The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-06-06
Footnote For Accuracy
These DaysSSHeggss o 5o z: yoz0H9R3

The atrocity stories that come
out Of Germany, amply document
ed by photographs. motion pictures,
etc, and duly attested for accuracy
by a Committee OF Congress which
visited the spot, are Enthusiastically
horrible and inhuman. No one
can speak one word OF defense OF
German OF any other brutality, nor
can such conduct ever be con
doned.
However. the other night | heard
one OF the inspecting Congress
men speak OF these horrors and he
did not make II perfectly clear,
as he should have. that what he
was talking about we're German
concentration camps where prin-
cipally Germans were treated in
humanity by Germans; he should
have made 1t perfectly clear beyond
any possible doubt or error that he
was not speaking about Prisoner OF
War Camps where Americans
we're held. So looked over a lot
OF material on the subject and dis
covered a pattern Of ambiguity.
True. nowhere did / find that these
Germans we're called Americans,
but nowhere did I find a-beyond-
doubt indication that they were
not Americans.
I do not know who worked out
this pattern OF ambiguity and what
he imagines is being accomplished
by Il. Most people somehow re-
alize that these camps do not hold
our sons but European politics
whom the Nazi hated, Just as. pre-
sumo. Nazis will be turned into
slave laborers by their successors.
But here is specific news about
our boys. our sons, Americans
who are prisoners Of war. The
American Red Cross says that
more than "99 per cent Of Amer
lean prisoners OF war viii return
home" The press release OF the
American Red Cross says:
Much anxiety appears to have
been caused in the United States
nv the lack Of understanding OF
the difference between concentra-
ton camps and prisoner Of war
camps. The latter. so far as Amer
lean and other Allied prisoners OF
war Except Soviet Russisn) were
concerned. enjoyed the protection
OF the Geneva Convention. In
spite of all their efforts, Swiss del.
egates OF the international Red
Cross were not permitted to visit
the concentration camps for Ger
man and other European political
prisoners and slave laborers. But
they regularly visited prisoner OF
war camps.
The fact that over 80 per cent
Of our American prisoners captur-
ed by Germany are now returning
home. and that the American Red
Cross has been able to get a large
volume Of relief supplies to Amer
lean and other Allied prisoners Of
war, is due in great part to the
correct observance By the Amer.
lean Army OF the Geneva Conven-
ton
Now. that is valuable news be-
cause no matter how deeply moved
we may be about Germans or other
Europeans whom the Nazi abused,
we want 10 make absolutely and
unequiyocably sure that no Amer
leans are treated that way. And
when the American Red Cross as.
sures us that 90 per cent Of the
American prisoners Of war are
coming home. we can take their
word for II. particularly as Maurice
Pate. who IS Director OF Relief 10
Prisoners Of War, is the sort Of
Individual who never says what he
does not know 10 be so.
But what astonished me in Pate's
report most was the fact that there
we're 100000 allied prisoners OF
war and that turing the war while