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Show REICH HAS 90,000 BRITISH CAPTIVES Of These 6,000 Are Said to Be Civilians Ranging From Children Up. LONDON. The first authentic account ac-count of life among British captives in Germany, showing that letters home paint a rosier picture of conditions condi-tions than they really are, is contained con-tained in a pamphlet, "Prisoners of War," published on behalf of the war organization of the British Red Cross society and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. These prisoners number about 90, 000, of whom some 6,000 are civilian internees, ranging from a little girl of five to elderly men. The chief worry is food, and here the Red Cross is doing a magnificent job. The ordinary diet is covered by the International Convention, giving prisoners the same scale of rations as the depot troops of the detaining country. It is a low standard for British and Dominion troops, though it will keep a man from starving. Some Bright Spots. The Red Cross, with its affiliated groups, tries to supply each prisoner prison-er with a parcel worth 10s. of good things every week, plus tobacco, and these after considerable trouble in the early days now get through regularly, reg-ularly, and are the bright spots in the men's lives. But once the men have ceased to be hungry, the mental stagnation has to be coped with. It is the waste of years of their lives that gets them down. They have to rely on their own ingenuity to keep their minds active, and the Red Cross tries to provide the means to keep them from becoming despondent. Reading, the universal resource, shows interesting trends. Substantial Substan-tial books biography and the classics clas-sics are in great favor, many men finding this their first opportunity for serious reading. Detective novels nov-els are not as popular as Wild West or adventure stories. Chess and other oth-er indoor games are sent, including table tennis. Among the British sport is always a necessity. The Red Cross sports committee sends equipment to every ev-ery camp. Men in working parties (many prefer laboring to camp life, as it passes the time) do not have the time or energy for hard exercise. exer-cise. Football and Cricket. But conditions vary from camp to camp and if any sort of playing field can be arranged there are usually usu-ally men eager to kick a football or play cricket (leather cricket balls are banned as are baseball bats, which might be used as clubs). International In-ternational matches have been played, also games against German teams. In some camps bathing is possible. Prisoners are entitled to, and receive, re-ceive, medical attention. Some German Ger-man doctors have had remarkable successes in plastic surgery. As in everything else, treatment varies, and British doctors, who are nearly always among the prisoners, send to the Red Cross lists of special diets, drugs, false teeth and spectacles specta-cles required. A section for the blind gets special care, with co-operation from St. Dunstan's. Braille watches, card games and textbooks go out, so that those blinded in war can fit themselves to take their place in the post-war world. Nearly every camp gets up its theatrical shows. Among the prisoners pris-oners are danceband leaders, actors and singers, many famous, and the concerts (instruments from the Red Cross) are a source of pride as well as of solace. " |