OOO calories week the
nOn-WOrking a little more than 1860
GOOD RATIONS PROVIDED.
Few of know how to think in terms Of caories
so let me establish a comparison. The average wora-
ingman of the United states, believe consumed. be-
fore the war about $500 CaOries day. whereas the
prisoners this regime get 5000 day. However,
neither of these items allows for waste. Not only
easily the best-fed people world before
this war-eatins much anything-but'
also the most wasteful. How much Of the American
workingmans A. 500 tories dav went into the gar
bage pail otherwise wasted. have means o.
knowing. Certainly it considerable item in our
food bill In these prison the smallest
shred is wasted, | certify who have the
meals prepared For the work is done by German
prisoner COOKS who naturally trying squeeze
out the las drop of nOurishment
The ration, to begin with. includes 500 grams of
bread day-about Is pounds This is exactly
workingman of Germany when last had knowledge
of their food ratonast September is also exactly
double the allowance made by the Germans the
French prisoners in their hands However. the
nave adjusted that matter. They send their pris-
through Switzerland extra 800 grams day.
and force the Germans TO for through the Swiss
authorities. The great loaf of brown which
represents 500 is issued prisoner each
morning The rest of his nourshment comes in the
form scientifically compounded soup grains.
and vegetables which he receives three times day
in his grub can" At the meal. he
rpfNp ms of E-fghf *
a slice about big the portion of boiled mutton.
say. which would be given at cheap restaurant
in the United States
This regime at best is monotonous: however there
another factor which mtgates severity gives
it variety. Every camp has a canteen, at which the
prisoners allowed buy food other supplies.
To prevent embarrassment in these times OF great
strngency each man is limited to purchases of 10
francs or about 50 week This takes money, of
course; but a matter of fact most of the Germans
have some mOney-probaby most of them manage in
another of their week the greater
part of that 10 francs.
SOME PAY SCALE
In the ridiculOusy small pay scale of European
armies the Germans receive five centimes cent
day That keeps up. though they be prisoners.
When they TO work they get in addition a work
ever almost all employers of the working gangs have
found that it pays to give their German prisoners
wages. because they work better and more willingly
Under such conditions. The customary wage in such
circumstances is either so centimes (16 cents)
franc GO cents) day. I should say. the whole.
thar the wage OF franc Is more common than the
o. so centimes. on a six-day week the man work
under this arrangement makes with his and
working allowance $50 week which is three
quarters OF the which he may spend the
In addition to this the prisoners are allowed to re-
Ceive money from home Many thousands get such
allowance regularly and of thousands
of other do However the afhuent among them
often lend give their surplus TO their fellows.
The canteens. 1 them, appeared to be pretty
well stocked. The supplies sold at price and
the work OF selling is by prisoners. Margarine.
which takes the place of butter, is favOrite
chase. and there is always a cheeses. timed
sausages. recently, a reg