Reports on British prison-camps in India and Burma, visited by the International Red Cross Committee in February, March and April, 1917

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Red Cross. International
Committee, Geneva

Reports on British
prison-camps in India
and Burma

REPORTS ON

BRITISH PRISON-CAMPS

IN

INDIA AND BURMA

VISITED BY

THE INTERNATIONAL RB! CRO: S
COMMITTEE

IN

FEBRUARY, MARCH AND APRIL
1917

T. FISHER UN WIN LTD.

LONDON : ADELPHI TERRACE

1917

PRICE THREE PENCE

REPORTS ON

BRITISH PRISON-CAMPS

IN

INDIA AND BURMA

VISITED BY

THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS
COMMITTEE

IN

FEBRUARY, MARCH AND APRIL
1917

T. FISHER U N W I N LTD.

LONDON : ADELPHI TERRACE

1917

D

" JUL2G
\\ to..

INTRODUCTION

EARLY this year the British camps in India and
Burma for Turkish prisoners of war and civil
residents in the Indian Empire of enemy
nationality were visited by three accredited repre-
sentatives of the International Committee of the Red
Cross at Geneva. These three gentlemen — Messieurs
F. Thormeyer, Em. Schoch and Dr. F. Blanched—
spent over three months on their commission, landing
at Bombay on February i2th and sailing from
Colombo on May 2Oth.

The conclusions they reached are presented in an
article by M. Thormeyer and an official report
addressed by them jointly to the International
Committee.

The report is nearly a hundred pages long, and
gives a systematic account of each camp visited
under a number of heads : — Altitude and climate ;
number and category of prisoners ; number of staff,
with names of responsible officers ; specifications of
housing and sleeping accommodation ; exercise ;
rations ; clothing ; hygiene ; washing ; lighting ;
water supply, sanitary arrangements and disinfec-
tion ; medical attendance ; hospitals (with specifica-
tions as above) ; discipline ; amusements ; postal
correspondence and censorship ; parcels ; remit-

4 Introduction

tances ; relief of destitution ; previous inspection by
neutral representatives ; mosques, churches and
religious services. The different sections are supple-
mented by statistical tables, and the same detailed
treatment is given to all the ten camps of the kind
which have been established in British Indian terri-
tory: the camp at Sumerpur, for Christian and
Mohammedan prisoners of war from the Turkish
army (mostly of non-Turkish race) ; the camp at
Ahmednagar, for interned civilians; the camp at
Belgaum, for women and children of enemy
nationality; the camp at Bellary, for Turkish
prisoners of war; the depot camp at Calcutta; the
camp for interned civilians at Katapahar ; the camp
at Thayetmyo, in Burma, for Turkish prisoners of
war (mostly of Turkish race) ; the camp for con-
valescents at Shwebo ; the new camp at Meiktila ;
and the quarantine camp at Rangoon.

Many of the facts given in this report are of an
almost purely technical interest, and the translation
and publication of the whole would be a considerable
task. On the other hand, the general impressions
of the three Commissioners are of great interest, and
there are a number of special observations in the
body of the report which deserve publication in a
more accessible form.

Accordingly a translation is here given of
M. Thormeyer's article practically as it stands, with a
few omissions for the sake of greater brevity. And
short extracts are added from the full report, where

Introduction 5

the latter seems to add materially to M. Thormeyer's
description.

In making extracts there is always a danger of
producing a one-sided impression, but care has been
taken here to select unfavourable as well as
favourable judgments of the Commissioners, as far
as possible in the proportion in which they stand to
each other in the original.

CONTENTS

I. ARTICLE BY M. THORMEYER, ONE OF THE

THREE RED CROSS COMMISSIONERS ... /

II. EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT OF THE THREE
COMMISSIONERS TO THE INTERNATIONAL
RED CROSS COMMITTEE AT GENEVA

1. Camp at Sumerpur (Rajputana) ... 18

2. Camp at Ahmednagar (Bombay Presi-

dency) 25

3. Camp at Belgaum (Bombay Presidency) 35

4. Camp at Bellary (Bombay Presidency) ... 40

5. Depot Camp at Calcutta ... ... 44

6. Camp at Katapahar (in the hills near

Darjeeling) ... 45

7. Camp at Thayetmyo (Burma) ... 47

8. Camp for Convalescents at Shwebo

(Burma) 57

9. New Camp at Meiktila (Burma) ... ... 58

10. Quarantine Camp at Rangoon (Burma) ... 59

1 1 . Conclusions . . 6 1

BRITISH PRISON-CAMPS IN
INDIA AND BURMA

i

Article by M. F. Thormcycr, one of the three
Red Cross Commissioners

. . . Since the beginning of the war the Inter-
national Committee of the Red Cross of Geneva has
concentrated a great deal of its energy on dealing
with that very important and painful matter — the lot
of prisoners of war. The Prisoners of War Agency
instituted at Geneva has been at work for almost
three years, rendering invaluable aid to prisoners
and their families. . . .

The International Committee has also organised
visits of inspection to prisoners' camps in the
belligerent countries. The Governments of the
various countries have recognised the importance of
such visits, which, being undertaken by competent
and impartial persons, have, as a result of first-hand
investigations, yielded exact information on a subject
that is treated in the press and elsewhere with more
feeling than justice. . . .

During the early months of 1917 the International
Committee sent a delegation to the prisoner-of-war
camps in Egypt, India and Burma. The report on
Egyptian camps made by this delegation has been
published at Geneva, and that on Indian camps will
soon be issued. It will certainly be read with interest
in this country (Switzerland) as well as in England,

8 British Prison^Camps

While awaiting its publication we are able to give some
information about this expedition and its results,
which will no doubt be welcomed by our readers.

The Swiss Mission consisted of MM. Dr. F.
Blanchod, F. Thormeyer and E. Schoch. The first
of these had already visited the German prisoners in
Morocco and French prisoners in Germany. M.
Thormeyer had been to the camps in Germany,
Russia, Siberia and Turkestan. These earlier expe-
ditions enabled the delegates to set up standards for
comparing the treatment accorded to prisoners in
the different countries. The mission arrived in
Egypt at the end of December, 1915, and visited the
camps at Maadi, Sidi-Bisch and Bilbeis, the intern-
ment premises in the Cairo Citadel, and the hospitals
and internment camp for German civilian prisoners at
Ras-el-Tin. As the Report on the Egyptian camps
is already in print, we refer our readers to it. ...

MM. Blanchod, Schoch and Thormeyer reached
Bombay on February 12. ...

