PRISONERS OF WAR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 84, 8 March 1945, Page 7

PRISONERS OF WAR

TREATMENT IN AMERICA. With reference to the cablegram from Washington published a few days ago stating that the United States War Department and the Senate Military Affairs Committee were to investigate allegations that Axis prisoners of war wore being coddled, it is recalled that an interesting article entitled ''Our Tampered' AVar Prisoners" appeared hi Collier's magazine a short time ago. The article stated that an American who had lost a son in battle c»u!id not be blamed lor being disturbed about the presence of the enemy's captured soldiers in their midst. The Japanese complained too much, the Germans were too pleased, and the Italians were too affectionate. But the Army v was handling its captives quietly, sternly and fairly. At Camp McCoy (Wisconsin), where both German and Japanese prisoners were held, the article continued, a Japanese spokesman presented a long list of complaints to an American officer. The officer listened for a long time and filially lost patience. "The trouble with you people," he said, "is that you want the world, with a fence around it." The Japanese thought for a moment and then replied with perfect seriousness, "No fence". The Japanese held the "we want this" championship of the prison camp circuit. They complained about everything, and those Americans who remembered the story of the Manila death march and the execution of the first Tokio raiders were resentful. The thing which caused most resentment, the article went on, was the treatment of especially in the volunteer service units. Americans—particularly those whose sons were killed or wounded in North African battles against the Italians—were irked to see ex-prisoners of war paying attention to American women, sometimes enjoying an outing at the seaside or taking sightseeing tours at the expense of the Government.

After the collapse of Italy the Italian prisoners volunteered to fight the Nazis, but it was considered wisest to use them for loading cargo on vessels returning to the battle fronts. They also repaired army equipment. They were paid 80 cents a day for their voluntary labour. As this wage was not considered enough incentive to obtain the best results, the men had a day off each week for recreation. FEAR OF WOLVES.

At Cut Foot Sioux, in Northern Minnesota, German prisoners were used tor telling the pulpwood trees.' When the prisoners first went to the district they had no barricades around their barracks, but the restraining influence was fear—fear of wolves and Indians who were not disposed towards white people—which had been instilled into them by their American guards. One prisoner wrote home to Germany about the wild animals and the Indians and stated that the guards had warned the prisoners on a number of occasions. Following visits to most of the camps in the United States, the writer of the article was of the opinion that there was no coddling of prisoners. He saw no tender treatment. He heard an American detail tell a German labour detail that they could either do a decent day's work or loaf indefinitely on bread and water. The Japanese on the same morning had been returned to camp at the [joints of the bayonets of their American guards. Concordia Camp was looked upon as the best camp in the United States. It was at this camp that a large number of murders of Nazis by their fellow men took place. Under a new commander the camp had greatly improved and the Germans were now unable to take the lives of their fellow prisoners. The writer said that the men who had volunteered for work did not attempt to escape. Less than three-tenths of 1 per cent, of the total prisoners in the country had attempted to escape. Those who had done so had been at large for no longer than four months. In most cases their liberty lasted only a matter of clays.