The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-05-16
ANOTHER INTERESTING LETTER
FROM CAPT. JNO. B. SETTLER

ANOTHER INTERESTING LETTER
FROM CAPT. JN0. B. SETTLER
Russian Prisoner of War Camp.
Sagan, Germany.
April 5, 1919
Dear Ed
Well, another week is behind us and
l am glad to say we are still on
friendly terms with our brother pr1s
oners, the Russians, and at least not
openly hostile with our former ene-
mics, the Germans.
Luckily for me I have just put I'll
fairly busy week, consequently time
has not been hanging heavily upon
me.
I believe 1 have told you that was
sent here as a tuberculosis special
ist.' My instructions were to md
out how many tuberculosis cases
there were in camp. The method !
was to adopt in securing this inform
alton was left with me to decide. To
find out how many cases there were
in the hospital was an easy matter
But it is quite different prop
osition when you consider the
camp as a whole-there being
220O in camp. After consulting with
German doctors in charge at the
camp I decided that 1 would adopt tie
following method: Request that ali
Of the men who have ever had any
trouble with their lungs or who now
believe they have any disease Of the
lungs. report to me at the camp in
frmary. In order that there might
be some system to my method, I am
examining the men by battalions.
raouest that a certain number of men
each day report to me. at a certain
hour. The president Of the Russian
prisoners council arranges for them
to be there at that hour. Due to the
fact that the infrmary is used for
other purposes In the forenoon,
+. make my exssautnations of the lungs
!. IL the afternoons. This hour gives me
tie advantage of possible afternoon
ssmaassratnse.. Then ;toos It leaves my
nrr,,o.rnngg n. free sor mici uscopical work
sthereezmuns saoesorss Kindly hered
y,as the use pszhis microscppe=an TOY
any Investigations I may wish &C
make around camp. As you well
imagine / have some .sbirds" to come
before me. This afternoon q big enris
much be.whiskered fellow came NJ
for examination. After had exam
ir,ed his chest, he kicked off his bic
wooden shoe and showed me where
the shoe had been rubbing the place
where his toe had been amputated
And another big fellow had spraine:
ankle. But~at a glance can spot tne
suspicious cases and pass up tht
others rapidly. The president of thu
council is a friendly intelligent fellow
and a great help to me. He acts a
my interpreter. He doesn't under
stand English, but he can read M!
signs and motions. He has my methot
and procedure down "pat" so that
don't even have to make signs an!
more. He tells the men what wan
them to do as I proceed. He under
stands that l am not supposed to Civ
any treatment, and when the mel
start to telling me their troubles h
shuts them up by telling them to tel
their troubles to the Duetsch doctor
But perhaps his biggest favor to m
is that he makes the men take bat
:. before they come up for examination
After we finish our work each day
give him a cigarette and he is jus
as thankful as if I had given him
whole carton-they do like the Amer
can cigarettes. The German official
here in camp are no exception to thl
rule. Our relations with the German
here at the camp have been yer
cordial. This of course makes o.:
work less disagreeable. Then too.
adds to a fellows feeling of safet:
while all this talk among the allies
severing relations with Germany
:, going on.
~ / believe have told you OF the co
o lapse Of military discipline in tn
German army. The German soldier
. here in camp very seldom salute the
own officers, but they rarely ever 10