SPOILT HUNS

Waikato Times, Volume 86, Issue 13082, 17 January 1916, Page 7

SPOILT HUNS

IDLE LIFE IN BRITISH CAMP.

BY A RUSSIAN WHO WAS THERE. I am a Russian by birth as the local authorities of a small town in a prohibited area considered my passport an insufficient proof of my nationality, thsy decided to send me to an internment camp until the validity to the 'document had been acknowledged. I think that my observations made in that camp will be of some interest to the public.

The most remarkabe fact that stands out is that the interned enemy alien prisoners in this country have no work whatever to do beyond the fatigue duty, which task is accomplished in about an hour. The sole duty of the prisoners consists of cleaning their beds, washing the place, and sending a delegation of four men for each company to the kitchen to fetch the food. *»«■

During their long periods of enforced leisure the prisoners amuse themselves chiefly by playing cards. Mostly the. stakes are matches or stones, bit in frequent cases the stakes have assumed such dimensions that the play must be called most daring gambling. In spite of, or probably because of, an order which strictly prohibits gambling of any sort, the stakes are enormous censidering that prisoners are allowed to receive not more than £2 per week from outside. For instance, in "Solo" the stakes are usually as follows: "Prop." 10s. "solo" £l, misere £2, "abundance" £3 to £4. As usually only three play by taking out one Buit, the game is a very fast one, and in consequence the losses involved are considerable. In order to pay the debts an extensive money-lending lyßtem haß been formed, where from 5 to 10 per cent, per month is charged. A large portion of the prisoners follow their old occupations. There are any number of barbers, tailors, shoemakers and bootblacks, who sometimes do very good business. Many prisoners occups themselves with making inlaid woodwork, which they sell, but which is sometimes used for a purpose or. which I am not at liberty to enlarge. Some very good specimens are manufactured in camp, and often bring them from £2 to £lO.

There exists in this particular ramp quite a good library, which is in very great demand and which has largely been compiled by a British Bociety. There is a very flourishing school, where almost all subjects from shorthand to Chinese are taught. As no fees are charged the expenses have to be cvered by frequent lotteries, by which means a considerable amount of money is gained. The musical tastes of the Germans are by no means neglected, and the camp band, which numbers about 60 members, giveß about twice a week remarkably good concerts. In order to keep themselves fit many of the prisoners have organised Swedish drill clubs, which meets every morning at seven o'clock. In the afternoon they play cricket, football, and "fistball." after having had exercises at the horizontal bar. Frequent boxing and wrestling matches are arranged among the athletes, the prizes ranging usually from £5 to £lO.

Many members of the privileged companies have become anglicised to such an extent that they dreßS for dinner. Enterprising prisoners have started small hops, news agencies and similar undertakings

But not all aie like that. Many prisoners, chiefly ..Germans, are on the alert to find anything to jeer at and grumble about. On the walls they write "Gott strafe England" and "It's a long way to go to Berlin"; not too large, or the sentences might be discovered by the soldiers and there would probably be trouble. Pictures of the Kaiser, the Emperor Francis Joseph, the Sultan, hang in the concert hall, screened when there are soldiers about, but uncovered when they have gone. Patriotic songs are sung at the concerts and national anthems are played by the band. Posters to commemorate the "glorious" end of the Blucher are stuck over the doors and newspaper cuttings from papers not printed in England are fixed beneath. Closely connected with the expressions of national feeling is the deliberate waste of material, chiefly food, in order to cause as much expense as possible to the Government. Every prisoner receives in the morning half a loaf of bread, which is supposed to last for the whole day. At breakfast he eats about a quarter of it, and keeps the rest for tea. By the lime the afternoon has come the bread has become dry and the prisoner refuses to touch it. Instead of letting him go without the captain of the company procures him a new whole loaf, of which he does not consume more than perhaps the outside piece. Both remainders are thrown back into the bread basket. Every evening a whole basketul of wasted bread is brought away. The cooks in the camp are German. It happens almost daily that a few bucketfuls of coffee* or tea are spilt "by accident." Eggs are known for their delicate structure—those which are taken from the boxes in the camp appear to have bad no shell whatever. This is the fate of eggs furnished by the Government. Private ones are treated as if they were worth their weight in platinum. Tea an<? porridge are poured down the drains, so they get stored up and out of order. [ln consequence the Government has to employ workmen to get them cleaned again.