Evening star., 1943-06-06
TrickyPri Prisoners
Canada Nips Plots
to Escape
Bv B. T. Richardson,

OTTAWA.-A constant battle Of wits
proceeds between hard-bitten members
of the Veterans Guard and thousands
of German prisoners held in Canadian
internment camps. Guarding prison
camps is one Of the chief duties assigned
to the Veterans Guard, composed of men
who saw service in the last war. They
believe they know all the tricks of escape
that prisoners Of war can devise. Some
of them were prisoners in Germany in
the last war.
But occasionally something new turns
up and one or more prisoners escape.
They run grave risk and from one
camp located near the north shore of
Lake Superior six German Army officers
have been shot and killed when they re-
fused to surrender after guards caught
up with them. Details of most of these
exciting chases are kept secret. The
guards do not want to spread around
information that will help prisoners else
where to escape.
Canada agreed, in signing the Inter-
national Convention governing the treat
ment of war prisoners, that prisoners
would be protected from ridicule and
publicity. This clause in the Geneva
convention is broad and no one knows
for sure where the line must be drawn
on publicity that reflects on the dignity
Of prisoner. So Canadian authorities
follow policy of saying little, leaving
it to the International Red Cross, which
visits prison camps on both sides of the
war, to keep Berlin informed on how the
Germans are getting along in camps In
Canada.
"Putzi" Loaned to U. S.
Several German generals have been
reported interned in Canada, but no off,
cial confirmation is available In civilian
internment camps. opened to thousands
of enemy aliens from Britain after the
threat of invasion arose in 1910, Canada
has entertained some Nazi headliners.
Ernst "Putzi" Hanfstaengl, Hitler's
friend, spent many months in a Cana
dian camp before he was loaned to United
States authorities to assist in political
warfare" and write intimate articles on
Hitler.
More than 100 escapes have been re-
ported from prison camps. Only one Is
unaccounted for, only one got clear
away. Sometimes the trail of the fugi-
tive leads across several countries and
through the headlines. Such was the
case of Oberleutnant Hans Peter Krug
of the German Luftwaffe, who escaped
from a camp at BoWmanville, Ontario,
and almost reached the Texas-Mexican
border For aiding Krug, a Detroit tav-
to death on charge of treason. Krug
is safely under the eyes of the Veterans
Guard back in Canada now.
Except for the monotony, prison camp
life isn't bad. Take the case of 600
German army officers in camp located
in desolate sandy waste on the north
ern shore of Lake Superior. They re-
ceive the same rations as their captors.
They operate their own canteen, which
is stocked with the same supplies as are
sold at military canteens and at the
same prices. They receive the same
pay, 1IOHl Iile 0OillAiiloH SOVoIAAAioA'' 40
they did from Germany before they
were captured.
They have plenty 70 read and plenty
of sports, such as soccer football, SWIM
ming, running and jumping. They
wanted to 60 skiing in the winter
months, but the guards thought that
was inviting escape.
Favorite method Of escape is tunnel
ling, and trained engineers among the
prisoners work out ingenious methods.
The trick Of hiding In shallow dugouts
inside the camp while the guards looked
outside has been used in several camps.