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Show THE LEIII SUN, LEIH. UTAH U.S. War Prisoners Seek 'Escape' in Camp Doings Yanks Like Plays and Develop Liking for Soccer Football, but Letters From ; Home Greatest Source of Cheer. By BAUKIIAGE News Anulyit and Commentator. WNU Service, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C. It is not often that we get direct communication from Americans in Germany, and so I am not ashamed to say that when I perused a communication com-munication from that source, I did not at first recognize what the frequently fre-quently used abbreviation POW stood for. Comparatively few Americans . know the meaning of those three letters; perhaps none know what they mean to the POW himself. POW is prisoner of war. According Accord-ing to the latest figures I have from the war department there are now 41,234 American soldiers, sailors, marines, merchant seamen neld by the enemy! The officials of the . Red Cross " know exactly what the conditions are under which those prisoners move and live and have their being In Allied prison camps in Germany or in the more than 40 hospitals for Allied wounded in the Reich or occupied countries. They have regular regu-lar reports from the International Red Cross representatives who visit the camp regularly. The Red Cross says in effect: "So far as we know, the Germans have treated Ameri-can Ameri-can prisoners in accordance with the Geneva agreement.' That is all it says. But even if the Germans live up to both the spirit and the letter of the Geneva agreement, the lot . of the prisoner of war is not to be envied. Recently, I studied some of the -newspapers issued by men in the prison camps. Some have been released for publication. Others have not. Not that those withheld revealed any dark secrets of suffering. suffer-ing. Quite the contrary. They simply prove what Kipling said about men who live in barracks not growing up to be planter saints,, and some of the humor might be a little, shall we say,' unsaintly. The reason for this is expressed In the word escape. There are two kinds of escape which a prisoner thinks about. One is a safe get-away through the barbed wire and past the machine guns and quick-trigger sentinels. If he is wise, he doesn't spend too much time on such cogitation. cogi-tation. The official advice to POWs is "don't try it." The other kind of escape is defined by Webster as, "mental distraction or relief from the bondage of reality or routine; as, literature of escape." es-cape." The somewhat highly seasoned humor of some of the jokes and cartoons car-toons in the prisoners' papers are, technically speaking, 'literature of escape," this and the description of things they do to provide escape from the monotony of prison life. Yank Ingenuity Shows In Stage Production As always, the drama provides one of the easiest and most effective effec-tive mental distractions and I am fold that the time, effort and Ingenuity In-genuity that is put into the learning. producing, staging and costuming of plays by these men is remarkable. "The Kriegie Times," Issued by the American airmen in Stalag Luft III, in Sagan, Germany, which aave before me as I write, is per Maps not typical because it was an edition especially for the home folks. But it has a story on page one headed "theater" which begins with the statement which started me off on this topic. It says, "The Kriegie (local nickname for war prisoner) is assured of 'escape' in the theater." Then it explains that in order to accommodate the whole camp in an auditorium which seats only 20 per cent of the members, fiv,e performances of each play are given. And they include real drama. The article records as recent pro ductions that sure-fire, never-die farce, "Charlie's Aunt"; "Our Town," the popular American play. nostalgic and easy to stage be cause it requires no scenery; "Tobacco Road," a popular, earthy piece with a run longer than the re- treat from Stalingrad; "The Man Who Came To Dinner," whose ap peal perhaps lies in the fact that "the man" couldn't get away, eiiner; ana - rueger r rones," an original musical comedy. (Flieger is fiyer in German.) "nemaie costumes," it is ex plained, "are hired through German BRIEFS Special diet packages go to our men in German POW hospitals. As soon as a prisoner is captured in Germany he is taken to a transit camp where a Red Cross "capture kit" is waiting. Since he usually doesn't take his baggage with him into Germany, especially if he arrives ar-rives by parachute, he gets brush, comb, razor and such necessities. if I sources when possible, usually fabricated out of sheets and men's clothing." The newspaper (a typewritten sheet) says that "scenery, furniture and stage properties have been constructed con-structed from wooden Red Cross boxes and burlap, covered with magazine paper and