Milford chronicle., 1945-05-08
b. john KOLEMANN
STATE Chitf of Inflammation. Wa, Noapotrp,
CONIHiiNNiOH


What difference few short months have made
in the lives OF the Gomn prisoners of wal who have
been housed throughout the State OF Delaware.
Last June. shortly after the arrival OF the first
group OF German prisoners in the state of Delaware
prisoners who We're requested 10 perform work III
many fields because FREQ Labor available
and the Mar Manpowcr Commission certified the
need for prisoner OF labor tO the United States
Army We paid visit To the stockade at Fort du-
POnt
Fort DUPONT is the base camp for nearly 1000
prisoners of war throughout the state and there,
only ten months truthuly say that
thought the prisoners were being coddlod in fact.
we mentioned to quite few of the men in charge Of
that inspection tour that the German prisoners were
getting items of food which scarce that ci-
villains were unable to obtain them.
But and the p. q. W. officers directing the camp
declared that they were only living up to the rceu-
ations of the Geneva Convention in regard to the
treatment of prisoners OF
why there should be plenty sugar ON each table in
the prisoners mess hall bottle of catsup every
table plenty of butter. choice meats fruits and
tables in the ice boxes
We were told then that America if America
only would abide Ivy the regulations of the Geneva
Convention. but then the officers felt that Germany.
and Italy. all would stick to those regulations Since
that time. we have learned differently. We have learn
ed the horrible. barharous treatment of American
captves soldier and civilian alike by all of the enemy
nations
We have learned of the starving of Americans
in the Jap prison camps and the brutality the little
brown men. We have read only recently of the mass
murder and determinations of the camps such
Buchcnwald in Germany: and have heard from
our returned prisoners of the treatment which
they have been subjected
All of this has created in the minds OF Americans
that still COddling the Germans Italians and
JapS who have been captured by our armed forces
But the officers of our Army. who are charged with
the responsibility of the prisoners in camps here,
particularly throughout Delaware feel that they
just in their treatment of the prisoners.
They no reason why should subject the
prisoners to the treatment people have re
ceived because fighting Just that kind of bru-
tality trying to wipe out treatment such this with
our aim to eliminate Nazism and Facism. But these
officers have. and tins is what mean by the change
of the prisoners lives in the last months chang
ed their tactics and holding only the letter
of the law far the Geneva Convention rcgua-
tOns are concerned.
No longer these German prisoners of wal
given all the good foods There's catsup
" there of the high rationcd fruits and vege
tables for them: they DO NOT get any cigarettes
only the "makngs and very little of this: more
beef and very little of any kinds OF fresh meats
they get only in minute quantities and there is
Il NO BITTER only margarine.
& In regards to the tobacco for making cigarettes;
9 in regards TO other items for personal such
shaving cream and lotions. soaps writing materials
tooth paste soap powders washing their clothes
= needles for mendlnG them and such items. the prls
: Oners purchase them with cantcCn coupons at thei
V cantCen. The tobacco arrives each weC
and is rationcd the prisoners by the lead
i ers.
d AS far as the food they do receive. it WAS CX
: planned tand it in several places that tn
< German prisoners doing mans job when the
sent out from the camps to work and they mus
4 of several staple articles and they have rotatin
d menu of 81 different varieties. arranged month";!
m This has been set up that the German prisoners
a food costs the Army Al cents per day. Our own sol
II diers are fed at the rate of 65 cents per day.
The prisoners get daily diet which adds up
=; approximately $500 caorcs per day-thc
lN,Itit
, none of the ratiOncdi foods. which do go ow
- men The T. O. w. officers. in sticking to the Genev
80 Convention regulations. furnish food equal in quar-
10 ty and quality to the troops at the base camp br
~ longer do the officers provide identical food fC
~ the prisoners.
~ Lieutenant Colonel John j. Harris who had take
d. charge of the prisoners of war in Delaware only
ho few short days before our visit last June directed
tour of the prisoner of war camps for group
~ newspaper writer's from Delaware and Pennsylv;
mr. MIA last week 1t was on that tour that we carnC
of the elimination of the foods which would hay
MS given and rightly the impression that these pr
,ft OnCrs were being "coddled
n In directing the tour Colonel Harris took Il
group three of the branch camps housing the pri
ur oners and into two plants where the prisoners
he at work. And if the civilians of the Unite
States feel that these prisoners of bcir
ist "codded' at the Jobs they performing we'll "a
of vance the opinion that there isn't one who wou
sty trade his job. matter how menia for Il
la ones which the prisoners are performing i'll mo
of cases.
le ScafOrd Delaware. It's that there civili5
ldt workers doing the types of jobs. but most
IL them women. Here the prisoners pluCkil
10 chickens from their coops sticking their leg U
ne chickcns into convcyor belt hooks and starting the
the way to proccssinc It's not easy task. b
re- further along the line, the POW's had other jO
an helping to dress the chickens which arc main
H. going for Army
~ ~ At packaGing plant in Laurel. there a lar
-, group of prisoners al work in various Jobs TIL
, handled tho logs which were cut for in maxi
49, baskets to handle fruits and other produce. Th
work in the saw mill they tend the pits in which I
D. logs steamed. they operating stapng N
n chimes and other jobs of manual labor For this.
. readily can be seen that the meals they are serve
I which consist mainly of boiled potatoes. lcttu
~t ~ bread. apple cohhler. and plenty of cabbage a
" krau needed to keep them in good &C
49,, ditiOn
MT We. too know that in addition to the VIC
ard which them perform at these plan
,es that the prisoners have many other tasks that
600 hard jobs 1t is true that they of the W
600 out of danger and probably doing work that
than their previous work at home but new
of theless they have ueen great help in this al
rms shortage period.