"INTERNED."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8274, 20 October 1915, Page 2

"INTERNED."

IN GERMANY'S RUHLEBEN. ■

„ j ENEMY'S "RECRUITING" EFFORTS, In the- "People's Journal" an "exchanged" Seotbiiian, \\ iilia-m Simpson, recently returned iroiu the German camp for civilian prisoners at Kuhleben, tolls of the lire, there. The principal drawback, ho says, .is "'the wretched food." Otherwise, it is not so bad. When the war broke out, Simpson had been for 26 years a teacher of English and German in Hanover. He made" no pretence of pro-German sympathies, and was soon interned at Ruhieben. The fare of the prisoners would bo much woissb but for an allowance of 5s per week from the British Relief Fund, allowed them to buy extras. Mr Simpson states:— Most of the washing for the camp is done by the niggers, who make a little money for luxuries in that way. My laundry usually cost me Is 6d per week, but I was a good' deal better situated than many of the prisoners, for I was able to make a little money by teaching languages. : There, is no.limit to the amount of money that one may spend at the canteen if 0110 has it. Some of the wealthy, prisoners will be spending as much as £5 a week each, I daresay, and they are permitted to employ loss fortunate men to wait upon them, paying them to do the washing-up, cleaning, etc. But there's one thing I will say about Ruhieben. No one "swanks" there. The millionaire and the penniless Jack Tar behave towards each other like brothers. There are botween 2000 and 3000 sailors among the community, men taken from the British ships trapped in German ports at tho outbreak of war. A splendid set of fellows they are, though inclined to kick over the^traccs sometimes. One of them caused a certain amount of unpleasantness by talking in a loud voice about the "blankety-blank Germans."

You will doubtless know the swearword he used when I tell you that Baron yon Toube, the second in command of the camp, understood it to mean "blood-thirsty" Germans, whereas he meant nothing of, the sort. When it was eventually explained that the adjective was one in very common use, and did not credit the Germans with "blood-thirstiness" or any other murderous quality, the Baron, who is quite a good sort, laughed at his mistake.

October 20 October 21 October 22 October 23 Octobe

But the most notable professional I came into contact with was Steve Bloomer, the footballer. Bloomer needs no introduction to British readers. The greatest inside forward we h*vo seen within the last 20 yeans, the sharpest thorn that Scottish, international defence has known in modern times, his is a name to conjure with in the football world. But I found him a quite unassuming fellow, with a shrewd sense of humour and an inexhaustible fund of sporting anecdotes. He slept in the same stable as myself, and highly delighted were we if we could coax him i into tolling us tho story of one- or an- | other of the any famous matches in which he saved tho situation by some brilliantly scored goal when all seemed lost.

Bloomer naturally took a big share in the arrangements for tho grea-t Sports Week, which was one of the outstanding events during my stay in Ruhleben. There was a football match* rduring every day of that week, and a team which Bloomer had trained was among the teams that especially, distinguished themselves. There were tugs-of-war and numerous running and leaping contests; and at the conclusion of the tournament the prizes were distributed by tho Baroness yon Toubo, wife of the German officer I have previously referred to.

If you a^e of a studious turn of mind you can make a stay at Ruhleben intellectually profitable Among the prisoners are teachers of almost every language, and classes in science, navigation, etc.. aro hold every day, prisoners teaching. Only in the case of wealthy people aro any fees taken.

There in ft (rood Icanding library, and , if you care to retire to your bed witlr! a. book immediately after breakfast and ! remain thero until 10 o'clock at night. l when lights arc put out, no one win • interfere. But you must not fsmoke in^ your "bedroom." If you are caught] doing that it means 72 hours in tluv'j cells on ft diet of brcsad and water. I Veiiy ' few evenings pass without a i

first-class concert. These concerts aro ' held in tlie Grand Stand Hall, and j when I tell you there is an orchestra of ' 50 instruments, the members all being i ' musicians of approved skill and includ- j I ing in their ranks one of the world's I most brilliant violinists, you will guess they are worth going to. But it is not ! only music that is strongly represent- ! ! cd. Among the prisoners are conjurjers, actors, jugglers, and comedians. In ! the whole of London and Glasgow you \ could not get a bettor entertainment, [no matter how much you paid for it, than you get at lluhlobcn. There is a Debating Society which has a . largo membership, and on one occasion wo got up a mock election. The Liberal member was a Jew named Cohen, and he made a very strong speech against Tariff lloform ; but, if I remember rightly, it was the Conservative who won. A merry life? It sounds like that, T. dare say. But the cage is there although tho bars may be gilded. And how the prisoners yearn for wings to soar over the barbed-wire barriers, over the high palisades, and so to freedom! Yet, little would wings avail, for the guards carry loaded rifles, and are told to uso them at tho slightest sign of any attempt to escape. While I was at the camp seven prisoners made an attempt., Four, I bolieve were caught, but. they 1 wore"never • brought back to the camp. What became of the others I do not know, though it is said they got clenn away. A message from ono of the' recaptured men which was smuggled throiigh to the camp related that he was being treated "very, very harshly."