Show Si sat U S war prisoners seek escape in camp doings yanks anks like plays and develop liking tor for soccer football but letters from home greatest source of cheer by BAUKHAGE news new analyst and commentator service union trust building washington D C it is not often that we get direct communication from americans in germany and so I 1 am not ashamed to say that when I 1 perused a communication muni cation from that source I 1 did not at first recognize what the frequently 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 to the latest figures I 1 have from the war department there are no now W american soldiers soldier sailors marines merchant seamen seame sh held by the 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 ls for allied wounded in the reich or occupied countries they have regular 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 hive have treated american prisoners in accordance with the geneva agreement that is all it says I 1 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 1 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 quite the contrary they simply prove what kipling said about men who live in barracks not growing up to be plaster saints and some of the humor might be a little shall we say 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 getaway get away through the barbed wire and past the machine guns and quick trigger sentinels sent mels it if he is wise he spend too much time on such cogitation the official advice to POWs is dont 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 the somewhat highly seasoned humor of some of the jokes and cartoons 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 productions As always the drama provides ane ne of the easiest and most effective mental distractions and I 1 am told that the time effort and ingenuity that is put into the learning producing staging and costuming of plays by these men is remarkable the kriegle times issued by the american airmen in in luft III 11 II in germany which I 1 have before me as I 1 write is perhaps 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 iff ff on this topic it says the kriegier local nickname for war prisoner is assured of escape in he theater then it explains that in in order to accommodate the whole samp amp in in an auditorium which seats only 20 per cent of the members ive performances of each play are given and they include real drama tile the article records as recent pro luct ions that surefire sure fire never die farce charlies aunt our town rown the popular american play nostalgic and easy to stage because ca use it requires no scenery tobacco road a popular earthy piece with a run longer than the retreat from stalingrad Stal ingrad the man alan who came to dinner whose appeal an perhaps lies in the fact that the man get away either and flieger frolics an original musical comedy flieger is is flyer in in german female costumes it is explained pl pla aired ined are hired through german sources when possible usually fabricated out of sheets and mens clothing the newspaper a type typewritten written sheet says that scenery furniture and stage properties have been constructed ted from wooden red cross boxes and burlap cohered with magazine paper and painted with cold water paint in another item the paper comments that the handy man is the hero of the camp of course there are sports but limited ground space makes baseball impossible in this p particular ar tic u I 1 ar 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 the entrants photographs sup plied presumably by wives from home A miss luft III was later to be selected fro from m the pictures 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 cohee coffee bread and jam then calisthenics showers for the few designated that day they go in lots of 24 classes library cooking schedules 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 sends the kriegle to bed with the hope ever that the new day brings peace of course in this little typewritten 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 german film speaks of a none too spellbound audience it is difficult to get an intimate view of a prisoners life from these brief notes or indeed from the letters the prisoners write home but those persons who have re read d all th the confidential reports and also many letters passed on to them by relations tell me two things one that generally speaking american prisoners in german camps are not badly treated and are not in in want second the first months are the hardest most prisoners build up some kind of es escape capo mechanism and manage to keep up their spirits and morale by adapting themselves to their environment naturally the question is is frequently asked what are we doing for our prisoners in germany the thing they want most is is provided for most of them letters from home the next are the food packages which are paid for by the army packed by volunteer workers and shipped by the red cross from their four shipping centers two in in new york one in philadelphia and one in st louls louis most 0 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 language as the next of km 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 S ships hips of its own which up until recently have been landing regularly F at marseille where packages have been shipped in sealed cars to switzerland these goods went through unmolested lately some of the shipments have been made to lisbon and re shipped on sinal lei shuttle vessels the disruption of traffic in germany has recently interfered with the system other routes are being planned |