The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-17
An Inside View of the Work of the
American Red Cross in Germany
Entertaining Account of Trip Among the Russian Prisoners
at Ruhleben Near the City of Berlin
BY Captain Hampton Anderson.

BY Captain Hampton Anderson.
The Russian prison camp of Ruhl~-
ben is situated on the outskirts of
Berlin. some twenty minutes by motor
from Brandenburger Thor. RuhlebeH
Is well known among the Germans and
among the allies. but for different
reasons. Among the Germans 1t Is
or was, known as fashionable race
course for the Rerliners- Among the
allies 1t is notorious as the chief
prison camp for English prisoners of
war
The buildings at Ruhleben now
used for the prisoners consist of the
old stables and pavilions which have
been supplemented by barracks sim
liar to the barracks used by American
soldiers in France. The situation Is
excellent. being well drained and with
any amount of open space. One can
still trace in the center of the race
course, the faded white lines of for
| mer cricket and foot ball grounds---~
always an indication Of occupancy by
English soldiers.
Upon our arrival at the camp, we
were ushered into the American army
headquarters, where the lieutenant in
t com mand was holding a conference
with the Russian prisoners commit
the preparation of plays for an en-
tertainment to be given by the pris-
! oners themselves. We were told that
| they were Just arguing the relative
merits of banjos and guitars when we
came in.
| The subject was postponed while
we formed in groups for an Inspection
of the camp. We had come at an
suspicious moment. for the rlen were
just assembling for the midday meal,
| in long lines outside the mess kitch-
ems. We had an excellent opportun-
| ity to inspect their clothing and gem
| warmly clad. and shod either with
leather shoes or sabots. The condi-
| ton OF the clothing seemed TO vary
| with the industry and ingenuity of the
wea-er. Patches and seams made
| medley Of color, while n variety OF
| headgear from the fur Cossack's tur-
/ ban to discarded English Tommy's
cap, lent a strange. even comical APP
| pearance to the long mess line.
The men themselves were, apar-
emily. in good physical condition. but
they were for the most part silent
I and somewhat morose. Here was none
| OF the animation and liveliness OF the
usual mess line. You could attribute
this, of course. either to the Russian
peasant character. or, to the fact that
the majority of these men had been
| captured in the great Hfndenburg
drives in 1914 and 1918. and had
| therefore been standing In similar
mess lines and eating similar soup FOR
more than four years. Naturally. you
could not expect them to be slappins
| each other on the back and cracking
| jokes
vry- s,zx1 80 ~ b{ trh
and saw the men being served with
the thick potato soup. In which was
! floating r. surprising quantity OF meat.
! One of the cooks obligingly came for
ward with a plateful and a spoon.
and we went through the ritual OF
tasting II. 1t was really very good.
This soup is cooked in large caul-
drons. dexteriously stirred with long
wooden shovel, and as fast as ont
cauldron is emptied It Is scrubbed and
cleaned and a new mess of pottage be-
gun.
Some OF the men ate their soup In
the kitchens. but the majority pre-
ferred 10 carry it to their barracks.
Presently we went into one of these
and found ii very warm. very close
and bit smelly But. to a people
accustomed in Russia to sleeping on
tops of stoves, this condition seemed
not unnatural and even agreeable.
Here were groups of men sitting on
their hunks. consuming soup In
stolid and ruminative way. or playing
silent game of cards which seemed
to me TO resemble pinochlc All IT
the hunks had blankets and bedding.
obviously in need of renovation. and
we were glad to hear that this was be-
ing carried out very rapidly.
We maintained at Ruhlehen Red
Cross medical officer who Is also ar
official inspector and representative
It is his duty. in cooperation with
the local German commander and
possibly with the prisoners commit
tee, IL there is one 10 report on the
general condition and the needs Of
the prisoners and the camp, Food,
clothing and medical supplies are for
warded upon requisition from the Red
Cross warehouses in Berlin.
AS regards the food, it Is in the ma
ture of ration, supplementary to
the regular ration furnished the pris-
oners by the German government.
sugar, tea and other staple necessities,
Is supplied by the inter-a1lied food
commission, chiefly through the Brit
ish Red Cross. Each prisoner is now
receiving three hundred additional
grams Of bread n day. which with the
regular German allowance, gives him
six hundred grams daily.
At the present moment the German
civilian allowance IL three hundred
and seventy-five grams daily. The
clothing. underwear. socks, shoes,
medical and surgical supplies and
dressings and hospital diet foods are
the chief contributions of the Ameri- |
can Red Cross.
Tho actual distribution Of these SUPP
plies is in the hands OF the American
army detachment at each camp. They
supervise and control the apportion- |
rnent Of food and clothing. upon tho
recommendations Of the Red Cross
representative. They are also IN