Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-03-17
Generous Treatment Of Axis Prisoners in United States
Improves Conditions for Captured Americans
Red Cross Reports
Men in German Hands
Well Fed and Housed
BY BARROW LYONS
WNU Staff CORRESPONDENT

IN some 81 ,UUU Ia rn1lleS
throughout our land today the
folks are thinking of some SOL
dier from home who has fallen
into enemy hands-noW a priS-
oner Oh war far away. When our
troops make the great push
against the mainland of Europe,
there will be more boys taken
prisoners.
In the war prisoner camps within
the United States, we hold some
l75,000 enemy soldiers captured
mostly on the battlefelds of Africa,
Sicily and Italy. Of these, l25, 900
are Germans, $4,000 Italians. Only
1l6 are Japanese.
Many protests have been made
to army authorities, because of the
good treatment given these prison.
ers. Lots of people don't under
stand why enemy prisoners should
be given the same comforts, the
same medical attention, the same
food as our own soldiers.
But there is a reason so compel
ling, that none can complain when
it Is understood. 1t is not for the
sake of the prisoners, but in the
interest of our own soldiers held by
the enemy. They are the real object
of our forbearance and solicitude.
And, of course, our national honor
is involved, for we agreed to give
prisoners the same food and care
as our own men under the Prisoners
OF War convention signed and rati-
fed at Geneva on July 81, 1929.
Reciprocal Good Treatment.
Reliable reports made to the army
indicate that the good treatment we
have accorded prisoners has won
for our own men in German prison
camps conditions that are at least
as good as those under which Ger
man soldiers live.
These facts were revealed for the
first time to your correspondent by
Maj. Gen. Allen w. Gullion, provost
marshal general of the army, who
has general supervision over prison
ers of war. The actual guarding of
the prisoners is a function of the
prison camp commander who is un-
der the control of the commanding
general of the service command.
Censorship reveals that letters
from relatives and friends express
much gratitude and happiness over
the way we are treating their men.
1--WE are informed by the Inter-
national Red Cross that the Ger
mans say that because of our good
treatment of their soldiers, they
are giving our men more liberties
and better treatment" General Gull
lion told your correspondent. 1.-THE
Geneva conventions required that
each prisoner be given the same
food as soldiers of the capturing
power receive in base camps. Ac-
cording to the reports of Swiss OBJ
servers, the Germans are living up
to this provision; our men in some
instances are getting even a little
better food than the German SOL
diers, although the German facili-
ties do not compare with ours.
II think there can be only one
answer to the complaint that we are
treating the prisoners we take too
well. One gets it when one asks the
question: Is it better to yield to
very natural, vengeful impulse to
take it out on our prisoners, or to OBJ
serve our treaty agreements and pro-
tect our own men?"
Few Escape.
There have been complaints also
that the prisoners we hold have not
been sufficiently guarded; that too
many have escaped to become
menace to the home population.
General Gullion points to the facts.
OF the 5000 prisoners we now hold
in this country, about 100 have es-
capped, but all except three have
been recaptured and are in custody.
The only men at large are two Ital-