painted with cold water paint." In another item, the paper com ments that "the handy man is the hero of the camp.'' Of course, there are sports, but limited ground space makes baseball base-ball impossible in this particular camp since a homer over the fence is irretrievable. The boys have learned to like soccer, learned from their English comrades, as a form of what they call "mass murder." Softball is a favorite sport, and with the arrival of fencing foils, fencing. There are some classes, but they are not dealt with in detail. Another nostalgic diversion was described although not admitted as such, since no note of sentimentality enters the sheet It was a baby contest, con-test, the entrants photographs sup plied, presumably, by wives from home. A "Miss Stalag Luft III" was later to be selected from the pic tures of wives and sweethearts. The schedule for a typical day runs like this: POWs Day Leisurely But Monotonous The day starts at 10 a. m. with roll-call (following a breakfast of coffee, bread and jam). Then calisthenics, calis-thenics, showers for the few designated desig-nated that day (they go in lots of 24), classes, library, cooking schedules sched-ules (the men take turns at the culinary arts). Mail (if there is any) is distributed at noon. Last roll-call comes at four p. m., then a few turns around the perimeter of the camp, supper, bridge and poker (for cigarettes). Then "some good talk, much foolish dreaming before midnight mid-night sends the Kriegie to bed with the hope ever that the new day brings peace." . Of course, in this little typewritten typewrit-ten journal which has had to pass the German censor there is only here and there ,a hint of certain inner feelings toward the hosts; one note on the showing of a Ger man film speaks of a "none too spellbound audience." , It is difficult to get an intimate view of a prisoner's life from these brief notes or, indeed, from the letters let-ters the prisoners write home. But those persons who have read all the confidential reports and also many letters passed on to them by relations rela-tions tell me two things: one, that, generally speaking, American pris oners In German camps are not badly treated and are not in want second, the first months are the hardest. Most prisoners build up some kind of "escape" mechanism and manage to keep up their spir its and morale by adapting them selves to their environment. Naturally, the question is fre quently asked: "What are we doing for our prisoners in Germany?" The thing they want most is provided pro-vided for most of them letters from home. The next are the food pack ages which are paid for by the army, packed by volunteer work ers and shipped by the Red Cross from their four shipping centers, two in New York, one in Philadel phia and one in St. Louis. Most of the packages, assembled like motor cars on a moving line, are packed by loving hands that group which bears the scars of war as deeply as the combatants themselves, and described prosaically in army Ian guage as "the next of kin." These packages go, one for each prisoner, every week. The prisoners also can receive personal packages every 60 days, They get books and other prescribed articles. The Red Cross has eight ships ol Its own which, up until recently have been landing regularly at Mar seille, where packages have been shipped in sealed cars to Switzer land. These goods went through un molested. Lately some of the ship ments have been made to Lisbon and re-shipped on smaller shuttle vessels. The disruption of traffic in Germany has recently interfered with the system. Other routes are being planned. by Baukhage Many of the German prisoners of war captured in Normandy have volunteered to help with the harvest har-vest in Great Britain. All major youth organizations are cooperating in the drive to raise an; army of school-age milkweed pod harvesters in order to get milkweed floss needed to replace kapok in life jackets tor the armed forces -WEEKLY NEWS Germans Shorten Lines on East, West Fronts for Suicide Stand; Coal Production Tops 1943 Rate Released by Western (FDITOR'S NOTE: When opinions are expressed In these column, they are those el Western Newspaper Union's ntwi analysts and not necessarily ol this newspaper.) CvVv-) a'SJI.'I- MsCl i l Wis 4 It I Marring liberation of Paris was internal strife, which broke out at famed Notre Dame cathedral, with Axis snipers firing on Parisian crowd, shown seeking refuge behind French tanks. EUROPE: Head for Reich Giving in before the overwhelming weight of the advancing Allied ar mies, Nazi troops in the Paris re gion fell back toward the German frontier, while remnants of enemy ene-my units in southern France trickled northward to join in the evacuation of the country. ; Although the Germans claimed to have withdrawn the bulk of their Seventh army