Evening star., 1942-10-24
Canada Files Protest
On Time Magazines
Story Of Prison Riot
U. S. Asked to Investigate
Basis Of Article on
Stacking Of Nozis
1y the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Canada has made representa-
tions to the United States over
the publication by Time Maga-
zine of a story describing riot
ous scenes in Canadian prison
camp during Stacking of Ger
man prisoners.
In disclosing the Canadian move
yesterday, State Department offi-
cials gave no details.
However, in Ottawa it was said
the representations asked full in
vestigation of the source of the in
formation on which the story was
based and how it was transmitted
across the border.
The magazines story of disturb
ences at the camp at Bowmanville,
Ontario. Canadian officials said, con-
tanned distortions and inaccuracies"
which will provide the enemy with
propaganda material and may lead
to further ill-treatment of Allied
prisoners in Germany.
The disturbances, the officials
added occurred when German pris-
oners attempted to resist reprisal
shacklings. They submitted only
after serious disorders in which both
prisoners and guards were injured.
legations Statement.
In a formal statement announc-
ing that representations" had been
made, the Canadian Legation here
said:
The style and choice of express
sions throughout the Time article
are such as to color and distort the
facts. Such phrases as bursts OF
machinegun fire and Commando
tactics convey an impression of the
use of military force. which is untrue
and unwarranted" Specifically"
the statement added, the report
contains number of falsehoods, of
which the following are the more
important:
"(a) That gas was used by the
guards to overcome the resistance
of the prisoners. No gas, tear gas
or any other kind. was used.
Use of Machine Guns Denied.
"(b) That machine guns were
used to quell the prisoners. No
machine guns whatever were used
and none of the guards in the
camp was supplied with ball ammu-
milton. Only four rife shots we're
fired, all by the guard on one of
the towers just outside the camp
wire. These were all warning shots.
The first three were fired into the
air. The fourth one was fired into
the ground in front of an advancing
group of German prisoners who had
seized and we're holding Canadian
officer. The shot ricocheted and hit
another prisoner in the leg, inf1ict-
ing a slight wound.
"(c) That prisoners food rations
we're stopped. Meals were prepared
in the camp as usual and delivered
to all prisoners.
I'D That 126 of the German pri-
soners at the BoWmanville camp
we're sent to another camp. In fact,
none of the prisoners was trans
ferred from Bowmanville.
The Canadian authorities make
no comment on the propriety or
otherwise of printing story of this
kind without official authorization
or verification. They feel. however.
that they are under the regretable
necessity of correcting its misstate-
ments and inaccuracies"
Time Publishers Statement.
In New York, P l. Prentice. pub
Usher of Time Magazine. defended
the accuracy of his magazines story,
but said the publication would not
have used it had editors known it
was IAN international military
secret" Mr. Prentice said:
Times brief story on the battle
OF Bowmanville was based on a
long report from Canadian CORE
spondent whose reporting for us
has never before been questioned.
He told us he had been an eye
vitnss of some of the scenes he
described and the Canadian govern
ment has now in fact confirmed
the basic accuracy of his lengthy
report-except on few points of
detail, only one of which ,use of
tear gas affects the fundamental
truth of his report.
Times story in no way violated
the United States censorship code,
but Time very sincerely regrets the
embarrassment its story has ap-
parently caused the Canadian gov
ernment. We certainly would not
have published it if we had felt
that this uncensored, mailed report
was in fact an international mill
70 ca,rot