The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-05-06
AN INTERESTING LETTER
FROM DIR. JOHN B. SETZLER

Russian Prisoner of War Camp
Sagan, Germany,
March 80, 1919.
Dear Ed
don't remember whether I have
written you since / arrived at my
post or not-any way, here 1 come
again. Perhaps you had better in-
form Hubert before he sees the head
ing of this letter that the Germans
haven't, forcibly taken me prisoner
Uncle Sam" deprived. them of tha.
pleasure by generously delivering me
into their hands.
And here am along with another
medical officer, dentist, two hive
/, officers and rs corps men, and / was
Z about to forget -23O0 fellow prisoners,
the Russians safely barricaded with
in numerous strands of barbed wire.
There IS no doubt but that we have
ample protection from without! But
j 1 sometimes wonder If our most dan-
serous foe is not herded in the same
camp with us-we have no barbed
wire that separates US from our
brother prisoners, the Russians! We
Americans occupy barracks in one
corner of the camp. They would not
be so bad were it not for the ever
present bed bug, they make pretty
good entertainers. Then too, they
give a fellow employment and this
helps to pass the time away.
Sure enough, expected to have
time hang heavy with nae here N
camp, but so far it has passed awa7
very rapidly. I reached camp Tues
day, March 5. I can hardly realizs
that today is Sunday.
I had FIVE days in Berlin and GER
tainly did enjoy them. While at the
Hotel Adlon the kaiser's second son,
Eftel Frederick is his name. l believe,
, came up to the bar and asked to be
served Immediately. The bar tender
politely asked him On Dutch) @to
step to -" and then added "You
are no better than the rest OF us now.
You will wait your turn" And he
~haasa~x1Q ,x,.;toJ
General Ludendorf was staying at
the Adlon while we we're there. He
is tall, portly looking fellow and
presents a fine appearance. He wears
citizens clothes.
On my way down here I struck up
with German soldier .21 years old.
who had escaped from a prison camp
in England. He had been there over
year By-the-way. he says that the
English give their prisoners good
treatment. He made his escape by
getting into a coal scoop and being
dumped into the hold of a ship. He
said that three of his brothers and
his father had been killed in the war
and that another brother had died Of
the "Flu'' in a prison camp in Eng
land He wanted to know right away
what T thought his chances were of
getting into the United States. He
lad already decided that he was go
ing to America and very frankly
told me his plan. He was on nj;
way home He said that he was go
ing to stay there four months and
during this time he was going to-
study English. At the time he had
a German-English book in his hand
and when not talking to us he was
faithfully digging aw"- at it. He
didn't hesitate, either. 20 call as to
help him when he struck a knot too
tough for him to untangle.
He had planned to slip into the
S. by way Of Russia. Siberia and
Japan. But what was worrying him
most was where. the marks were
|ncoming from. Some one had told
I'm that he would have to have a
certain number of marks before he
would be permitted to enter the u. S.
Before he was taken prisoner he had
been seriously wounded and for some
time he will not be able to perform
hard manual labor But he seemed
to have no doubt but that he would
l be able to make it. He said that If
\it became necessary he would
Shine shoes. He talked very inter-
estingly about the war-but of course
when he got on that subject. I played
mum He said that France and
,voro In hot