eastward, the Allies exacted a heavy toll from it, with U. S. and British armored columns hacking up rearguards and fleets of bombers ripping up enemy troops making a hasty scramble for the reich border. As the U. S. columns swept on, such historic World War 1 battle-fields as Chateau-Thierry, Belleau Wood and Soisson fell to rampaging Doughboys after little resistance, in marked contrast con-trast to the bitter, bloody fight ing which was required 25 years ago before the Allies could plant their flags over the ground. In southern France, the Allies ad vanced almost at will, encountering fanatical resistance only at certain strong-points, and indicating that the Germans had pulled out the bulk of their forces from this section of the country before Lieut. Gen. Alexander Patch's Seventh army landed between be-tween Toulon and Cannes. Even so, the bag of enemy prisoners totaled well over 45,000, although many of these, troops were foreigners the Nazis had impressed into service. Enter Hungary Even as the Nazis streamed back to their own borders in the west, their armies were sorely pressed in the east, where German divisions trapped in Rumania tried to fight themselves free, and other of their troops moved up to me Carpathian mountains to attempt to stave off the Russian advance into Hungary. In moving into the Carpathians, Carpathi-ans, the Germans fulfilled an agreement with the Hungarians to provide troops for that country's coun-try's defense as the price for keeping it in the war, following Rumania's capitulation to the Allies and Bulgaria's peace bid. For herself, Hungary sought to solidify so-lidify her internal government by establishing a new cabinet, composed for the most part of military strong men, headed by Col. Gen. Vitez Geza Lakotas. As Germany tried to hold Hungary In line, Russian troops were reported well inside the Carpathians, with the enemy energetically attempting to contain the Red drive in the rocky masses. Nazi Predicament With the full weight of Allied might falling down on Germany, the Nazi predicament became severely acute, with the enemy himself seem ingly pulling In his troops in both the west and east for a final suicidal stand on shortened lines, hoping for a possible compromise peace. Addressing the German people peo-ple over the radio, Lieut. Gen. Kurt Dittmar, the army's press spokesman, sounded the keynote to Nazi hopes, declaring that they would be willing to cease fighting if the Allies relaxed their war aims. Said he: "If this determination (to destroy Germany) did not exist, if the world we face had been ready ... to recognize the living rights of a great . . . hard working nation, no reason could have been seen why this misery had to fill the world and will continue to fill it." HIGHLIGHTS FOOD MANUFACTURERS: Profits Prof-its of food manufacturing companies declined in the first half of the year, the Grocery Manufacturers of America Amer-ica reported. A dip of 4.5 per cent was the average for the industry, the comparison being with the preceding pre-ceding six months. Higher costs of raw material, labor and other expenses, ex-penses, principally higher taxes, mora than offset gains. ANALYSIS Newspaper Union. COAL: Good Supplies With coal output averaging 12,000,-000 12,000,-000 tons weekly, the industry looked forward confidently to the achievement achieve-ment of the production goal of 625,-000,000 625,-000,000 tons for 1944. , Mining of the 625,000,000 tons would assure the nation of a comfortable com-fortable fuel supply, but due to wartime war-time complications, many regions unable to obtain certain types of coal and .may be forced to rely upon neighboring sources. Up to the middle of August, U. S. miners had turned out 401,000,000 tons of coal, for a gain of 29,000,000 tons over a year ago. With rosy prospects prevailing, the government govern-ment recently assured dealers that there would be no further reduction of quotas for retail deliveries. PRODUCTION: New Labor Demands No less than 400,000 workers are needed to meet the services' revised production demands based upon bat tle experiences in France and Italy, with the shipbuilding and artillery and ammunition industries alone calling for 176,000 employees. To meet the new labor demands, the War Manpower commission planned to' trarisfer workers from other jobsAeven though they may be j-i. ' - - : : . : uiawn uuui acuviues uiuienu considered con-sidered essential. ' Besides the shipbuilding and ar tillery and ammunition fields, 57,000 workers are required in the lumber industry; 45,200 in food processing through September; 22,000 in electronics; elec-tronics; 16,000 in tire-making; 10,200 in truck and tank foundries and forges, and 4,600 monthly in cotton duck production. PACIFIC: MacArthur's Strategy With Gen. Douglas MacArthur's ambition to return to the Philip pines