The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards FellowshipPicton, Harold W. (Harold Williams)
History
The Better Germany in War Time: Being Some Facts Towards Fellowship
Picton, Harold W. (Harold Williams)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals, charities, etc.; World War, 1914-1918 -- Prisoners and prisons, German
convinced of the superior virtues of her side. “In the earlier days of
the war when we had English prisoners,” she said, “they were always well
fed, even though we went short. Our Commandant always made a point of
seeing that they were well provided for.” There was in the quiet, rather
weary voice just a gentle shade of reproach, and that was all. I have
not the slightest doubt that the woman was perfectly sincere. I made
only the very obvious remark that it seemed to me there were good and
bad on both sides, and that some officials behaved well, and some not
well. It was a mistake to generalise and think all was ill on the other
side and all was well on one’s own. She saw fairness in this view, I
think. There was a mutual approach, and a growing kindliness. I felt
then, and feel more strongly now, that kindness cannot grow out of
merely aggressive patriotism.
TURKEY.
It seems plain that in France, Germany and Great Britain there has been
an honest, if not always a very sympathetic attempt to treat prisoners
decently. But we hear little about the condition of prisoners elsewhere.
It is curious to note how, in spite of all the horror perpetrated
repeatedly by Turkish authorities in times, not of war, but of peace,
British feeling is never very indignant against the Turk; and how
prisoners of war are faring in Turkey we scarcely know. Not till July,
1917, does there seem to have been any definite application for the
inspection of Turkish internment camps. On July 18, 1917, an
announcement appeared in the Press to the effect that, in response to a
request from the British Government, the International Committee of the
Red Cross at Geneva had applied to the Turkish Government for the
necessary permission.
Yet here, as in all war matters, we come upon “reprisals.” The following
is a cutting from the _Daily News_ of July 20, 1917:
Mr. James Hope, for the Foreign Office, stated in the Commons
yesterday that five British officers had been for over three
months imprisoned in Constantinople as a reprisal for the
alleged imprisonment of Turkish officers in Egypt. The United
States Ambassador was requested on April 25 to explain to the
Porte by telegram that only one of the five Turkish officers in
Egypt had been under arrest, and that for attempted escape. He
regretted to say that one of the five British officers had died.
They had just received a message from the Danish Minister at
Constantinople stating that the four surviving officers returned
to camp on July 4.
Statements about _enemy_ reprisals are usually less frank than this. The
neutral observer has usually to watch each side describing its most
drastic actions as reprisals upon the other for similar deeds.
SERBIA.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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