Show Generous Treatment of Axis Prisoners in U. U S. S Improves Conditions for Captured Americans Red Cross Reports Men in Nazi Hands I Well e Fed e an and Housed By BARROW LYONS Staff Stan Correspondent In some families throughout our land today the folks are thinking of some soldier from home who has fallen faIlen into enemy hands now hands now nowa a prisoner of war far away When our troops make the grea great t push against the mainland mainland mainland main main- land of Europe there will be bemore bemore bemore more boys taken prisoners In the war prisoner camps within the United States we hold some enemy soldiers captured mostly on the battlefields of Africa Sicily and Italy Of these are Germans Italians Only are Japanese Many protests have been made to army authorities because of the good treatment given these prison prison- ers Lots of people dont don't understand understand under under- stand why enemy prisoners should be given the same comforts the same medical attention the same food as our own soldiers But there is a reason so compelling compelling compelling compel compel- ling that none can complain when it is understood It Is not for the sake of the prisoner prisoners but in the interest of our own soldiers held by bythe bythe bythe the enemy They are the real object of our forbearance and solicitude And of course our national honor honoris is involved for we agreed to give prisoners the same food and care as our own men under the Prisoners of War convention signed and ratified ratified rati rati- fied at Geneva on July 27 27 1929 Reciprocal Good Treatment Reliable reports made to the army Indicate that the good treatment we have accorded prisoners has won for tor our own men in German prison camps conditions that are at least as good as those under which German German German Ger Ger- man soldiers live These facts were revealed for the first time to your correspondent by Maj Gen Allen W. W Gullion provost marshal general of the army who has general supervision over prisoners prison prison- ers of war The actual guarding of the prisoners is a function of the prison camp commander who is under under under un un- un- un der the control of the commanding general of the service command Censorship reveals that letters from relatives and friends express much gratitude and lind happiness over the way we are treating their men We are informed by the International International International Inter Inter- national Red Cross that the Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans say that because of our good treatment of their soldiers they are giving our men more liberties and better treatment General Gullion Gullion Gullion Gul Gul- lion told your correspondent The Geneva conventions required that each prisoner be given the same food as soldiers of the capturing power receive in base camps According According According Ac Ac- cording to the reports of Swiss observers observers observers ob ob- ob- ob servers the Germans are living up to this provision our men in some instances are getting even a little better food than the German soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers although the German facilities facilities facil- facil I ties do not compare with ours I I think there can be only one answer to the complaint that we are treating the prisoners we take too well One gets it when one asks the question Is it better to yield to a avery avery avery very natural vengeful impulse to take it out on our prisoners or to observe observe observe ob ob- serve our treaty agreements and protect protect protect pro pro- our own men Few Escape There have been complaints also that the prisoners we hold have not been sufficiently guarded that too many have escaped to become a menace to the home population General Gullion points to the facts Of the prisoners we now hold holdIn holdin In fn this country about have escaped escaped es es- but all except three have been recaptured and are in custody The only men at large are two Ital- Ital I Y y ilk r 1 c a x I ro l 6 1 3 i iN N r i 0 nt r r 5 U UThe The Thc first German soldier to be taken prisoner in Iceland was Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant Ser Ser- geant l who balled out of his Junkers plane after aUer it Jt had been hit by U. U S S. S army fighters He is shown at Intelligence headquarters enjoying enjoying en en- the rations on the tray before beCore him despite a bandaged arm and numerous bruises braises ians who escaped from a branch camp at El Paso part of the Lordsburg Lordsburg Lords- Lords burg N N. M. M camp and one German who got away at Crossville Tenn Term There has been complaint from organized labor lately because we have used some of the war prisoners prison prison- ers for tasks In lumber camps and andon andon andon on road work where there was no American labor available General Gullion gives labor assurance that prisoners of war are arc not being put putto putto putto to work on any job where civilian labor is available in adequate sup sup- ply Prisoner of war labor is a temporary expedient to relieve the existing shortage of man power The United States agreed at the Geneva convention to return all prisoners of war to their own countries countries countries coun coun- tries at the conclusion of the war war hence the fear of competition with free labor is g groundless the general general general gen gen- eral says Prisoners Cut Pulpwood Prisoners have been in logging operations where American workers have left the woods to work In shipyards shipyards shipyards ship ship- yards and machine shops at much higher wages he explains They have hav been useful in cutting and peeling pulp logs needed critically for containers in civilian industry and for newsprint of which there is a shortage Prisoners have been used also in maintaining roads in some areas where other manual la laborers laborers laborers la- la borers are very scarce The tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- tre- tre importance of road maintenance maintenance main main- In view of the heavy traffic traffic fic fic is obvious Prisoners have been used also in laundries Nearly everyone today has had suffered inconveniences because of of the shortage of laundry labor and can understand this expedient The story of Japanese prisoners is less happy When a Japanese soldier Is taken prisoner he is washed up up-he up he never wishes to return return return re re- re- re turn to Japan for he is disgraced forever in the eyes of his country country- men We have in this country scarcely more than a hundred Japanese prisoners prisoners pris pris- and General Mac MacArthur Arthur has only a few hundred more accordIng according according accord- accord Ing to General Gullion They are given the same food tood and accommodations as our own soldiers because we hope by according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording such treatment to ameliorate ameliorate ameliorate amelio amelio- rate the lot of our own men held by the Japanese |