closer to realization, realiza-tion, military experts at South Pacific headquarters head-quarters declared that pursuit of his favorite tactics could lead to conquest of the islands with a minimum cost of lives. In recalling General MacArthur's strategy in isolating the enemy on New Guinea, experts ex-perts pointed out that General -Mac Arthur his tactics consisted ' chiefly of luring the enemy out of position, theh striking his weakest points, and using the jungle as a shield- for maneuvers. Continuing efforts to soften up the enemy's defensive system in the Philippines area, U. S. army and navy bombers hammered at enemy shipping and installations. MEAT: Light Marketings ' With hog receipts at low levels. and with packers ordered to set aside one-third of production for the government, pork supplies promise to remain tight until late in October, when the usual heavy seasonal run is expected to ease the situation. Although the short hog supply is expected to be offset by increased shipments of cattle, movement of the latter to market has been slow er than anticipated, with the result that the plainer grades have commanded com-manded strong prices. As a result of the tight supply, hogs, have been netting ceiling prices, with the market expected to remain firmer than last year when the heavy runs get under way. . in the week's news STEAKS: After September '4, butchers will be allowed to cube or tenderize top and bottom cuts of utility grade beef steak before putting put-ting it on sale. Heretofore this could be done only by request of and in the presence of the customer. The OPA has relaxed its ruling to make utility beef which is in plentiful supply, sup-ply, "more acceptable to the customer." IX J1CHS COTTON: Future Scanned With cotton accounting for one-fifth one-fifth of the nation's cash farm income, in-come, and with southern cotton states embracing more than one-third one-third of the country's population, attention at-tention has been focused on the future fu-ture of the commodity once the record rec-ord breaking demands of the war end. Even as Sen. 'John H. Bankhead (Ala.) fights now for wartime parity for cotton, . apprehension has been voiced over the possibility of a big postwar slump in prices, not only affecting af-fecting the producers themselves but northern Industry and labor as well. In studying the postwar cotton situation, sit-uation, the Guaranty Trust Company of New York opined that partial solution so-lution of the problem may lie in price concessions, increased production, tariff adjustments, reliance on foreign for-eign credits and the extension of subsidies. Industrial research and intensive trade promotion also might contribute contrib-ute to strengthening cotton's market position, it was said. SMOKES: " Brighter Prospects With increased tobacco supplies In view and an early end to the war re lieving the manpower situation, the outlook for. increased cigarette production pro-duction brightened. Prospects for a 950,000,000-pound flue-cured tobacco crop for 1944-'45 promised to allow manufacturers to set aside larger stocks for aging and release more matured supplies. With cutbacks in military produc tion resulting in labor layoffs, many former cigarette plant workers are expected to return to their old jobs, easing the tight manpower situation in those establishments. The cigarette shortage, which has placed smokers on a day-to-day basis ba-sis for many weeks, should reach its peak in September, the trade reported. re-ported. Dig Out of Hail Hail dnlts five feet high in some places, with some stones as large as golf balls, marked the severe haiU storm which struck Colorado, causing 1 y2 million dollars damage to cities and farms. In Pueblo, merchants are shown digging out of drifts before stores. PUBLIC HEALTH: Fitness Sought With selective service's rejection of 4,000,000 men revealing the low health level of the population, effort will be made to improve the situation situa-tion through a nation-wide physical fitness program, which will be launched this fall in schools and col leges and later extended to industry and the general public. Under leadership of the Joint Com mittee on Physical Fitness, no less than 364-national organizations are taking part in the program, with j goals including: protection against preventable defects, correction of existing deficiencies, knowledge of how to live healthfully, and provision provi-sion of adequate means for physical physi-cal development. In commenting ,on the program, CoL Leonard G. Rowntree, chief of selective service's medical division and chairman of the Joint Committee Commit-tee on Physical Fitness, declared: "We" need to develop people with stamina, energy, skill and agility, so they may have a fuller enjoyment of life." CIO: Probe Political Action Called before the house campaign cam-paign