The Indian Government received them with the
greatest courtesy, treated them as distinguished
guests throughout their stay, and afforded them all
possible facilities for fulfilling their mission. The
Viceroy of India offered them hospitality and showed
how deeply interested he was in the purpose of their
expedition. While at Delhi, the delegates were put
in touch with the civil and military authorities and
most kindly welcomed by them. So that they should
travel more comfortably in a strange country, a very
distinguished English officer was attached to them.
Thanks to his knowledge of India, and especially of
means of communication and of local customs, he was

in India and Burma 9

able to relieve them of all the worries and anxieties
which might have made their task a difficult one.

The delegates were subjected to no restrictions
during their camp inspections. They had free access
to all camps and places of internment — a privilege
not granted them elsewhere : and full liberty to ques-
tion the prisoners privately, examine registers and
reports, and return several times to the same camp
to receive petitions and complaints. The British
authorities recognised that the purpose of these visits
was to obtain all possible improvements in the con-
ditions in which the prisoners lived, asked the dele-
gates to communicate to them all their observations,
and gave serious consideration to whatever was
suggested. In India, prisoner-of-war camps come
into the sphere of the military authorities, while those
for interrfed civilians are controlled by the civil
Governments of the Presidencies in which they are
respectively situated.

The first camp visited by the Swiss Mission was
that at Sumerpur, which contains some thousands of
Turkish prisoners. After leaving Eninpura station,
one crosses a large plain bordered by rocky hills
and intersected by a river which dries up during the
hot season. A barbed-wire fence surrounds a huge
quadrangle, in which the huts occupied by the Turks
and the administrative buildings are arranged in
several parallel rows. It is a small town with wide
streets, buildings of one type, its own lighting, water,
and drainage syste'ms, a provision market, a postal
service, etc. The general impression it leaves is a
strange one: no women or children are to be seen,
only men clad in more or less fancy uniforms, spend-

ro British Prison^Camps

ing their days in idleness. Except at meal times,
when a crowd flocks round the kitchens and messing
places, little animation is apparent. Seated under
the verandahs running round each hut, groups of
prisoners play with dice or dominoes, or converse
while drinking cup after cup of Turkish coffee. The
news given in the English papers, politics, or camp
tittle-tattle forms the subject of discussion. The
many nationalities of which the Turkish army is com-
posed form separate groups, which are not particu-
larly well disposed towards one another.

The arrival of the delegates was a great event
amid the monotony of camp life. These gentlemen
visited the huts, counted the sleeping mats and
blankets, inspected the lavatories, baths and latrines ;
went to the kitchens to check the rations and to
the canteens to learn prices ; tasted the water, bread,
meat and coffee ; stopped a long time in the post
offices, and passed some hours in the infirmaries and
hospital. The prisoners were then drawn up by
sections. Every section contained men who had
some knowledge of a language other than Turkish
—French, English, German, or even Russian.
These acted as spokesmen for theiv comrades. Each
camp has its' interpreter's, but wherever possible
prisoners are communicated with directly. The
delegates, standing in the blazing sunshine, listened
to complaints and requests, took notes, made
counter-inquiries, and wrote dowp names, dates and
addresses. With the help of their improvised drago-
mans, they questioned a great number of soldiers.
This procedure was repeated for each section. The
more important cases were summoned to the camp

in India and Burma 1 1

office and examined at greater leisure. Complaints
were then classified under headings and discussed
with the camp authorities. It requires much practice
and discrimination to pick out such complaints as
have any solid foundation. A prisoner, in whatever
country he may be, complains because he suffers.
The loss of freedom upsets his sense of proportion.
A porter from Constantinople or a fisherman from
the Black Sea coast, though he draws every day
the same rations as a British soldier, manages to
complain about his food. In districts where mutton
is the staple meat, beef is asked for; where beef is
the rule, everybody wants mutton. Bitter complaints
were made about correspondence. " I get no news
of my family," is a phrase that one heard constantly.
The prisoner who got no letters assumed that the
postal service was at fault. Others were worried
about the trade they had lost, their ruined businesses,
their lands going to waste. Each one had his
troubles. It was a trial to the delegates themselves
to listen to all these tales of woe, which they could
not alleviate, and to have nothing to offer but a
few words of comfort and encouragement.

Their chief task was to make sure that the treat-
ment accorded to the prisoners of war conformed
with international regulations, and that rules laid
down regarding housing, hygiene, clothing, food,
work, medical attention, correspondence, etc., were
conscientiously observed. Their investigations
were concerned chiefly with the general conditions
of the prisoners in each camp. Hospital registers
were consulted carefully, as being the surest means
of gauging the effect of the climate on the prisoners'

12 British Prison-Camps

health. Generally speaking, prisoners always found
the climate of the place in which they were interned
horrible. Here the heat was complained of, there the
damp, there the dryness, somewhere else the rain ; and
so on. As the prisoners' camps were in all cases in
cantonments selected for British troops, and the
disease and death rates among prisoners were no
higher than those of British soldiers — and invariably
lower than those of the native population — one
naturally concluded that the Indian climate, though
enervating and exhausting in the long run, did not
have bad effects on the general health of the prisoners.

During the journey — often a long one — from one
camp to another, the delegates classified their notes,
drew up their reports and conducted correspondence
about their work. Leaving Sumerpur, they pro-
ceeded to Ahmednagar, a large concentration camp
for interned German and Austrian civilians. The
two other civilian camps, at Belgaum in the south
and Katapahar in the north, were also visited.

It was impossible not to feel genuinely sorry for the
interned civilians. Most of them had been several
years in India, engaged in business, managing
prosperous commercial firms or enjoying well-paid
employment. They had become used to the free,
comfortable Indian life ; several had married English
wives ; and some were, or believed themselves to be,
naturalised. To have to leave their pretty bungalows
for the internment camp, give up business, see their
future compromised and their interests endangered,
was truly hard to endure ; and explains the com-
plaints which they insisted on getting through to
their native countries. It was all very well to remind

in India and Burma 13

them that the same state of things prevailed in all
belligerent countries and that the evils of war affected
hundreds of thousands of men more terribly; — their
reply was that other people's sufferings did not make
their own any the easier to bear.

