East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-09-20

BERNIE. (By mail. )--An Ameri
can army whipped the Germans rlgh
in their own backyard. long befor,
the armistice was signed.
This army wasn't big, as armies go
and II didn't have rifle, or u cannon
or any OF the other usual Implements
But II had morale to burn; and mo-
rale won.
These doughboys were war prison.
ers. They were eventually about g.
600 OF them.
The story of how these men won
their battle at the Rastatt prison
camp became known only when the
American prisoners came out of Ger
many Edgar NJ. Halyburton of
South Carolina was responsible for
young America In Germany" He
is an army sergeant of eight years
service. 1t was his bad luck to be
one of the first Americans captured
by the Germans. back in October.
1917. He belonged to the LIST division
He is a tall. lean chap, 25 pounds un-
derweight now because of German
treatment and his tireless work.
Halyburton unanimously was elect
ed commander of young American in
Germany" by his associates. He Sc
lected as his aide-de camp Charles
Geohegan. a private from New York |
Shortly after Halyburton was taken |
to a prison camp he was Joined by |
half dozen other Americans. cap
tured in the first few days of Ameri-
cas- fighting. He and his compan-
ions were hitched to "A wagon with 16
Russians and made TO haul wood from
a forest. miles from the camp. Their
shoes gave out and they tied rags to
their feet. The snow often was up to
heir knees and the weather was bit
terly cold. Their food consisted of
Iiece of prison bread in the morning
and "soup SO thin you could see the
bottom OF the pail" at night.
The Americans stood It several
weeks. growing weaker and weaker,
but studying their German captors.
Soon another group of captured AM
orleans arrived, making the total about
20. Then they decided to demand
better treatment They had noticed
that the Germans had distinct treat
ment for prisoners Of each nationality.
Russians and Roumanians were treat
ed as dogs. Or worse, and were being
slowly starved. British were treated
better and the French best
of ALL
Americans We're new in Germany.
and no standard of treatment had
been established for them. The Ger
mans had started the first Americans
on the same plan as the Russians.
and his pals began estab-
fishing an American standard. They
made him leader and agreed to stick
by him through anything. They sum-
med up their position thus: 1--WE
soon die on this anyway; we should
have died at the front, and we can't
iie better than by demanding that j.
we be treated as Americans" n
Halyburton first ordered them to 5
clean up as best they could. Then he ir
demanded. in the best military way, Is
% see the camp commander. He saw g
him, and declared that the Americans II
must be treated and fed better, and II
'efused for them to do further wood N
hauling. He told the Prussian he D
,ould either line the Americans up IL
md shoot them, or comply with their o.
Ivmands.
The commander was furious. but the a =,
americans hauled no more wood. y y
they were moved to Rastatt, and -
heir food improved. Red Cross .
and clothing arrived and y
we're distributed evenly. Ultimatums :,
md demands were made in a soldierly =,
way, with increasing force as the Am :,
orleans established their standing. The =,
americans were careful to be just and :,
diplomatic in their demands. :,
Their camp became model. Haly- N,
,urton had n commander of each bar =
acks to see that every Aerican kept W
lis clothes clean and his shoes black
ned. Every salute had to be snappy
md correst. The Americans gained w
pecial barracks by demanding them. til
Jndcr Halyburton's orders these were le