expenditures committee, CIO Chieftain Sidney Hillman revealed that the organization's political action ac-tion committee spent $428,397 up to August 15, with $67,320 of the sum used in primaries and state elections. elec-tions. Vigorously denying that workers were forced to kick in to the politi cal action committee, Hillman said that the bulk of total collections of $806,715 constituted union contributions, contribu-tions, with loans figuring prominently prominent-ly in the remainder of 4he funds. An additional $1,500,000 is being sought from workers, Hillman reported. DRIED VEGETABLES About 95 per cent of the dehydrated dehy-drated vegetable output will go to the army, navy, Red Cross and other oth-er "non-civilian" agencies, the War Food administration announces. Based on an estimated allocable supply sup-ply of 277,000.000 pounds of dried vegetable products, this means that j 265,000,000 pounds will be sent to , the military and indirect war service agencies, and that about 12,000.000 1 pounds will go to civilians. I Production is expected to be about i 67 per cent higher than 1943. i r i r v i r it Bi-iLii, n iym h n hi a i Li 1 iii 1 While Walter Winchell it away, this month, his column will be conducted con-ducted by guest columnists, . ' Lady, Learn to Cook or Your GI Will Go Home To the Army! By Captain Ben Irvin Butler Teuader tad Prtsidnt of th Stciitr Amateur Chefs.) 'Sitting by the roadside on I Summer day 'Chatting with my mess-mates, passing time away , 'Singling in the shadows underneath the trees; 'Coodness how de-U'Ci-ous eating GOOBER PEASr That's an old Civil war song. And t goes to show that In all wars up- ermost In the soldier's mind is ood. I should spell that word with lapitals FOOD. Zora Layman, the radio and re- tording artist, sang "Eating Goober eas" the other night at a cocktail arty. I don't know whether n was ler singing or what, but Zora Lay-nan's Lay-nan's song practically started a lot I was the center of it all. The women at the party began isking me questions. They wanted 0 know aU about Army food. And elieve me, I told 'em! I told them 10th as an ex-Air Corps captain and is the founder of the Society of Ama-eur Ama-eur Chefs, an exclusive New York lub composed of famous men who oake a hobby of cooking. First of aU, I explained about this msiness of KP. The movies and fiction have paint-d paint-d kaypee mostly as a business of leeling potatoes and cleaning gar-lage gar-lage cans. But that's a lot of non-ense. non-ense. Many soldiers try to get on IP. And why not the kitchen is one tf the warmest spots around the amp in the Winter time. The du-les du-les are easy enough. And there's ilways the pick of a well-stocked arder from which to select one's ood. I'm not kidding. Instead of leing, a punishment job handed out ry the army to recalcitrants, kaypee 1 one detail GI Joe doesn't mind. According to Bill Rhode, who I one of the editors of Gourmet, nany of their fan letters come from oldiers and sailors. I had lunch eith Bill the other day and he tdtA ne how many requests for epicurean epicure-an recipes there had been from nen In the various services. That 'ery day, he'd received a letter from in Admiral asking how to smoke lerring. ' . The slogan, "the best fed Army D the world," has been tossed iround a great deal. People don't iny longer grasp entirely what it neans. The Army kitchen is no harum-earum harum-earum affair. In many instances t is an electrical job, spic and span, iffering an open invitation to good lookery. It has everything in the ay of equipment and, believe me, he medical officers see to it that it s as sanitary as a kitchen can pos-iibly pos-iibly be made. No foolin' you can ust about see your face in the bot-om bot-om of an Army garbage can. Thousands of Army lads have een carefully trained in cooking, mtchering and baking and most of hem have become good cooks. 5ome, at least, have become effv tient cooks, although perhaps un-pspired. un-pspired. And then, of course, some vill never learn. Hence the dis- rrepancy between reports from various va-rious camps and units. Some men irill rave about the food they en- toyed in their outfit. Others will teep on yearning for Mother's beef Itew and apple pie. But, take it !rom me, very few are telling their jials what a wonderful cook the girl j they left behind. And there's something else I told he ladies at the cocktail party to yonder over. Though the Army food wins no iquawks, the GIs occasionally yearn tor the finer things of life. For instance, in-stance, a nephew of mine, John Piper, Pi-per, who is an Army pilot some-df-bere in the South Pacific, upon learning that I was back in New Vork, wrote to me for a recipe for Wild Duck a la Press. My old mess tergeant, now stationed in a southern south-ern climate-, inquired as to how to, make a tart lime marmalade. Another