The internment of civilians is one of the measures
enforced by warfare. It would be unjust to add
unnecessary harshness to what is a stern necessity.
The British Government makes a point of reducing
the inconveniencies of internment to a minimum by
allowing all ameliorations that are consistent with
the rules. Although few of the interned frankly
recognised that their treatment is as good as circum-
stances permit, a thorough investigation showed that
conditions of housing, hygiene, and food were excel-
lent; that means of occupying and amusing the
prisoners were well thought out; that the interned
were treated with the greatest kindness; and that
such complaints as there were related in most cases
to matters over which the camp commandants had
no control. It was a real satisfaction to delegates
who had visited concentration camps in some other
countries to see clean, spacious and convenient
quarters, provided with bathrooms, to visit kitchens
both well ordered and plentifully equipped, to find
concert and lecture halls and a theatre, to watch
games of tennis and football, gymnastic exercises
and fencing, and, above all, to be able to convince
themselves de visu that the appearance and bearing
of the interned argued good treatment.

At Belgaum, where the internees' families are
settled, every quarters had the appearance of a com-
fortably furnished family home. Pretty furniture,

H British PrisoivCamps

carpets, pictures, books and pianos, with which the
interned were allowed to provide themselves, gave
the impression of home life. Internees free to take
walks in the surrounding country seemed like visitors
on holiday rather than enemy subjects in captivity.
An English school received children tree. The
interned were even allowed to run a school at their own
expense under a German mistress. In this place, too,
there was grumbling: — the sums allotted were too
small, private affairs were conducted on sufferance,
news came too seldom, etc. Visiting the bazar was
forbidden for reasons of health : so of course every-
body wished to go to it. At the bottom of all these
complaints were the usual miseries of human exist-
ence, aggravated by boredom and the loss of liberty.

When one thinks of all the difficulties which the
Government has to face in accommodating and
guarding interned civilians, one realises that the
exchange of the last would be a real relief to the
authorities, if the problem were not beset by insur-
mountable difficulties. However, it is certain that
a good number of the interned wish to stay in India,
and regard a return to their native country as the
greatest disaster that could happen to them.

After spending two months on visiting the Indian
camps, the Swiss delegates left for Burma. Some
important camps had been formed there specially for
Turkish prisoners sent from Mesopotamia. For several
months past their number had increased considerably.

To transport prisoners so great a distance
demanded very careful organisation. Specially
equipped boats take convoys from Busra to Kurachi,
whence they are carried by rail to Calcutta. A depot

in India and Burma 15

camp in this town receives the prisoners for several
days, during which they undergo a medical inspec-
tion, additional to those made at the point of
embarkation. A steamer then transfers them to
Rangoon. On their arrival at that port they are
inspected again. The sick and suspected cases are
detained in a special hospital; the other prisoners
are put aboard large lighters towed by steamers of
the I. N. C. The small flotilla ascends the Irra-
waddy. According to the situation of the camp the
convoys reach it directly by boat or complete the
journey to it by rail.

Thayetmyo is a large camp on the right bank of the
Irrawaddy. The splendid mango trees, which give
the place its name, shelter many pagodas whose white
spires rise above the dark foliage. The high banks
command the great spread of river, which at low water
exposes some sandy islands. In the distance a chain
of blue-tinted mountains bounds the horizon.

On the day of their arrival the delegates were
present at a gymkhana organised by the Turkish
prisoners, and held on a huge rectangle of turf sur-
rounded by fine trees. On one side was a marquee
for notabilities — the camp authorities, Turkish
officers, people invited from the town, and even some
ladies. The Turkish soldiers crowding round the
other three sides formed a living hedge. Races,
jumping and boxing events and various other sports
drew applause or laughter from the crowd. The
winners came before the judging committee and
received prizes in money from the Turkish Colonel

S . The prisoners, taken out of themselves by

the physical exercise and encouraged by the cheer-

16 British Prison^Gamps

ing, lost the lazy and tired look which is often pro-
duced by idleness. They were stoutly built fellows
with a soldierly bearing, keen eyes and lissom and
proud carriage. The sports were to last three even-
ings, but the delegates, to their great regret, could
be present at only one meeting, since all their time
was taken up with work.

The population of the camp was a mixed one.
Even among the officers very different elements
could be distinguished. The delegates noticed here,
as in other countries, that the higher their rank the
more moderate are the officers in their opinions, and
the better do they appreciate the real kindness with
which they are treated. Some of the younger officers,
whose education had obviously been neglected,
made bitter and violent complaints. But the great
majority expressed themselves as satisfied.

The soldiers were unanimous in asserting that they
are well treated. But since the opportunity of laying
their little troubles before the Red Cross delegates
was too precious to be wasted, they made use of it,
and long sessions were spent on listening to
grievances, among which the money question took
first place. Still, their stories showed no ill-feeling
towards their guards. They had suffered in the war
and been separated from their families, while their
business had gone to the dogs ; but that was fate and
nobody's fault. Their Oriental fatalism keeps them
from becoming uselessly excited.

The regrettable idleness of the camps affects them
hardly at all. If given work, they perform it obediently
with an eye to earning a little money ; nevertheless,
they prefer to spend their days in their own way.

in India and Burma 17

The camp authorities have allotted them a build-
ing to serve as mosque, and imams come to hold
services. There is little religious keenness, and
many of the men are indifferent.

Speaking generally, the behaviour of the Turkish
prisoners is good, and serious offences are rare.
There is a noticeable increase in the breaking of
disciplinary rules whenever new elements from the
front come to camp. But after a few days these
newcomers fall into line. Punishment is meted out
with the strictest justice and all possible humanity ;
and the delegates received no complaints as to
prisoners being brutally or violently handled. ...

The most lasting impression left on the delegates'
memory sums up the many exhaustive observations
made during their visit to the prisoners' camps. The
delegates are of the opinion that the British are
to-day treating their prisoners as if they were to be
their friends in the more or less near future. The
care lavished on their welfare, the constant desire to
improve their lot, and the absence of useless annoy-
ances are the factors in a treatment which conforms
with the principles of humanity and civilisation and
does honour to the British race. Furthermore, this
is a wise line of action to take, since barbarity and
cruelty exercised over long periods create an impas-
sable gulf between belligerents, and, while outraging
humanity, constitute a grievous political error. . . .

1 8 British Prison-Camps

II

Extracts from the Report of the Three Com-
missioners to the International Red Cross
Committee at Geneva

I. CAMP AT SUMERPUR (RAJPUTANA)

Visited 3-4 Afarch, 1917- Contained 3,366
Turkish prisoners of war, mostly Moslems, among
whom Mesopotamian Arabs predominated.

... In the Sumerpur Camp are two muftis and two
judges who act as priests (imams), but do not mix
with the officers. Almost all civilians are liable to
military service, the only exceptions being governors,
judges, heads of religion and some of the higher
officials, members of the Parquet. . . .

