British Prisoners in Germany

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 October 1915, Page 4

British Prisoners in Germany

AT WORK IN THE MINES

Zorbst.— On the camp's books fchoro ■are now between 12,0U0 and 13,000 prisoners, many of whom, including a few Englishmen, have been sent off on working parties in the mines and else'wliero. In tho camp there remain about 70 British prisoners at present, ■who are distributed among the different companies. These in the. same company are permitted to live together in one part of tho barracks. With the exception of one of those which I saw, they did not appear overcrowded. Several cases of punishment for breaches of discipline had occurred, and ono British suldior told me that he had been tied to a stake— lnst December. Tho commandant explained that this was tho regulation punishment for the prisoners, an dfor Gorman offenders as wdl, in places where there arc no cells, and that -two hours at the stake (all that is given on any one day) is con- ' sidcred as equivalent to 24 hours' solit- ; ary confinement. Tlicy (tho English prisoners) seemed to ue in good condition, but they claimed that this was due to the receipt of largo numbers of j packages from home. A number of ! British soldiers wore rondy to make complaints in regard to treatment at time of their capture or soon thereafter ; but most of them said that conditions had improved and" none were willing to say that their treatment had been different from that of other prisoners or that the Germans had discriminated against ttiem. Wittenberg.—The camp contains at present about 13,0D0 prisoners, of whom more than two-thirds are Russian, and has been in quarantine since early in the winter. Anions the prisoners are about 800 British soldiers and 39 British civilians, who are k> bo transferred to Ruhleben as soon n.s it can Ix v <lone without risk - probably in a few weeks. as there are only a small number of cases of typhus remaining.

CONDITIONS IN THIS CAMPS. The Press Bureau issued last week reports received "from the American Embassy in Berlin of visits paid by the Hon. J. B. Jackson to the camp for officer prisoners of war at Augustabad. near Ncubradcnburg. in Mecklcnhnrg, and to the camps at Stendal. Zerbst. and Wittenberg. The following are extracts from Mr Jackson's report.— Neubrandenbiirp;.— The Kurhotel Angus tab a<l, 'on tilic Tbllense See, near Neuhrandenburg, in Mecklenburg, was taken over by the military authorities as a peace of detention tor officer prisoners of war. and a Jew days later about 190 officers were brought there. The establishment consists or one good sized hotel and several villas. Twenty-four British officers, all of whom came from HaJle, were brought here originally, hut two (Surgeon Gi'oig and Lieutenant Gorden Baker) havo been Rent lionio ; n tho ■meantime, and nun, T/ieutonrmt Hardy, who made an attempt to escape, is soon to be sent elsewhere. All these officers live in the hotel proper. On the ground floor oi the hotel are three dining rooms, one of which us used by nil the ■Englisii officers, who sit together. I took luncheon (tue regular midday meal) with these gondomen, having almost exactly the same menu (soup, meat oalis, and potatoes, i'ruitj coliee, and beer) that I had. when 1 lunched wih the Herman oliicor prisoners of war at Holyport on January '2\J, The ollicers pay oU marks (OUs) a month for their food, the kitchen Doing in charge of the regular hotel staii Iney are at liberty to order extras witJjj'i reason at their own expense. 'Jαtil a lew days ago the officers were permitted to use a tennis court outside the enclosure, to swim in the lake, and to walk in tho neighbouring woods. As lour officers (one Englishman) made a.u attempt to escape (from ike bathhouse) these privioges were temporarily ':iisponded, but I was told by the wiumaiulant, whose relations with, tho prisoners axe of the best, that tihey would be restored at an early date. Ail jvere hx good physical condition and in good spirits.

■ Stendal—On sandy soil, in what were cavalry exercise grounds, a camp ha-s been built to contain 15,000 prisoners of war. At the time of my visit there were only about 7,200 in the parent camp. In that numher were included 64 British and Canadians, all of whom had been brought during the uast few weeks trom hospitals at Cologne and Wittanborg. One of the non-com-missioned officers (Corpral Frazer) has recovered from his wounds to such an extent that he is to take part in a boxing match with tho French camp champion in a- few days. 1 talked with all the British Prisoners, and none had any important complaint*

The commandant has 'made use of large plots of ground tin the neighbourhood of the camp to grow potatoes, cabbages, lettuce, etc., the profits being used for the benefit of the prisoners as a hody.