The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-05-17
Observations
German Prisoners
of War Treated
Fairly by U. S.
BY Helen Esssry

Our war prisoner camps-What
are they like? Are they country
clubs or dungeons?
What are we doing with our Ger
man prisoners OF war? Are We
amiable coddlers or military ty-
rants?
The German captive in the Unit
ed States Army camp-how does
be look Is he broken in spirit,
sulleu, ferocious? Does he work
or does he loaf?
The word prisoner is an ugly
word Il makes you think OF other
ugly words-of "shackled "vio-
lent, tortured desperate. DO
such words describe the German
prisoner Of war under United
States military restraint?
The 1929 treaty OF Geneva made
under the guidance of the lnterna-
tional Red Cross-what does II
guarantee for the war prisoner?
What are the Nazis doing with the
United States soldiers in the Ger
man prisoner camps?
These are questions every Ameri-
can is beginning to ask as the num-
Der of captive soldiers enlarges
daily by hundreds and the war pris-
oner camps spread throughout this
country until their number is al
ready in excess OF 100. As the war
grows more intense the American
asks the questions with increasing
anxiety.
| have been eager TO find out
Il myself as far as the War De-
partment could properly permit a
reasonable answer TO this war prob
lem. should like some day to see
the camps for Italian and japanese
war prisoners.
Since at this moment that is i'm
possible for me, ! quickly accepted
the invitation OF the general in
command of the Third Corps area
10 visit two German war prisoner
camps-one at Fort Lee and the
other at Fort Pickett.
In this and several succeeding
columns | shall try 10 give an hon
est picture OF the camps and the
prisoners as ! saw them last week.
WHENEVER I SEE A GERMAN
prisoner OF war. I see--not a. Ger
man prisoner OF war but an Ameri
can soldier in a German prison
camp" Col Philip T. Moisan, IN
command OF the war prisoner camp
at Fort Lee was speaking. We sat
in Colonel Moisan's administrative
Office in the low. wooden barracks
just outside the stockade which
houses about 900 German war
prisoners.
And l know" Colonel Molsan, a
slender. serious fellow. added
earnestly, that upon our treat
ment Of the German war prisoner
depends the German treatment or
the United States war prisoner.
Some people may say we are kind
10 our war prisoners. | say. leave
out the word kind Substitute
the word fair Then you have
our attitude toward the men the
war has put in our charge"
At this point in our converse
ton. young Office. came to an
back from outside work, sir. II
your guests would like to see
them, they might step outside, sir"
AS We walked toward the bar
racks door, the colonel warned:
You understand that you are not
permitted to speak to the prisoners.
Do not let them think you are
Il Ia -
by. They aren't criminals, you
know. They are captured soldiers
and entitled TO decent treatment as
long as they obey our rules"
We were now standing a few
feet from the stockade and the dou-
Bile fence OF wire which separates
the war prisoner barracks from the
rest OF the open camp. A long
procession OF Army trucks was
coAfng slowly down the camp road.
Husky young men in dark blue
fatigue clothes with "PW" in large
white letters marked on the back
Of their blouses and pants were
springing from the trucks The
trucks were moving in companies
of two In the forward truck rode
about IS PW's and one United
States guard-with a loaded carbine
in his hand.
In the second truck rode no pris-
oners. Only United States guard
with carbine in. position. covering
the truck ahead in case a PW
should jump out and attempt TO
escape
As the PW's, slighted at the
stockade entrance they automatic
ally fell into a double line and
marched in perfect. cadence. quite
without direction. through the hrst
gate into the stockade While they
stood in the space between the
first and second gate. guards
searched each man for concealed
weapons
Truckload after truckload let out
its carko OF prisoners. returning
now not from a battle field but from
work projects throughout Camp
Lee and in the neighborhood ad-
joining. As the PW's caught the
glance OF Colonel Moisan they