Food. The feeding arrangements at Sumerpur
Camp are based on the principle — which we found
to be a very good one — of entrusting the prisoners
with the preparation of their own meals. Especially
in the East, where matters relating to food have in
almost all cases a religious significance, this pro-
cedure has the double advantage of pleasing the
prisoners and relieving the camp authorities of many
complaints and difficulties. We consider that this
method, which shows a practical broad-mindedness,
should be adopted in all prisoner camps. The fol-
lowing incident will serve as an example of the
scrupulous care taken by the British to avoid any-
thing that might offend the religious susceptibilities

in India and Burma 19

of other races. As Sumerpur Camp is situated in
Rajputana, an independent Hindoo state wherein
cows and oxen are regarded as sacred animals, beef
is never allowed to appear on the table of the
commandant and camp officials.

Every morning the section sergeants and men on
fatigue duty go to the hall where rations are drawn.
This is a very well constructed circular building,
surrounded by arcades with walls about four feet
high. Inside is a corridor containing scales. The
provisions are brought from an adjoining store and
placed on a stone table which is keep scrupulously
clean. The rations, apportioned according to a scale
posted in the place and to the number of men in a
section, are delivered to the orderlies and taken by
them to the section kitchens, to be prepared there
by cooks elected by the prisoners themselves.

The following table shows the prisoners' daily
individual rations:—

Wheat meal (atta) 453-6 gr. (i Ib.)

Rice 226.8 „ (i Ib.)

Lentils (dall) 85.0 „

Melted butter (ghee) 28.35,,

Vegetables ... ... 226.8 „ (-*- Ib.)

Potatoes (instead of vegetables) 1134 ,, (^ Ib.)

Onions ... ... ... ... 56.70,, (2 oz.)

Salt 23.27 „

Sugar 3i-03»

Tea 7.75,,

Firewood ... ... 1360.0 „ (3 Ibs.)

Meat (goat) 186.18,,

Seasoning (turmeric) ... ... 4.0 „

20 British Prison-Camps

All these provisions are supplied by native con-
tractors and inspected for appearance, quality and
quantity by the British authorities. We were able
to satisfy ourselves that the materials delivered for
the prisoners' use are of first-class quality. What is
more, in the course of an enquiry among the
prisoners, we received no complaints about food. . . .

In addition to food rations, each prisoner receives
one pound of soap monthly, and 40 cigarettes and
two boxes of matches weekly. It is interesting to
note that, in the case of some articles, the prisoners'
rations are larger than those of the British soldiers of
the guard. . . .

We received no complaints with regard to cloth-
ing. As a concession to Eastern customs the
prisoners are allowed great latitude in their dress
and headgear. At Sunday morning parade we
noticed the greatest possible variety in the men's
apparel: — military tunics, civilian waistcoats,
smocks, long cotton robes, Turkish frock-coats,
fezzes, turbans, caps, slouch hats, embroidered skull-
caps, etc. Every prisoner has a small tin identity
disc, but it need not be worn on the clothes, and most
of the prisoners carry it in a pocket. The footwear
preferred by prisoners is the Eastern slipper. To
sum up, the prisoners' clothing is ample, clean,
comfortable and suited to their tastes.

Medical attention. The camp medical service is
in the hands of Captain Wadia, an Indian doctor,
who qualified at Saint Bartholomew's Hospital,
London. He is assisted by two native doctors,
health officers with the right to practise medicine in
India but not in England. . . .

in India and Burma 21

The doctor-captain speaks Arabic and Persian.
Two Armenians acting as interpreters speak
French, English and Arabic. At the present time
there is under discussion the possibility of procuring
a camp dentist from Bombay, half the cost being
borne by the British authorities and half by the
civilian prisoners who require his services. . . .

All the equipment is kept in very good order : A
surgeon's chest, an optician's chest, a chest for for-
ceps, and sterilising apparatus. A microscope is
employed continually on making analyses. There
is a plentiful supply of medicines. The hospital was
opened in July, 1915, at the same time as the camp.
The general health of the camp may be regarded as
good, considering that many of the prisoners arrive
in a very weak state, greatly exhausted by the
Mesopotamia campaigns. . . .

All the men were inoculated, like the British and
native soldiers, against cholera and smallpox, but not
against typhoid, since no case of that disease has
been identified among the prisoners in the camp. . . .

Death rate. In addition to the 13 cases men-
tioned above there were in 1916 31 deaths from
non-epidemic diseases, making a total of 44 deaths
for 1916, or a death rate of exactly i per cent. A
comparison with the rates verified by us in prisoner
camps of various belligerent countries shows that the
mortality is very low at Sumerpur.

To complete the figures we will add that there
were 16 deaths during the six months of 1915. The
deceased prisoners were buried according to the rites
of their religion. . . .

Discipline. The attitude of the commandant and

22 British Prisori'Camps

officers of the guard towards the prisoners seemed to
us to be excellent. The prisoners are guarded by
40 British and 225 Indian soldiers. We received
no complaints about treatment from any of the many
prisoners to whom we spoke through the medium of
an interpreter. All expressed themselves as well
satisfied with their food, quarters and treatment. No
cases of bodily violence or brutality were brought to
our notice. . . .

Disciplinary 'punishment. The following regu-
lations apply to all camps for prisoners in India.
The camp commandant alone has the right to inflict
any kind of punishment. No prisoner may be
punished without first being informed of the charge
brought against him and being allowed to make his
defence. The commandant may commit to cells
for a period not exceeding 14 days. While in con-
finement the prisoner is on the reduced scale of
rations, No. 2. But no prisoner may be sent to the
cells or be put on reduced rations for more than
24 hours without the express sanction of the camp
medical officer.

Imprisonment is in the camp cells. A prisoner
who has been confined for 14 days may not be sent
back to the cells until 7 days have elapsed. Prisoners
in the cells may be given permission to work ; and
are allowed to take walking exercise for at l&ast two
hours daily.

As light punishments the commandant may forbid
prisoners to smoke or take part in camp amusements,
withhold money from them, give them the hardest
fatigue duties, and restrict the receiving or sending
of letters.

in India and Burma 23

Quarrels, theft and the sale of things provided by
the administration are the most usual causes of
punishment. There has been no attempt to escape
from camp. . . .

Religion and recreation. The prisoners are quite
free to practise their religion, and have a small
mosque in which imams read the Koran. Occa-
sionally a French monk comes to the camp to cele-
brate mass for the Christians.

The Armenian Bishop of Cairo, Mgr. Thorgom
Koushaguian, visited the camp on Christmas Day,
1916. Music and singing are allowed. The
Armenians lately sent home had got together quite
a good orchestra.

All kind of games are permitted. Orientals prefer
backgammon, dominoes and card games to sports.
Most of the prisoners are illiterate. Some of the
better educated civilians read to them from the
Koran and the papers.

