PRISONERS OF FRANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15932, 1 June 1915, Page 9

PRISONERS OF FRANCE.

GERMANS WELL TREATED, VISIT TO THE BARRACKS. By permission of the French authorities & representative of the Daily Mail has been allowed to visit and talk freely with German, prisoners of war and interned civilians at Tours. Chateanroux, and Issoucun. Describing his inspection, he writes: — Attention! A red-bearded six-foot German sergeantmajor gave the command in a voice like the tearing of canvas, and a company of 6qi are-headed German soldiers straightened themselves like one man, with a click of the heels. Behind them stood company after comparv. in serried ranks; at least a thousand German pr soners paraded for inspection in the barrack-yard of Issoudvn. With curiosity I scanned the ranks. Every man seemed to be run in the same mould—square-headed, high-cheeked, nar--eyed; typical "caboches" (hobnails), in the slang of the 70's, or " boches," as Ibey ;re called M-day. It was not i\ pleasant sight. These beetle-browed men, with their eyes fixed or. their towering non-commissioned officer, looked capable of anything from the sack of a to.vn to a deadly march in serried ranks upui a well-lined British trench. They kept their eyes fixed on their officer. Prisoners they might be, but still under the tulc of their sergeant. When the word for dismissal was given, the whole battalion made a half-turn to the right-about and streamed off towards the barracks line a great flock of grey sheep. "No wonder the Kaiser thought he could do anything with such a crowd,' said an American journalist. Fed Like French Soldiers. In a few minutes the windows of the barracks were filled with the squareleads. Some were smoking. All were looking down curiously upon the party of inspection. The whole of the big building was given up to them. Here they were quartered and fed exactly like a regimenl cf Fren.h infantry. There was nothing degrading in their surroundings. The place was open and free, sa>e for the tolemn French sentries at tin gates and along the outer lines of the barrack yard. In their rooms they had the air of soldiers taking th;ir ease, disciplined but not confined.

Walking freely from room to room 1 : founi in one a company of men who had | an air and bearing distinct from the mass I had seen on the barrack ground. Their eyes and cheeks were browner. They smiled pleasantly a.? they spoke, and all were talking French to their visitors. " We are nil fiom Alsace in this room," one of them explained. "Wo arc treated exa*'.y like the others, but we are allowed to be together. The Poles are also quartered toother. We haw no complaint to ma'.p, but we shall be glad when the war is rinishod and we can return to our homes." Inspection of the Kitchens. From the main building I passed to the kitchens. Here French and German cooks were working amicably together with a sentry at the door. Wo looked at the meat, good sound beef and plenty of it, the vegetibles, clean and well chosen, the bread—the same large and long loaf which the Parisians eat. The French cooks pointed out that it was better than the German war-bread, a sample of which they

had obtained from one of tlio recent' prisoners, and the German cooks smiled j their acquiescence as the two breads were compared I Out, on the barrack ground again I met two English-speaking prisoners, a cavalryman belonging to one of the smartest regiments in Prussia, and a boy from Hamburg, who had been in a shipping office. The following conversation ensued: When do you think the war will end?" "In November," said the cavalryman, who spoke the English of his mother, a Brixton woman. "We shall, of course, win." "That is not the impression outside Germany. You know the Russians have taken Przeinysl?" "That was against the Austrians. We have beaten the Russians. They are finished." , An American Opinion. An American journalist joined in the conversation: "Why do your people fink merchant chips with civilians on board, and never give them a chance to save their Jives? That sort of thing will not win any battles for you, and only exasperates neutral countries." "What does America think about the war';" asked the cavalryman. 'We know," said the journalist, who was once a United States senator 'and a Roosevelt rough-rider in the Cuban war, "that we cannot afford to let Germany win. We cannot let any nation that keeps a million men under arms rule the world." The conversation went kick to " frightfulness," and the question was asked: "What ifi the good of enraging the world by pouring burning petrol on men in order to eaiu a few yards of trenches?" The Prussian replied with a curious evasion of the question and a direct asrertion. "That will soon be over," he said. "When the dry weather conies we shall be able to move our heavy artillery, and then we s.'iall advance once more." Other German prisoners gathered round ajid looked in the faces of the two who could speak English, as if trying to catch a reflection of the things they were being toid. They knew about the British victory ut Jveuve t'hapelle, but considered it as ail incident only, and did not realise how much was due to the weight and accuracy of Rritiih artillery. " Your infantry are good," said a third Kngliehftpeaking prisoner. " I have fought against Irish regiments. We made a mistab there We did not think the Irish would fight. Hut the blacks arc no good —he wis speedily enlightened with the story of the Indians at N'euve ('hanelle— "ami you have no heavy guns. Again it became necessary to add a little to their store of knowledge regard in'.' the progress of event.", since (lie New Year. 'Jheir faces were longer when tho talk was over.

INFORMATION BUREAUX.

INQUIRIES ABOUT THE WAR. [BY TEI.ECIUPH.— COIUtESPONDENI.] Wellington', Monday. The Minister for Defence, the lion. James Allen, acting in concert with the postal authorities, has arranged for I lie establishment at every chief post office throughout the Dominion of an inquiry bureau, at which the public may make inquiries on any matters they may be particularly interested in concerning NewZealand's share in the war. It has come to the knowledge of the postal authorities that many people are quite at sea as to the avenues of information on a variety of things connected with the »er, and particularly in matte! concerning communication with our men at the front, or those lying in the various hospitals, and in order to give the public every facility of finding out as quickly as possible any legitimate information these bureaux are being established. Not only will it be competent for inquiries ts be made at chief post offices, but instructions are being issued to post offices in the smaller centres to attend to such inquiries.