Evening star., 1941-12-01
100000 Frenchmen
Still in Nazi Camps
As Prisoners Of War
Ambassador, Blind
And Crippled, Works
To Answer Pleas for Aid
BY ROY r. PORTER.
NrT,o W.

bN nv run Ell,
Wide World News.
NEW YORK. Dec. l.-More than
a million and half French prison.
ers of war, informed French circles
report, still wait impatiently for
release from behind barbed wire
barriers in camps scattered from
the Rhineland to Central Poland.
Most of them are working in Ger
man factories-both civilian and
military-Or in the fields from which
the Reich supplies its armies with
food
Some of them, they say them
selves in letters to the folks at home.
are earning more money than they
formerly did in civil life in France.
Nearly all of them, Judging from
a cross section of their letters, are
living only for one daY-the day
when they can go home TO their
country and their families Many
Of them have not seen their wives
or children since early in 1910, when
French army leaves were Cancelled
or postponed prior to the German
attack which resulted in Frances
defeat
100000 Figure Minimized.
Sources close to Georges Scapini,
French Ambassador to Berlin,
charged with negotiating for prison
ers' welfare, have estimated the
total number of released prisoners
At not more than 100000"
However, one of Scapini'S assist
ants in private conversation recent
" said this figure could be cut in
half without materially upsetting
the truth of what's already hap
pened,"
ScapiniS organization. it has be
come known in political circles,
suffered a severe setback in its ne
Eotiations with the Germans after
Admiral Francois Darlan'S confer
ence with Adolf Hitler at Berchtes-
Gaden the middle of last MAY.
Darlan came back to Paris and
Vichy, these sources assert. and
talked TOO much" He said then
that the Germans had agreed TO
negotiate the release of about 300
600 French prisoners. AS it later
turned out-and is still true today
What German officials gave Darlan
to understand was that they would
consider favorably conversations
pointing toward negotiations 10 re-
lease that number of men.
A Slight Difference.
The difference is subtle-but when
Darlan made public statement
the French took it for granted that
soon 100000 of their men were COM
ing home. An immense number of
letters flowed into Scapini's Office
asking for information about what
classes might be included in the
new contingent, what procedure
would be followed and how certain
specific prisoners could obtain their
release papers.
Up TO the present time. Vichy re-
ports, the only actual classes which
have been returned home are the
veterans of the World War and
those men who have families of
four or more children. or who have
or a brother. killed in action. Some
individual prisoners also have
gained their freedom because of
wounds or illness
Scapini, World War veteran with
an almost 100 per cent disability
rating. works tirelessly for what he
calls my youngsters"
Scapini, totally blind, crippled and
in need of constant attendance,
also has a nervous disorder which
often prevents him from sleeping
He reads Braille, but the supply of
such books in France is small. He
often aWakes at or 5 in the morn
ing, has nothing to read, and calls
together a part of his Office staff,
eome of whom live with him. and
starts to work. He smokes inces-
sanity.
Mail Full of Pleas.
Scapini's mail reads like spinsters'
letters to an Advice to the Love
lorn" columnist A mother wants
Jean, head of fatherless family,
released so he can go back to his
lob in the town bakery but cannot
supply proof that there still is a
The wife of high French officer
writes to seek the release of a
nephew whose wife is going to have
baby and adds: 1T has been the
custom in our family for several
hundred years that the father must
be present when any child Is born"
A manufacturer wants the free
dom of one of his assistants,
chemist. who is the only person
who knows the formula for a new
medicinal lotion which was to have
been put into production shortly
before the war.
One request on which Scapini's
Office worked hard during two
months was approved finally by the
Germans. The proper papers were
sent to the prison camp. but no
reply was received. Eventually the
papers came back to Paris. Marked
across the face was this notation:
Escaped two months ago. Present
whereabouts unknown"
A Woman's Efforts.
There's a story about a Paris So
cietv woman who pestered the Prls-
oners' Service for weeks in an at
tempt to obtain the release of one
of her boy friends. The order was
finally issued, and she took them to
Berlin, where, after a long delay,
they were approved.
She asked but was refused permis-
sion to go with an officer to the