Correspondence; money orders. The average
monthly total value of money orders is 2,000 rupees
(i rupee _ fr. 1.65). Most of these orders come from
Mesopotamia, being but a very short time in trans-
mission, while those sent through the Turkish Red
Cross are two months on the way. A prisoner may
have all the money sent him in one sum ; and some
civilians have received as much as 500 rupees at a
time. No deductions are made. The amounts are
paid at the official rate of exchange. Prisoners sign
receipts, which are sent to Turkey. Illiterates make
a thumb-mark on the receipt. Anyone who does not
wish to have all the money at once has an account
opened in his name, showing deposits, drawings and
receipts.

24 British Prison^Camps

Parcels. On the average, about fifteen parcels
arrive weekly from Mesopotamia, and about as many
from Europe through the Prisoners-of-War Inter-
national Agency of the Red Cross at Geneva. As
a rule they reach the camp in good condition : only
those from Mesopotamia are opened before delivery.
Alcohol, ether, scents and newspapers are forbidden.

Letters and postcards. Prisoners may write one
letter per week, in any language and of any length.
Letters are censored by the interpreter in the camp
itself. Prisoners are also allowed to send postcards,
but avail themselves less of this means of
correspondence.

The authorities supply notepaper and envelopes
free of cost. . . .

About 50 per cent, of the prisoners have had news
of their families since reaching camp, although news
usually comes only at long intervals. Prisoners
taken at Mardin* (Mesopotamia) have heard nothing
of their families and assert that the latter have all
been massacred by the Turks. . . .

We did not consider it necessary to distribute
relief, though at the commandant's suggestion we
made two exceptions. The first was a civilian
prisoner, an Armenian journalist from Egypt, quite
destitute, to whom we sent 50 rupees ; the second, a
blind old man from Basrah, to whom we sent
20 rupees.

* The Commissioners evidently misunderstood their inform-
ants, who were Armenian inhabitants of Mardin, but were
not made prisoners there. Mardin lies in N. Mesopotamia,
far behind the present Turkish front. The Armenian popula-
tion was massacred in 1915.

in India and Burma 25

2. CAMP AT AHMEDNAGAR (BOMBAY
PRESIDENCY)

Visited 7 March, 1917- Contained 1,621
persons, of whom 4.52 were military (apparently
including captured crews of German ships), the
rest civilians. The camp was divided into three
separate sections, A and B (to which prisoners were
assigned according to social class), and C for those
who had given their parole.

. . . Housing. The internment camp at Ahmed-
nagar comprises a large number of buildings, some
of which had already been used as quarters for
troops, while the rest were erected specially for the
internees. In Camp C, the parole camp, the interned
are housed in three large dressed stone buildings,
with wide verandahs. Four officers have to them-
selves a pretty bungalow, surrounded by greenery
and flowers. In Camp B, the usual form of hutment
is a building measuring 150 by 60 feet, sub-divided
into a central hall and several smaller chambers.
Right round it the roof projects about 26 feet, form-
ing a verandah, supported by columns. The roof is
usually of corrugated iron covered with tiles, which
are an excellent and cheap protection against heat.
In a few of the huts corrugated iron has been used
for the inside division walls, but the experiment has
apparently not been very successful. All rooms have
large bays, and the open space left between the
two slopes of the roof ensures constant ventila-

26 British Prison-Camps

tion. Moreover, the climate makes it possible to
keep all doors wide open. The 150 by 60 feet huts
accommodate 43 men each. In the other quarters
also the space is amply sufficient. The internees
as a rule have a lot of baggage, and the piles of
boxes, trunks and valises make many of the rooms
seem crowded.

All inhabited quarters have the earth covered with
a paving of squared stones. The only exceptions
are two small rooms in a building formerly used as a
store, in which the hard earth floor has not yet been
replaced by one of stone. All walls are whitewashed.
The buildings are excellently cared for, and spaced
well apart. A number of fine trees afford shade here
and there, while the recently made plantations and
the many cultivated gardens near the huts show a
wish to enliven the appearance of the camp: Some
buildings were covered with climbing plants in full
bloom.

Under the heading of furniture, the administration
provides each internee with a bed, a table and a
wooden arm chair. The interned are given all
facilities for adding cupboards, shelves, easy chairs
and anything else they may want, by ordering them
from fellow countrymen in the camp who do joinery
and upholstery.

The camp is lit by oil lamps at the cost of the
administration. Inmates who wish to have additional
lamps may obtain them by payment. " Lights out"
is at 10.30 p.m.

To complete this description of the housing
accommodation we will add that the interned have
full liberty to decorate their rooms with pictures,

in India and Burma

27

photographs, portraits of their sovereign and the
German Generals, and with flags and patriotic
emblems. . . .

The following is the official list of daily rations
per man, for both interned people and the British
troops on duty at the camp.

Bread

Meat

Potatoes

Vegetables

New milk

Tea

Sugar

Salt

Pepper

Rice

Butter

INTERNED.

453.6 gr. (i Ib.
340.2 „

226.8 „

225.1 „

113.4 »

14.17,,

56.7° »

H-1?,,

.4 „

56.70 „

28.35 „

Ib.)

BRITISH TROOPS.

453-6 gr. (i Ib.)

453.6 „ (I Ib.)

340.2 „
113-4 „

5.67 „

For variety, 28.35 gr- °f coffee are supplied
instead of 14.17 gr. of tea, and 28.35 gr- °f lentils in
place of rice.

Most of the kitchens are staffed by 54 men, and
are in separate buildings provided with all the neces-
sary equipment. The head cook has had all open-
ings in the kitchens covered with movable metal
gauze to prevent contamination by flies, but often
encounters the deliberate negligence of the internees,
who will not recognise the importance to health of
this precaution. Many of the kitchens have adjoining
bakeries, which provide all kinds of cakes and
dainties for payment. These bakeries are private

28 British Prisons-Camps

ventures controlled by the administration with a
strict eye to health. Work in the kitchens is per-
formed by volunteers from among the interned, who
are in this way enabled to earn good pay. Some of
them are professional cooks. In each camp a com1
mittee elected by the prisoners themselves is given
charge of the kitchens and of arranging bills of fare.

Rations are distributed at the following hours :—

8 a.m. Breakfast. Coffee or tea ; rice ; bread
and butter.

12 noon. Lunch. Soup; meat; vegetables.

5 p.m. Supper. Soup ; meat ; vegetables.

We were present at the mid-day distribution and
satisfied ourselves that the rations were ample and
of good quality. Each man has his own spoon, fork,
etc. Meat is provided every day. . . .