inquiry came to me from a service man far away I'll let you guess asking how to make "Tuiles." These are thin wafers that accompany curry when the latter lat-ter is served in the elegant manner. An officer connected with the Army's dietary service told me that he'd had an inquiry from a mess sergeant asking how to make wine out of berries a reasonable enough request only the Army doesn't give out with answers to such questions. They Know Now All Food Doesnt Come Out of Cans! With repeal came the renaissance of American gastronomy. Slowly, an interest in good food returned. But with the War, millions of boys are learning and discovering that all food does not come out of tin cans. And this interest is growing by leaps and bounds. In camps, soldiers have eaten freshly baked bread and the old "cotton wadding' type of bread from the corner grocery store won't have much appeal to these boys in the future. Feet Out in Burial Chinese troops righting in Burma under General Stilwell bury each dead Jap with his feet exposed sc their daily reports on the numbei killed, if suspected of exaggera-tion, exaggera-tion, may be verified by an American officer. Brazil Largest With 44,000,000 citizens, Brazil has more than twice the population of any Latin American country, statistically,' sta-tistically,' it completely overshadows rival Argentina, which has only 13,. 000,000 inhabitants. Mexico's 20 million mil-lion is second, south of the Rio Grande. Bigger Boys American boys today are taller ,and heavier than boys were half a century ago, according to a recent survey. They are 6 to 8 per cent talles-and 12 to 15 per cent hejivier. A Dab a Day keeps P.O. away! ("Underarm Perspiration Odor) PEODORflnT CREfitH kn't stiff or sticky) Soft it Spreads like face cream. is actually soothing! Usa right after shaving will not irritate, has light, pleasant scent.No sickly smell to cling to fingers or clothing, will not spoil delicate fabrics. Yet tests in the tropics made by nurses prove that Vodora protects under trying try-ing conditions. In tubes or fan, 10c, 25c, 60 McKesson & Robbins, fne Bridgeport, Com. Acid Indigestion Relieved in 5 minutes or double money back When exeem stomach arid causes painful, mffoest-lllff mffoest-lllff gas, sour stomach and heartbumt doctors asoaiiy prescribe th. fastest-acting medicines known for symptomatic relief medicineslike those in Belt-ins Tablets. No laxative. Bell-ans brings comfort in a Jiffy or dooble yonr money backn return of bottl to us. 25c at ail druggists. Increase Assets ... i Business enterprises have greatly, increased their liquid . assets. Although Al-though the tax liabilities of corpo-' .rations increased nearly $15 billion: between 1939 and 1943, their holdings hold-ings of cash, bank deposits, and, government securities increased by $25.5 billion and their net working; capital by $17 billion. Save Those Brushes i If you own any of those high- quality, prewar China-hog-bristle Krushes here's the treatment to keep them young: Frequent washing in" mild soap and warm water, and hanging up for quick drying in the sun. Slow drying and drying by artificial arti-ficial heat weakens the bristles. Store Galoshes Carefully Before storing boots, galoshes and overshoes, wash them in warm wa- ter. Be sure that oil, grease and tar spots are removed. Then stuff them with wadded newspaper and put. them in a dark, cool, dry place. Steel Pay At the close of 1943, the steel industry'spayrolls in-dustry'spayrolls were $140,000,000 per month, and earnings of wage earners averaged more than $1.16 per hour. Heat With Stoves The eight states of Arkansas, Texas, Tex-as, New Mexico, Idaho, Nevada, Kansas, Virginia and Wyoming are over 70 per cent stove heated. Food Production The British have increased food production from a prewar total of 40 per cent tp a total of 70 per cent of their consumption. HOW TO "KNOW ASPIRIN Just bo trare to ask for St, Joseph Aspirin. There's none faster, none stronger. Why pay more? World's largest seller at lOi, Demand St. Joseph Aspirin. rVNU W 3644 May Warn of Disordered Kidney Action Modern lite with !t hurry and worry, j Irregular habits, improper eating and ; drinking its risk ef exposure and iniee ( tion throws heavy strain on the war j of the kidneys. They are apt to beeon : orer-taxed and fail to filter excess acid ! and other impurities from the liie-Fn : blood. Yon may suffer sagging backaeM. headache, dizziness, getting up nisi" leg pains, swelling (eel constantly tired, nerTons, all worn out. Othe kS ol kidney or bladder disorder are siowj times burning, scanty or tow tredaa"" urination. M Try Dean's Pitts. Doon's "elri J" kidneys to pass oft harmful exoeso waste. They have had more than I " MnHirv nf nnhlii annrovaL Are iVec h mjfnl naera SVerV" 1-c6i Ask your neionoorl V, 1 ' YODOIifl I I A ytmr neighbor! - |