Evening star., 1940-05-05

missing in action" The combatant's
prison address, his state of health and
other pertinent information would be
entered upon red filing card, If he were
German. The same procedure would be
followed for French prisoners-on green
cards, and for British prisoners-blue
Red Cross Silent ON Numbers.
Neutral sources believe there were
about 1000 German, French and British
combatants In captivity prior to the
Scandinavian "blitzkrieg." The Red
Cross declined to disclose their numbers.
The war on the new front is too young
yet to get accurate estimates of pris-
onerS.
There are also $4,000 Polish prisoners
in Germany, their history and location
entered upon violet cards in Geneva.
The Soviets, who, although not a party
to the 1929 treaty, are still bound to
humane treatment of war prisoners by
international law, are believed to have
captured 10000 more Polish soldiers.
Over 200 900 combatants, chiefly Rus
slams and Austrians, were captured in
the first eight months of the World War.
Prisoners, according to the new treaty,
must be maintained in a sanitary abode
where the space allotted to them, the
bedding and food are similar to the cap
tors soldiers. They must be furnished
with clothing and shoes, if necessary, and
camps must have infirmaries and sani-
tary arrangements which include baths
and showers.
They may be assigned to work, such as
agriculture. bearing no direct relation
ship with war operations. Hours should
not be excessive" and 24-hour rest is
required every week, preferably on Sum-
day. They must be paid the rate given to
civilians or soldiers of the capturing
country for the same work.
A breach of disciplinary regulations
must not carry punishment of more than
30 days for any one offense. During that
punishment captors are required to give
prisoners two hours Of daily exercise in
the open. Food restriction penalties can
not be more severe than those imposed
on the captor's soldiers.
They may receive parcels and letters
through the Red Cross and write home
several times month. Postage is free.
Relieved Of Ill Prisoners.
Internment in neutral country or re-
patriation is provided for those seriously
Ill or wounded and prisoners injured at
work, thereby relieving the captors of
adding to the burden of caring for their
own wounded. The pact provided
model agreement which could be en-
tered upon the outbreak of war fixing
the type of injured prisoner to be re-
leased.
the rights of prisoners. They must be
posted in prison camps SO that captives
may complain of infractions.
In the past, treatment accorded war
prisoners was prime source Of accusa-
tions and propaganda. Since the present
imbroglio began, the Polish government
has made several accusations of mis-
treatment, much Of it substantiated in
reports to the Vatican. None has yet
come from Britain, France and Ger
many, although the first year Of the
World War was studded with charges
and counter charges, reprisals and
counter-reprisals.
Report on Polish Prisoners.
The Polish Press Bureau publishing a
mimeographed news bulletin which was
widely circulated here, declared on Feb
ruary 16 it had received well authenti-
Gated reports that during the middle of
January transport of Polish prisoners
of war arrived in Warsaw, who owing to
their physical exhaustion were sent away
by the authorities of East Prussia. OF
the 1000 Polish soldiers in the transport
955 died on the way. The rest were half
insane when the unheated trucks in
which they travelled for IS days, SO to
Is miles each day, were unsealed."
On January 13 it reported: I'm the Boil
shevik internment camp for prisoners of
war near Kiev there are about 1000
officers and soldiers. They are given
daily one slice Of bread and q cup Of
boiled water. It Is reported that all
are to be deported as laborers in the
Don mines while the privates are to be
released and allowed to return to their
homes"
International law provides that officers
cannot be forced into labor unless they
ask for it. Moreover, during captivity
they receive pay, the rate given in their
own army or in the captors, whichever
Is lower.