The pastrycooks in each section sell sweets and
cakes. All other provisions can be bought at the
section canteens, which are well stocked with all
kinds of goods sold at prices fixed by the authorities
and displayed on the premises. We were given a
price-list of all articles sold. All the milk brought to
camp comes from a Government depot in the charge
of the head doctor and controlled by the cantonment
magistrate. It is of exactly the same quality as that
provided to British troops and Europeans living in
the neighbourhood. It is sterilised in the presence
and under the direction of a skilled British overseer,
and then placed in sealed vessels and delivered by a
British employee to the head cook at each kitchen.
This procedure prevents any possibility of it being
contaminated or adulterated. . . .

Hygiene. An abundant supply c^ running water

in India and Burma 29

is delivered under pressure from a well 15^ miles
from the camp. Every house is provided with taps.
For safety's sake the water was boiled before being
used, until a few months ago: now it is chlorinised
and then dechlorinised chemically. The water is
cold and non-laxative. The camp contains 130
douches, one for every ten prisoners. Washing
water is discharged into a river some distance from
the camp. Prisoners receive 3 Ibs. of. wood daily
for heating water. . . .

Medical attendance. The camp medical service
is under Lieut-Col. Molesworth, who is assisted by
two British captains and a doctor qualified to prac-
tise in India. Besides these, there are six British
military doctors in the Ahmednagar cantonment who
are called in to the prisoners if needed. Nineteen
German orderlies are distributed among the three
camp infirmaries and the hospital.

The camp contains three young German doctors
who do nothing in the way of attending to their
fellow-countrymen. We were astonished at this and
questioned the doctors. We discovered that they
demand the same freedom as is enjoyed by the
British doctors, in return for their services. Since
this request could not be granted, Lieut.-Col. Moles-
worth dispensed with their services and forbade them
to enter the hospital. . . .

The hospital is fitted up in accordance with
modern requirements. Four wards are kept for the
prisoners and a fifth will be equipped for the more
comfortable accommodation of sick officers. The
operating theatre contains the latest patterns of
sterilish;^ stoves and instruments. The analytical

30 British Prison-Camps

laboratory, used chiefly for examining the blood ol
malaria, the stools of dysenteric and the sputa of
tuberculous patients, is equally well equipped.
Dressings and medicines are imported from England
and ordered from the central depot at Bombay.
Hospital patients have good beds with spring mat-
tresses and mosquito curtains. Cases are classified
according to complaint, and special orderlies and
material are allotted to each category.

Death rate. The climate at Ahmednagar is one
of the healthiest in India. The camp lies high.
Coming from Bombay, the train passes through
tunnels and over viaducts to reach the top of the
Ghats which command the western coast of India.
We took particulars of the highest and lowest
temperatures for the year 1916. . . .

In July, as the plague in its epidemic form had
been identified in the town of Ahmednagar, the head
doctor issued a notice, inviting all prisoners to be
inoculated at the dispensary against this disease. No
prisoner would be treated, so a circular was dis-
tributed giving details of the precautions to be taken
against the bodies of dead rats. Soon afterwards the
case of plague referred to above [in a passage not
given here] occurred in Camp B. That camp was
immediately cleared and its occupants were trans-
ferred for a fortnight to tents in Ahmednagar fort.
As soon as the camp had been disinfected, the floors
fired, the walls scraped and re-whitewashed, the
furniture treated with cresol and all rat-holes
stopped, the prisoners returned to their quarters.

Some meetings held to impress upon the prisoners
the need of preventive inoculation resulted in 854

in India and Burma 31

prisoners allowing themselves to be vaccinated ; the
rest refused. The epidemic plague was fortunately
limited to a single case. . . .

Work. The prisoners at Ahmednagar are not
forced by the authorities to do any work at all. All
the men who follow an occupation do so of their own
freewill and receive payment. A kind of arrange-
ment has been come to between the poor prisoners
and their well-to-do comrades by which the latter
give them work.

The camp authorities on their part take pains to
afford craftsmen an opportunity of pursuing their
trades by getting them orders from the people of the
neighbourhood. Payment for orders executed is
made through the camp accountant, who opens a
special account for each workman and pays him the
money in regulation instalments. We looked this
register through and observed that quite respectable
sums had been earned in this way by the prisoners.
Among the craftsmen noted by us were garage
mechanics, watchmakers, joiners, plumbers, frame-
makers, tailors, a gunsmith, a piano-tuner, painters,
photographers, etc. Every section has its hair-
dressers.

Discipline. The relations between the com-
mandant and officers and the prisoners seemed to
be very good. Everything possible is done to render
captivity less irksome, either by giving all the freedom
compatible with the demands of discipline, or by
avoiding anything that might cause offence. So far
as the necessary obligations of a life in common
permit, each prisoner occupies himself as he sees fit
and to suit his own tastes. Some of the men devote

32 British Prison^Camps

themselves to gymnastics and sports ; others culti-
vate a small garden ; others, again, read, write or
draw. Some spend their time in learning foreign
languages. In Camp A there are skilled workmen
who make all kinds of articles, some of them very
artistic. Last year there was an exhibition of all
these manufactures, most of which were purchased
by the prisoners themselves. . . .

Disciplinary punishments. The disciplinary
regulations are the same as those mentioned in con-
nection with Sumerpur Camp, and, in fact, are
identical in all Indian camps. The only modification
in this case is to allow a prisoner punished by having
his correspondence stopped, to inform his family of
the fact, and of the duration of the punishment. The
offences which have had to be punished are as
follows : Drunkenness — formerly very common, but
now reduced to one case a month on the average-
quarrelling, talking with prisoners on parole, using
invisible ink, theft, breaking into the canteen, etc.
Most of the misdemeanours occur in Camp A, which
contains many sailors and lower-class prisoners. . . .

Religious services. At Ahmednagar camp are
several Benedictine monks who were missionaries in
Northern India, as well as some Catholic priests and
Protestant pastors. They hold services alternately
in the premises of the Y.M.C.A.

Intellectual recreation. The prisoners have the
use of a large building, which acts as theatre, two
smaller theatre rooms, reading rooms with English
papers, a well equipped English library, and a billiard
room, which is open from 9 a.m. till 8.15 p.m.
Singing and music is permitted. There are two

in India and Burma 33

orchestras, and many of the prisoners devote them-
selves to music.

There are many dogs in the camp.

All kinds of games are allowed. There are tennis
and badminton courts. Card games, notably
" bridge," are in great favour among the prisoners.

