The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-06-01
No SABOTAGE
Done By War
Prisoners

-
After Escape.
TELLS OF TREATMENT
IN U. S. CAMPS
No prisoner of war has commit
ted an act of sabotage during his
period Of freedom following escape,
Major General David McCoach, Jr.,
Commanding General Of the Ninth
Service Command, at Fort Douglas,
Utah, revealed today.
Effectiveness Of the arrangements
for recapture and close co-ordina-
ton between law enforcement a1en-
cles following an escape can be
noted from the fact that very few
prisoners have been at large more.
than 48 hours, the General said.
These comments highlighted
statement by the General dealing
with the handling and utilization Of
prisoners of war by the United
States under the articles of the &C.
neva Convention.
"The United States is adhcring
strictly to the letter and the spirit
OF the Geneva Convention of July
n, 1929, relative to the care and
treatment Of prisoners of war, q
treaty to which the United States
and most OF the other civilized ra-
tons are parties" the General said.
We are adhering strictly to the let
ter and the spirit OF the Convention
as matter of national honor and
integrity.
Accordingly, prisoners are treat
ed humanely and fairly, as soldiers
of an opposing army and not crimi-
mails. However, strict discipline Is
maintained and in no instance are
the prisoners pampered. This treat
ment may be summarized as fair
but firm
The General said there are now 80
base camps and 98 branch camps
for prisoners Of war in the United
States. In these are interned 1884,
SAT Germans, SO, 1888 Italians and 347
-r~nanese They total about 164 900.
The camps are under the jurisdic-
ton oI Illr commanding general Of
are located.
Prisoners of war within this
country are required, within Ger
tain limitations the General said. to
work IN order to assist in alleviat-
ing the manpoWer shortage. These
prisoners are required to work at
least eight hours a day for six days
a week.
They are used primarily on Army
posts, car4ps and stations for house.
keeping or maintenance work, AL
So he added, prisoners are used
to alleviate acute manpoWer short
ages in essential work If free Amer
lean labor is unavailable.
Before prisoners are furnished to
a private contractor, the general
explained, the contractor must Sc
cure a certification from the War
Food Administration, if his is an
agricultural project, or the War
ManpoWer Commission if it is other
essential labor These certificaticns
state there is no free American la
Dor available for the project, that
the project is essential for the war
effort, the going wage for the work
involved and the order of priority
OF that project as against other prof
ects recommended
The contractor pays. the stated
prevailing wage to the Treasury of
the United States, and the prisoners
are paid their regular wages by the
War Department. No project is cor
titled, it was emphasized, if free
American labor can be made avail
able.
AT the first opportunity after cap
ture, a personnel record is prepared
for each prisoner. This record con-
tains his name, serial number, pho
tograph, fingerprints, description,
inventory of personal effects, and
other personal information. This
record is necessary for reports to
the protecting power and the adj
ministratioIf Of the camps. It is par
ticularly important for identified
ton purposes in the event of es-
capes.
Prisoners are segregated in camps
by nationality, the General said,
adding that officer prisoners are
housed and messed in compounds
separated from those used by en-
listed men. Additional segregation
occasionally is used to nullify the
action Of homeopathic prisoners.
The General said the Geneva
Convention requires that as to dor
mitories ''the surface, minimum GU
bic amount of air, arrangement and
material bedding, the condition
shall be the same as for troops at
base camps of the OBTAINING power"
The standard layout for base
camps for enlisted men prisoners
provides in each compound 20 bar,
racks, four latrines, four mess halls,
an administrative building, an in
Urinary, q work shop, recreation
building, a canteen and four COM
pany store houses. One chapel and a
guardhouse are provided for tine
entire camp.
Other facilities operated as branch
camps from the base camps are es-
tablished temporarily by using ex-
listing facilities or, tents to place
prisoners Of war nearer work prof.
nrtc