REMARKABLE JOURNAL

Southland Times, Issue 17661, 19 February 1916, Page 11

REMARKABLE JOURNAL

BRITISH NEWSPAPER IK GERMANY, In Ruhleben Camp is perhaps the most remarkable journal of the war printed in the English language. It is written, edited, and printed in Germany. In Ruhleben Camp is the record and rdlcctor of life in the chief German internment camp for British civilians. About four thousand Britishers arc behind its high barbed-wire boundaries. Football is now in its second season in the camp. John Cameron, the old Tottenham Hotspur secretary-player, and a N number of other well-known English professional footballers, were engaged in Germany as coaches w hen the war broke out, among them being F. B. Pentland, of Queen’s Park Rangers and Middlesbro’, the famous Sieve Bloomer, J. Brearley, the old Millwall and ’Spurs mau, and Sam Wolstenhoirne, of Everton. The ground available was “little better than a morass,” but with such cracks available the class of play was bound to be high. Rugby for (ball was at first barred as being "too rough and not at all a nice game,” but this prohibition was subsequently withdrawn. The plays produced at Ruhleben have been many and various, ranging from a revue to “Fanny’s First Play” and "The Importance of Being Earnest.” Boxing, lawn tennis, a hiograph theatre, and a debating society or "Talking Club," at which the average attendance is 000, constitute other popular forms of amusement among these British interned. There are all sorts and conditions of men at Ruhleben —and to those who need the money to buy such necessary “luxuries” as butter and newspapers (only German newspapers are allowed in the camp, however), the British Government allows, through the American Embassy, the sum of as a week. To supplement thoir incomes many of the ‘‘inhabitants" have resorted to the Chinese plan of taking in each other’s washing, to speak figuratively. Every issue of In Ruhleben Camp is full of advertisements, some facetious, but most of (hem serious, “Sunny Smith” advertises that lie is “some shoeblack”; another gentleman offers to give lessons in voice production; there is a private detective who “tracks missing deck chairs”; a barber offers the added inducement of “refreshing drink;;" to his patrons: and a "Bond-street”' shoemaker --Ruhleben boasts both "Bond-street” and "Tr.i faiga r-siuiare"-—warns all and sundry against relying upon "amateurs" for Hie repair of their footwear. Being under the strict eye of the camp censor, the journal lias, of course, to Intv ary of its contents, but here and there a paragraph occurs which throws an interesting sidelight on the life of the camp. For example: "Card playing is now again permitted on the understanding there is no playing for money.” "Should there lie any trouble in the camp, the. interned are requested, in their own interest, not to gather round the soldiers.”

In Ruhleben Gamp is printed “outside,” and it costs “tliriptienee..” Us usual issue is 200 copies, and these are usually nolo within ten minutes or so of publieat ion.