Letters and postcards. Prisoners may write four
letters a month, two in German and two in English,
on a single sheet of paper measuring four by seven
inches. They must be in Roman characters. Any
number of postcards may be sent, but, as the cards
have very little printed matter on them, they are not
very popular. There are no restrictions as to the
number and length of postcards or of letters which
the prisoners may receive. . . .

Until August, 1916, the British Government
allowed the liquidators of German and Austrian
businesses in India, in course of being wound up,
to pay their employees and members 80-120 rupees
a month. Since then this permission has been with-
drawn, to the great annoyance of the persons inter-
ested, and as a result the number of people without
means has increased rapidly. It is expected that it
will be about 200 in March, and 300 later on. ...

In regard to the censoring of letters, which is
done in the camp, we think that possibly some
changes might advantageously be made. A single
censor and two helpers cannot comfortably handle
the correspondence of over 1,600 prisoners with
despatch and all the care required. Up to a certain
point we can sympathise with the strong complaints
brought by the director of an important German
bank against the way in which the censorship is con-

34 British PrisorvCamps

ducted by a very young officer, who perhaps lacks
the time and experience needed for a proper dis-
crimination in dealing with correspondence. Some
Germans who have been interned for nearly three
years demand to be repatriated at once, or at least
transferred to Dagshai, in the mountains north of
Simla, whither the convalescent prisoners are sent
in the hot season. Consul Ringger made a note of
these demands, also of requests for permission being
given to receive monthly sums from the liquidators
of businesses in course of liquidation. The matter
will be taken up with the Indian Government.

in India and Burma 35

3. CAMP AT BELGAUM (BOMBAY
PRESIDENCY)

Contained 214. interned German and Austrian
civilians.

. . . Situation. This camp is a short distance from
Belgaum town, which lies on the Southern Madras-
Mahratta Railway, at an altitude of about 2, 800 feet.
The place is considerably colder than Ahmednagar,
and is a sanatorium to which many people go for the
hot season.

Belgaum is a civilian camp. The British call it
the " family camp," as it is made up principally of
households including children — until March, 1916,
women and children only, about a hundred of whom
were sent home, lived there. Later, permission was
given to husbands interned in other camps to rejoin
their wives at Belgaum.

The camp commandant is Colonel M. A. Halliard
(on the retired list), assisted by Inspector Robinson,
of the Police. The camp has been visited twice by
the U.S. Consul at Calcutta.

The commandant seemed to us to treat his charges
very kindly — one might say in a fatherly manner.
The prisoners are not watched in any way : there are
no sentries. The garrison consists of British
soldiers. . . .

Housing. In the Alexandra section the prisoners
occupy two large stone and brick buildings, standing
on a plinth about 30 inches high. Round each
building runs a verandah 1 1 feet wide supported on
columns. A partition wall divides the building

36 British Prison^Camps

longitudinally, and the two parts are sub-divided into
separate rooms by other internal walls. The
verandah is also divided into sections by reed fences ;
so that each suite is a distinct unit made up of three,
four or even five rooms, according to the number of
its inmates. In front of the buildings runs a road
33 feet wide, on the further side of which are some
small brick buildings which contain the kitchen and
quarters for the native servants. Each suite has one
or two of these buildings allotted to it; besides a
bathroom. The larger families have two bathrooms.
All living quarters are tiled, well ventilated and
perfectly sanitary.

The authorities provide only indispensable furni-
ture, such as beds, tables and chairs ; but the
internees have availed themselves largely of the
permission to get for themselves whatever additional
furniture they may desire. Each suite is tastefully
and comfortably arranged, with pretty tables, chairs,
carpets, pictures, bookcases and, in some cases,
pianos. Green plants, flowers and small gardens
add to the pleasantness of these quarters, which their
occupants showed us with pride.

As far as accommodation is concerned, the folk
interned at Belgaum may be said to fare as well as
in a good hotel.

The Victoria section also is made up of perfectly
healthy and comfortable buildings, erected on well
shaded ground. The internees' messroom was
recently given up to the British troops, so a new
dining hall is being built for this part of the camp.

All these buildings had previously been used as
billets for British officers and married soldiers.

in India and Burma 37

In the camp we partook of the lunch which is
given to the interned, and found it ample in quantity,
well cooked and of good quality. The interned may
have as much as they like of any course. The refec-
tory consists of three large rooms close to the camp
office. Meals are nicely served, with a proper supply
of table linen, silver, etc.

Quite a large number of families prefer not to take
their meals at the mess. Some employ a native
cook, who is paid by them and prepares meals to
suit their tastes. In such cases the Government
rations are augmented by provisions bought in the
three camp stores, run by native shopkeepers. Other
prisoners order their meals from the mess steward
under an arrangement made with him. The extra
cooks which this system requires are paid by the
Government.

Children under three years of age receive 4 Ibs. of
milk daily: other children and adults the allowance
fixed for all camps alike. An extra payment of
2 rupees monthly per head is made for meals served
in quarters. . . .

Walks. The camp is unfenced and all the
interned are free to take walks whenever and wher-
ever they like ; though, for reasons already given,
the bazar and native quarter are out of bounds.
Internees must be back in camp by 10 p.m. In the
morning and evening there is a roll-call of men
only. . . .

Disciplinary punishments. Since the camp was
started (i March, 1915) no penalties or punishments
have had to be inflicted.

Correspondence. At the present time letters and

38 British Prison-Camps

postcards take about two months to reach Germany,
and there are complaints of their often being lost
en route. There is no restriction as to the number
or length of the letters that may be sent or received.
We saw some letters which ran into a dozen pages
of close writing. Postcards with printed information
are not used. On the average 30-40 letters and
12-15 postcards reach the camp weekly.

Money orders. Very few come from either
Germany or Austria. . . .

Religion and recreation. Until I March, 1916,
a Lutheran pastor interned at Ahmednagar used to
come to Belgaum regularly to conduct services for
the Protestants. He was then sent home with his
wife, and since his departure the ladies of British
origin married to Germans have attended the English
church. The Lutherans have an American pastor
who comes on Sundays to take services and often
visits them during the week. The Catholics have a
chapel in which a priest celebrates mass on Sundays
and Fridays.

As the recreation hall in which the interned used
to assemble has had to be given up to the garrison
troops, a new one will be built, and a credit of
800 rupees has been voted for it. The prisoners
hold concerts in their rooms. They have hired
pianos and own some violins and other instruments.
Good teachers have been secured for the children.
There is a free English school and a German school
charging fees. Tennis, badminton and cards are
popular.

