The sun., 1919-09-28
Boxes Sent From Switzerland
Kept Hundreds Alive and Did :
Much to Break Down German
Morale by Their Regularity
and Completeness

were filthy and, miserable to an ex-
treme degree, without adequate sleep
ing, bathing, toilet, cooking or hospital
facilities; and the men were subjected
to petty annoyances and abuses"
The American Expeditionary Forces
scrupulously respected the Prussian
treaty on the treatment of prisoners,
and one Of the best testimonials In
confederation of this, says Mr.. Dem
nett, Is the fact that there is not q
single official record Of an attempt by
a German prisoner to escape from the
A. e. F.
In the early months after Americas
entry into the war American prison.
ers In German hands were subjected
to many Of the indignities bestowed
upon other prisoners. They were
robbed of food and clothing sent them
by the Red Cross, as well as of their
army shoes, belts and other articles of
apparel which might be of economic
use to Germany. And but for the de-
mands Of the United States. as ex-
pressed in a conference between Ger
man and American representatives in
Bern September 20. 1918. this sort of
maltreatment might have eliminated
in a measure of the savagery and
cruelty melted out to the Russians.
Americans were not subjected to
the "schlague," beatings across backs
with heavy leather straps. a common
treatment for many prisoners.
They did not have pots of boiling
water poured over their PROSTATE
forms as group of underfed Russian
ghosts Of men did when they refused
to do unreasonable physical tasks.
They were not worked in the salt
mines like human slaves until they
dropped In their tracks.
They were not allowed to die and
rot Of typhus as many poor wretches
were at Wittenberg camp.
They were not made to dig
trenches under their own shell fire
There was always that fear In the
back of the Teuton. mind that.
humane as America could be relied
upon to be. certain distinguished
Dlain clothes Junkers, militarists.
strike promoters. plotters and in
triguers who were held in American
lnternment and prison camps might
find their wholesome meals and
healthful surroundings altered a bit.
Fear for their own, in other words.
md this fear alone kept the Germans
rom treating Yankee doughboys as
insane men only would treat beasts
of burden.
Because Germany was notorious in
| using the Hague and Geneva conven-
tons whenever 1t was to her advan-
tage so to do, and in violating them
whenever it was to her advantage,
the United States Government took
the position that 1t was not to be
considered a party to either treaty.
This was preliminary to arranging
special agreements between the two
countries. In the meantime, however,
American prisoners taken by the Ger
mans were badly treated and there
was great and needless delay in re-
| porting them. An effort made by the
United States to arrange conference
on neutral territory early in 1918 did
not bear fruit until September Of that
year. The brief submitted by the
American delegates, John w. Garrett,
Minister to The Hague; John w.
Davis, Solicitor General of the United
States and later Ambassador to Great
Britain, and Captain Hough of the
United States navy, at the Bern con-
| ference had ito cover by agreement
matters which ordinarily a civilized
nation would provide for purely from
humanitarian standpoint"
America Fed Both Groups.
"Many of these suggestions were to
remedy known abuses Of which had