The Washington times., 1919-01-26
GERMANS WHIPPED
by YANk PRISONERS

BERNE, Dec 80 by maiD.-.tn
American army whipped the Germans
right in their own backyard. long be-
fore the armistice was signed.
This army wasn't big, as armies. 90.
and it didn't have a rifle, or a cannon
or any of the other usual implements.
But it had morale to burn: and morale
won. -.
These doughboys were war pris.
oners. There were eventually abou:
$500 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 G. err
many: Edgar NJ Halyburton; OF
South Carolina. was responsible f,r
Young America in Germany" He is
an army sergeant of eight years SEW.
ice: 1t was his bad luck to be .rue
or the hrst Americans captured by the
Germans. back in October. 1917. lie
belonged to the First Division. He IA
tall. lean chap. twenty-five pounds
underweight now because of German
treatment and his tireless work.
Halyburton unanimously was elected
cor imander OF Young America in
Iermany by his associates. He se-
lected as his aide-de- camp Charles
Geohegan, a private from New York
Forced to Haul Wood.
Shortly after Halyburton wasfakcu
10 prison camp he was Joined by
half dozen other Americans, cap
tured in the first few days of Amer
Ea hshting He and his conf
panions were hitched TO wagon
maui wood from a forest. seven miles
from the camp. Their shoes gave out
ana they tied rags to their feet. The
snow often was up TO their knees and
the weather was bitterly cold. Their
iooo consisted of a piece Of prison
bread in the morning and soup so
thln you could see the bottom of tho
pail" at night
Inc Americans stood it several
weeks. growing weaker and weaker
put studying their German captors
soon another group of captured
americans arrived. making the total
ABOUT twenty. Then they decided. to
demand better treatment. They had
noticed that the Germans had y dis
tinct treatment for prisoners eff each
nationality. Russians and Rouman-
lans were treated as dogs, or worse
ana were being slowly starved Brit
lsh were treated somewhat better
and the French best of all.
Treated Like Russians.
Americans were new in Gcrmany
and no standard OF treatment had
been established for them The Ger
mans had started the first Americans
on the same plan the Russians
HalyburtOn and his pals began estab-
fishing an American standard Thev
made him leader. and agreed to stick
by him through anything. They sum-
med up their position thus: We'll
soon die on this anyway; We should
nave died at the front, and we can't
die better than by demanding that
We be treated as Americans"
Halyburton first ordered them 10
clean up as best as they could Then
he demanded. in the best military
way. to see the CAMP comma uder. He
saw him. and declared that the Ameri-
cans mus be treated and fed better,
and refused for them to do further
wood hauling. He told tho Prussian
he could either line tho Americans up
and shoot them or comply with their
dem. nd
Th. cOmnander was furious, but
'he AmC icanS hauled no more wood.
They were moved to Rastatt. and
age, and clothing arrived and were
di>tribnIcd "v-niN. tltimatums ard
demands We're made ia y soldierly
way. with increasing fore" as th"
NmericanS eetab i-hcd their standing"
Th, Americans were careful 20 he ;ust
and diplomat, in their demands.
kept Well "Poiieed,''
Their amp became model. HdlF
barton had d commander OF each bar
I:,c>s TO see that every American kept
his clothes clean and his shoes
blaci>rd Every -dIutn had 10 be
snappE and correct. The An er.canS
gained special barracks by demand
in" them. Under Ilalyburton's Or
drI> these were cleaned twice day.
They were better than those OF IN"
I'.ImrIn guards
Then come the liGht aGdtnS
~ iutam propaganda Th" Germans
" tr" .shinS propasanda papeF
IN IrriIn called ".\mericH in EGlope.
" va distributed in the prisons ana
over \m+rirLn lines. fhe sheet Wa
Written ny GtrmanS who had hNeu
many Years in America and who could
use American slang. When The mrs.
issue appeared. the editor came 10
RH HstatL and interview ed Halyburtoh,
representing himself appointed 10
DANCING