The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-09-29
Red Cross Saved From Starvation
Hundreds of American Prisoners

obtained positive knowledge through
various channels. including returning
prisoners, : escaped prisoners, and
neutral delegates. says Commissioner
bennett The Americans prefaced
their demands with the following
declarations: y
81 The German government does
not provide adequate food to sustain
life for the American prisoners Of war.
"2. The German government does
not provide adequate warm clothing
| for American prisoners of war.
49, The United States provides Tor
German prisoners Of war precisely the
same food as that supplied to the
| American troops, which is wholesome,
adequate and even elaborate.
"a. Tha. United States provides for
the German prisoners of war suffi-
cient warm clothing.
The American government finds it
self in the curious position OF having
to feed and clothe German prisoners
of war in it's hands. and also the
American prisoners of war in the
| hands OF the German military forces.
To meet this condition, the United
! States government has made arrange
ments with the American Red Cross
/ by which the American Red Cross I'M
-dertakes to do the following:
81. Obtain at the earliest possible
| moment the names OIL American PIX
oners OF war in the hands of the Ger
man military forces
| 80. Obtain accurate camp addresses
! of these American prisoners OF war.
80. Transmit this information TO
/ general headquarters of the American
expeditionary forces, to the American
! Red Cross at Washington, which IN
turn notifies the families of the pris-
oner, and TO the American Red Cross
at Paris to clear it's records in connec-
| ton with the work of searching for
missing men in the hospitals in
/ France.
"a. Ship necessary relief supplies to
| American prisoners etc.
Important provisions for carrying
out the purposes of this agreefpent IN
ciuded the organization of camp help
committees among the American pris-
| oners. these committees being en-
powered. to communicate, freely and
| directly with the American Red Cross.
! department prisoners OF war. at
| Berne. This was vital and practical
arrangement which contributed to the
success of the whole prisoners reltof
undertaking, and that it was a success
| the prisoners themselves have proved.
| The American prisoners made known
! their wants through group within
| themselves, and as Mr.. bennett shows
! by photographs, they were kept Well
| clothed and well fed. and finally were
repatriated apparently none the worse
! for their confinement
They did not contract the dread
''barh~wire disease" as the effects OF
| malnutrition was called. which stamp
| ed the neglected prisoner of war
| when the armlstice was signed,
says sMr. bennett. approximately
| seventy five per cent of the American
| prisoners wvre in camps close to the
| Rhine and near the zone proposed to
| be occupied by the allied armies
went to France and met the
| first prisoners to return, among them
men who were at the head of our
camp, help committee. They stated
that they had ample food and cloth
| ing. and were able to give consider
able amounts of food to the starving
Italians.
Mr.. bennett emphasizes the psychic
| logical effect upon the German popd-
| lation of the American efforts to re-
tlieve American prisoners In this way:
| The United States government
| showed its determination to look after
| its prisoners. watch their treatment,
see that they were well fed and wen
| clothed. All these things had their
| effect on the German MIND. 'While4
never contemplated for that purpose.
| it Is undoubtedly true that the, food
| and clothing parcels sent To American
| prisoners constituted the best possible
| propaganda.
: 1.-THE German population had been
! Systematically educated to believe that
an American army of any size could
not possibly be sent to France and
that even If such an army was sent,
It would be physically impossible to
transport the necessary food. clothing
and supplies. And yet here were
prisoners, scattered all over Germany.
receiving from America twenty POUNDS
per week of better food than the Ger
man population had seen Tor years,
Land better clothing.
THE effect was irresistible and
spread all over Germany 1t became
source of embarrassment to the Ger
man officials, and we were even told
that we were sending more supplies
than were necessary and asked to re-
duce the quantity. We were informed
officially that the prisoners received so
much food that they were using their
! canned vegetables to play pass balf
with-O or course using can of corn To
ttoss around q circle instead OF a ball
didn't hurt the the contents any. but
it made a profound impression on the
Germans to see good food ysed In such
an apparently reckless manner.
Because the American prisoners
were sent food, clothing. and toilet ar
ticles to enable them to maintain their
health and self-respect they were re-
spected by the GFmans. On the con-
Itrary. Italian and Russian prisoners
who received no supplies. were starved
and in rags as a consequences were
treated like dogs. II the state of
origin OF a prisoner neglected him,
the Germans felt safe to indulge in
every brutality, but IL the prisoner
We're respected, cared for and watched
by his own country. that produced a
most beneficial effect upon the Ger
man military authorities and guards,
especially the last year of the war.
when they discovered that their bru-
tally and reprisal camps were not
spreading among the allies the terror
upon which they had counted, but on
the contrary were making them fight
the harder and better
Bands and orchestras were organ
lied among the American prisoners
and entertainments given. Mr. Den
nett tells amusingly of sets Of band
music, sent from America, including
such selections as Just Like Wash
ington Crossed the Delaware Pershing
viii Cross the Rhine: TITS a Long
Way to Berlin--But Wen Get There"