Evening star., 1943-06-18
Comp Blondine's Nozi Prisoners Thrive Under
Humane Core Decreed by Geneva Convention

a liquor advertisement as a blue.
print, he. made o three-master which
adorns q shelf Of the shop. He also
shaped Of sand and cement sub.
| marine which he gave the proves,
marshal. This captured" subma.
rine stands on q niche In the office
of Camp Blanding's commanding
general, Brig. Gen. l.. A. Kunzig.
Two of the Germans make wooder
jewelry, using a tool chest which
they are allowed to have during the
day. There also Is a lathe for the
prisoners.
On a shelf in the mess hall stands
the masterpiece OF the modelling de.
partment. This Is a memorial tc
fallen comrades in the branch of the
service to which these prisoners be-
longed. The memorial design is sur.
mounted by carving OF an oper
Testament. A chaplain was called
in to dedicate 1t.
Like American Food. H.
The kitchen OF the mess hall has
every facility Of stove and refrigera.
ton which their American con-
querors have. And the Germans
get the same menu. And do they &c
for American food!
Their favorite dish, guards con-
11ded, seems to be corn flakes. They
could eat them every morning. One
captive has threatened to 60 back tc
German yafter the war and start a
corn fake factory. His part OF Ger
many, he's certain, never heard OF
this delicacy. They also are fond
Of jellies.
The visitors came on some of them
writing letters home. They send and
receive letters regularly, through the
International Red Cross.
They even get boxes from home
though these are not an unmixed
blessing. The German Red Cross
has been sending them each, at in
tervals, a package containing 'twc
boxes of crackers, too dry to eat by
the time they arrive; cigarettes, a
package of chocolate and a little bar
Of very bad soap.
Prefer U. s. Cigarettes.
The chocolate is the only real
asset. Somehow Germany still
seems to have plenty of it, though
it's decidedly scarce in the United
States. Some of the prisoners have
written home and asked their fam
lilies to thank the Red Cross and
tell it not to send the other things
they can get better In the prison
camp. They much prefer Ameri-
can cigarettes, which they can buy
at the post exchange through the
credit checks they receive in lieu
of their pay.
One P. w. got a Christmas tree
several months after the Yule fes-
tival-packed fiat.
There were several small radios
going. They may pick out any do
mestic programs they can get. but
the short wave is plugged, and SC
they can't tune in on propaganda
broadcasts at home.
They also see American news
papers and magazines, which those
with knowledge of English trans
late for the others. They've ex.
pressed amazement, repeatedly, al
the freedom of the press which
Americans enjoy, even in the midst
of desperate war. Some of then
are too young to remember any
approximate privilege in Germany
Keep Fit BY Athletics.
In the less torrid portions O.
the day, the Germans indulge thei
passion for athletics. They've
equipped themselves with a hori'
zontal.7 bar, high-jump standards
Ia broad jump pit, shot-put course
and a tennis court. Thus the.
keep themselves fit. and every on
looks in superb shape. But th'
highlight of their existence is tn
trips on which they are taken u
Kingsley Lake, several times {
week, for a swim. The big lax
forms a miles-long oval about tn
reservation and does much to miti
gate for American trainees the rig.
ors of the almost shadeless, sandy
sweep of the camp.
The German fondness for music
finds expression in the evening
One prisoner borrowed a battered
field organ from a chaplain. An.
other wangled an accordion from
an American officer. Another go
mandolin somehow. And they
frequently gather and sing. Therei
a portable phonograph, with some
old records, and, of course, the ra
dios.
They like, in addition to thei
traditional music, American jazz
The senior officer has started al
English class. Some German book
have been added to their library.
One of their diversions is tabl,
tennis, which they've fitted up in {
hut. They have tournaments. En-
listed men have pasted in their hut
pictures of movie queens-personali
ties familiar to them in the cinems
back home.
Not one of the prisoners, includ
ing the senior officers, looks past IS
Some appear to be no more than 1
or 18. But all seem to be in excellen
spirits. Several have confided II
guard officers that they never hat
the slightest fear of being captured
by Americans-they knew they'd b'
treated fairly.
The Nazi officers have their owl
quarters and they are entrusted
under watchful eyes, with the or
ganization and discipline of th'
camp And, while the officers ar,
obeyed explicitly, they otherwis'
mingle with the men on terms o