Bisbee daily review., 1920-04-21
Bisbee Man Writes Of Experiences as
 A Prisoner of War

CONTINUED FROM PAGE FOUR) also of the great prison camp at the city of Laon. It was, while camped overnight in filthy farm yard, that Ellinwood became first acquainted with that ever-present pest of the trenches, the cotie We were compa- nions for the next six weeks" he writes, "a pleasure which he alone en- joyed."
 Langenzalza was the first prison camp, in Germany, to receive the au- thor of this work. Food was scarce, and the ration accorded the prisoners by the Germans was miserable, con sisting of a poor imitation of coffee, made usually of roasted barley, pota- toes, occasionally. miserable soup and black bread. When English prIson- CTS, who had been at the camp for months and who had received boxes from the Red Cross, sent several Dlan- kets, filled with food, to the new al rivals it was indeed welcome, accord
 
 quite so delicious as those crackers with a bit of corned beef"
 Two letters and four postal cards could be written home each month by prisoner. A short time after his cap- ture, at Mont Notre Dame, the author had mailed several post cords to Ma jor " H. Brophy, in Paris. It will be remembered in Bisbee that fer weeks no word was received of Ralph Ellin- wood. He was merely missing" In spite Of his fears that the post cards would never reach their destination. the word got through and according to his conjecture Major Brophy cabled the news to Bisbee. But letters were scarce articles in the prison camps in Germany as Ellinwood testifies. They were welcome and when they put in an occasional appearance afforded end less pleasure.
 It was while at Escnenbergen and at Illeben, while ne was working for Ger man farmers for which labor he had volunteered, that the author had his greatest opportunity to observe Ger many at war and the rural people of that nation. He has made the most Of his opportuniIy-if a prisoner ot war can be charged with an opportu- nity. In these two chapters, close up" view of the German peasant, the frugal, trusting, hard-working type that made Germany, is ably given.
 In these two chapters, while the war and the condition of the prisoners dominated all other considerations, the author found a chance to smile, to make the most of his predlcamenI. He writes of this period of his lie hind the German Lines" in an inti- mate, engaging manner that throws much lighL on the lives of the peoplc with whom he was associated and also upon the lives of the prisoners, them selves. Through his view, can be seen, and was cleveriy brought out without apparent or pedantic effort, the req son for the downfall of Germany. It was the decreasing food supply and the morale of the people that acted III concert with that supply.
 The credulity of the German peasant 1 class, the same credulity that was
 played upon the war lords, is cleyCrly
 brought out by the author. It. is proof positive of the manner in which the
 German people succumbed to the prop aganda of ward and world conquest. The author tells or the ease with
 which the peasants could be made to believe the most impossible stories. He recitcs several that sparkle.
 With the armistice. the prisoners of
 war supposed they would be imme-
 diately rcpatriatcd. Those who were
 on farms and in other industries ot Germany rather than at the prison camps. made their way as last as pos siblo back to the camps. They were afraid. as the author writes, that they
 might be overlooked in the movement
 toward home. Accordingly. he went
 back to LanEonsalza and it was there. ! the second time. that he witneso,,. v
 wauton piece of German brutality.
 Tbc author has been care,Il in his volume to depict his treatment, at tho