New-York tribune., 1920-01-24

large gate through which we had tG
pass was known sa the Marble Arch
There was shopping quarter called
Bond Street, aslummy quarter called
Whitechapel, and a literary quarter
known as Fleet Street. Above all
there was great open space always
spoken of as Trafalgar Square"
Rations were served out at the kitch-
ems. and could be supplemented by pur-
chases from the canteens. The Gov
ernment, whose duty it was to see that
the prisoners were properly fed en-
tered into contract with a man named
yriese, who undertook to feed them for
a payment Of 66 pfennigs head day
This man." was writes Mr.. Gribble
"was an unconscionable knave. For
breakfast We were supposed to have
dry bread and coffee. The bread was
Of the celebrated X. K. variety, straw
meal and potato meal being mixed with
the rye, and there was no question
whatever about it's being dry. Such
things as butter, margarine, marmalade
and jam were never given even in the
days when no scarcity in any Of these
articles was admitted.
The so-called cocee was not coffee at
all but decoction of acorns. served
without milk, and with very little sug-
bowl of soup, supposed to contain meat
which. as matter Of fact, was stolen
form it by the contractor. | wish he
had not only stolen it but eaten it, for
then he would long ago have been be-
yond the need of human forgiveness
On the few occasions on which he for
got to steal it the camp was swept by
violent epidemics Of ptomaine poison
ing. In the evening he doled out
repugnant chunks of blood sausage,
which | never dared to taste, or else a
thin. muddy cocoa or kind of skilly.
That for a long time was actually all
that the German Government gave Brit
ish civil prisoners to eat, and the
quality of the skilly was such that
there was skilly riot"
Cooks Were Bombarded
Quite one Of the most striking fca-
lures Of the volume, and one of which
stamps its value as a true historical
record of what took place, is its scrup-
ulous fairness to those in authority.
Writing of this particular riot, Mr..
Gribble says: Exactly what happened
on that occasion nobody ever seemed to
know; but there is some reason to be-
lieve that the sailors from Barracks
" bombarded either the cook or the
boier-and very possibly bombarded
both-with bricks and clods of earth.
AT all events. the fire bell was rung,
recalling su to our barracks, and sol
diers with fixed bayonets expedited our
return. But the captains rose
to the occasion. They collected samples
of the sklly, took it to the commandan-
tur ard besought the personnel to taste
it before pronouncing judgment on the
rioters. The request was admitted to
be reasonable, and skilly faster was
selected Whether it was Count
Schwerin or Baron Won Taub who tried
the mixture | did not hear. Whoever
it was, one spoonful was enough for
him. II spluttered furiously, and his
wrath was diverted from our heads on
to that of the contractor. Theskilly he
said, was unfit TO set even by dogs, and
he cancelled ths punishment which he
had decreed. and skilly disappeared for
ever from the menu
Later, it appears, the kitchens were
placed under military supervision, but
only came when it was
agreed that representatives, of the in
termed should be placed in the kitchens
as controllers. These included George
Ferguson, we'll known barytone
singer; DR.. Sumner Moore, a dentist;
Captain Coates. master mariner;
Cecil Breitmeyer Of the DeBeers Min
ing Company; Walter Dodd, London
produce broker. "Truly strange med
ley of men from many callings taking
to new trade!" is the comment of the
authors.
Canteen Activities
A period OF stress, and even hun
ger, followed, until the feeding was
finally undertaken by the Central
Prisoners of War Committee. Ruhl-
eben got richer as Germany got poorer;
and the prisoners in the later years
of the history OF the camp were far
better fed than their jailers, who
fawned on them for food.
and sometimes tried to steal from them
alta prisoners mess than at the Hotefi
There was better fare at that time at
a prisoners mess htan at the Hotel
Adlon." A detailed account of the ad-
minlstration OF the canteens proves
clearly that they were run on sound
business lines, which resulted not only
in added comfort to the interned but
in substantial profit. Many interesting
ruses were resorted to to cvade inter
ference by the authorities. Thus the
staff sat up one night removing labels
from 1000 tins of Nestle's milk, the
firm being alleged to be partly English
30 that the tins could be passed Off as
German milk, said tohave been dcliv-
cred without labels. When eggs were
beginning to get scarce the word was
passed round that men had better make
as many meals Off eggs as possible
and they were sold at prices much
lower than those ruling outside, the
idea being "to induce them to builC
their bodies with proteid while they
had the chance before the cold weather
set in"
Camp Surgeon Denounced
SO far as the medical arrangements
are concerned the narrative does not
Of the first medical officers, is referred
brutal type, disposed to scamp his work
erer." Luckily he was transferred tc
another post in the course OF the first
winter. Opinions differed about his
successor, Dr.. Geiger, who "appearcc
to be torn by two conflicting emotions
a venomous hatred of Englishmen and &
sincere respect for his profession." II,
constantly refused to use an@sthetics
when performing minor operations
Here is d description Of a scene whic!
the authors admit may be mot so much
true as we'll invented" but there ar,
others (which call for serious invcsti
CATION
"A group-one might say mob-ot
patients used TO be admitted simultan
eously, and no man, however intimate
his complaint. ha dany chance of con
/ fidential treatment. While one man wa.
DrinY alscuitcd one saw another lviDf