The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-05-19
Observations
German Prisoners
Work Well, Keep
Tools Shined
BY Helen Essary

the sudden bounu OF men moving.
Then silence.
Our little procession OF three
Americans led by Maj. William T.
Gleason in command OF the Ger
man war prisoners camp at Fort
Pickett was passing down the aisle
of the small wooden chapel inside
the prisoners stockade
At the little wooden ahar, inlaid
with carvings OF sacred symbols
and surmounted by cross. We
paused a moment Then stepped
inside the room behind the altar
Here three NJ. p VS. as the war
prisoners are called at L. 5. camps,
were AT work with saw and chisels
making a table out OF wood cut
by other war prisoners from the
camp forest.
should have said the P.W.'s
HAD been at work. For the Sec
ond they had heard our American
voices as We entered the chapel
they had laid down their tools and
their leaders had ordered
"Achtung Achtung.
Here's the confessional, Major
Gleason was lifting the curtain
hanging before a three-sided cub
icle. we use that on SATURDAYS
when the priest comes. We have
a Catholic and Protestant church
service every sunday.
The PW.'s had gone back TO
their tasks after their salute 10
the major. We watched them for
q second as they fashioned inlay
and applied it to plain surfaces.
Then
Nov I'll show you the stable the
bows built-for me- Colonel Glea-
son said. They did a swell job. too.
It's cleaner than a couple OF whis-
ties. They did me some fan.
cy work on the stalls beside. And
nv horses are shined up fit. for
horse show
Across the F. W camp street,
where the soldiers live in barracks
like those used by soldiers at any
|. 5. a. base camp. we followed
the big commanding major who is
the perfect and complete picture OF
a top "non-com' who knows his
men. encourages their good quail
titles. accepts their failings and
means TO have obedience always.
He's made to order for Hollywood.
Sure, get work out of the men
eight hours a day. But look
after. them. too. What else can
We do? We've got them here,
haven't we? We give 'em all they
are entitled 10 under the law. No
more. No less Now look at this
tool house. Did you ever see bet
ter kept sxes?'
/ said | hadn't nor had | ever
seen more polished hammers.
turned a little neryously at the
prisoners who were standing near
ny. They looked straight ahead.
As IL no one at all had been in
the tool house. But | noticed, as
We started TO leave and our backs
were turned, that their expressions
quickly changed. They stared
curiously after us Few visitors
were allowed inside the stockade.
The major talked as we drove
on to have look at his own cot
taEe just outside the compound.
We'll. this is pretty nice, isn't It"
he said proudly. We stepped into
a freshly-painted sitting room.
Some of my boys are getting rea-
dy to wire the place for me so |
can have little light at night
War prisoners according to the
rules. OF the Geneva conference
can be used for any labor not con-
nected with the war effort. A gang
OF the Fort Pickett prisoners was
cleaning out a swamp down the
way a little piece Here there
seemed TO be more prisoners about
than at Fort Lee Major Gleason
appeared a fierce disciplinarian.
yet had feeling that the rules
OF Lee camp. as administered by
unassuminI Colonel Moisan. were
more rigid than at Pickett. Mill
tary rules may take on a different
Interpretation under the direction
OF different personalities.
often representatives. come
down from the Swiss legation to
look us over" Major Gleason was
saying. The Swiss are the neu-
trails who check up on our prison
camps here and on German camps
a Dad"
There is general belief that
the L. s. soldiers are being treat
ed fairly in the prison camps in
Germany. The food in German
prison camps may not be as good
but 1t is required by general agree
ment that it have the same value
as food served tfe men in the Ger
man army The German palate IS
different from the American palate.
For example. the German prison
ers at Fort Pickett look forward