Relief. In December, 1916, the U.S. Consul at
Calcutta sent TOO rupees, and in February, 1917,

in India and Burma 39

the Consul at Bombay 531 rupees, to be distributed
among needy prisoners. Poor prisoners who apply
to the commandant get a grant from the Indian
Government of 30 rupees a month per head for
adults and 15 rupees for children. In such cases no
supplementary allowance for clothes is made.
Clothing and footwear are the items of heaviest
expense among the interned. About 20 families
may be regarded as in poor circumstances.

40 British Prisori'Camps

4. CAMP AT BELLARY (BOMBAY
PRESIDENCY)

Visited 12 March, 1917. Contained i $j Turkish
prisoners of war.

. . . Walks. The Turkish officers in Bellary Camp
are free, as officers on parole, to take walks inside
and outside the camp within a radius of 3 miles,
between 6.45 and i i.o a.m. and 4.0 and 7.0 p.m. As
a sanitary precaution the -bazar and native town are
placed out of bounds. The roll is called in the
morning and in the evening. Private soldiers
may not go outside the camp except by special
permission. . . .

Medical attendance. The sick at Bellary Camp
are treated in the huge hospital which was built some
years ago for British troops. This building is as
remarkable for its fine architecture as for its splendid
internal equipment. It is surrounded on all sides by
wide verandahs, and has lofty, well-lit and roomy
wards.

The head doctor is Major Shaw, I. M.S., who
specialises in malarial complaints. He is assisted by
a Turkish doctor, Capt. Farad j-Nareschah, of Bag-
dad ; Capt. Gonsalvez, I.S.M.D., and an assistant
surgeon, M. Subramanian. The Turkish doctor,
who used to practise in Basra, speaks very well of
his circumstances and treatment, which are better
than those of native doctors with the same qualifica-
tions. Some native orderlies complete the sanitary
staff.

in India and Burma 41

A special ward is set apart for suspected cases,
and an isolation ward — at present unoccupied — will
deal with infectious diseases. There is a sufficiency
of dressings, drugs and disinfectants. Any apparatus
required can be got from Madras. . . .

Food. A contractor in the camp supplies meals to
the officers, who have a choice of two scales. The
first, costing 30 rupees a month, includes :

1. Early breakfast: Bread; butter; milk; tea.

2. Breakfast: A meat course ; eggs ; vegetables ;
bread.

3. Supper: A meat course ; vegetables ; mutton
curry ; a sweet course ; bread.

The second, at 40 rupees a month, includes two
more courses. Officers may also order extras. Some
of them prefer to have their meals prepared from the
rations by their orderlies. The messroom is very
suitable for the purpose, and the table service leaves
nothing to be desired.

Among drinks soda-water — whisky and soda — is
most popular. By doctors' orders officers may buy
three bottles of spirits — cognac, gin or whisky — per
month. With this exception, sales of strong liquors
are forbidden.

Canteen. The camp canteen is well stocked with
foods and articles of all kinds. It is run by a private
contractor, and a price list is exhibited. Any com-
plaints about the canteen may be addressed direct to
the commandant. . . .

The commandant and prisoners are on excellent
terms. The latter informed us through two of their
number speaking French and English respectively,
that they were quite contented and had no com-

42 British Prison-Camps

plaints to make about their treatment. They hope
that the commandant will continue to show them the
same kindness, which is greatly appreciated.

Correspondence. Prisoners are allowed to write
one letter per week in English and one in another
language, length being unrestricted. Postcards with
printed matter in Turkish are little used. Prisoners
are entitled to receive an unlimited number of letters
and postcards, but very few are delivered (70 in
eighteen months). They all come from Sumerpur,
the prisoners' old camp ; none from Turkey. Most
of the officers were captured in Mesopotamia, and
seem deeply grieved at having had absolutely no
news of their families, in some cases for two years.
We advised them to send all their letters to the Inter-
national Committee of the Red Cross, which will
forward them to the Red Cross at Constantinople to
be transmitted to their destinations. Postal com-
munication with the Bagdad district is at present
slow and difficult.

Money orders. The same reasons are no doubt
responsible for the prisoners receiving no money
from their families. The Red Cross has sent the
following amounts to the prisoners at Bellary :—

4 March, 258.15 rupees ; 7 and 9 March,
552.7 rupees.

Parcels. Only one parcel has been delivered
since the camp was formed.

Religion and recreation. There are no priests
among the prisoners, many of whom read the Koran
and say their prayers. The commandant let them
have some premises for their religious observances,
but they preferred to use them as a cafe-restaurant.

in India and Burma 43

Some of the educated officers read the English
daily paper and three illustrated weeklies, which are
sent to them. They will soon have an Egyptian
newspaper, translated into Turkish. Some officers
have asked that the Red Cross should send them a
small collection of Turkish books. Music and
singing are allowed. The favourite games are
dominoes, chess and backgammon. The com-
mandant put a football ground at the prisoners' dis-
posal, but the game has not caught on.

44 British Prison-Camps

5. DEPOT CAMP AT CALCUTTA

Visited 28 March,

Prisoners sent to Burma by the British military
authorities are taken by boat from Mesopotamia to
Karachi, and thence by railway to Calcutta. As
embarkation for Rangoon at Calcutta occasions
some delay, a depot camp has been formed there
and prisoners spend one to four days at most in it.

This camp is in Fort William, the historic citadel
of Calcutta, now used as a depot for British troops.
Large grass lawns, surrounded by fine trees, and
forming three distinct sections, have been set apart
for the prisoners in this huge enclosure. . . .

Medical attendance. Before prisoners embark at
Karachi, they are closely inspected by the medical
authorities. Any prisoners who show signs of illness
or are obviously weak are detained there in hos-
pital. Every boat transporting a batch of prisoners
carries a doctor. Further, if the batch be a large
one, a second doctor accompanies it to tl e place of
internment. A medical inspection is held at the
Calcutta depot camp, and any sick cases are removed
to the hospital for native troops.

in India and Burma 45

6. CAMP AT KATAPAHAR (IN THE HILLS
NEAR DARJEELING)

Visited 30 March, 1917. Contained 16 interned
civilians.

Situation. The camp at Katapahar for interned
civilians is near Darjeeling, in the Province of Ben-
gal. The town of Darjeeling, situated on the lofty
spurs of the Himalayas at an altitude of 8,000 feet in
magnificent country, is the " hill station " of Bengal.
The Governor and all his staff remove thither as
soon as the hot weather renders residence in Calcutta
too distressing. . . .

Housing. Katapahar station is on rocky ground
with a steep' slope which ensures good drainage.
The buildings are of square stone, carefully
put together. Until lately they were used as
barracks for officers and Hindoo troops. The roofs
are of corrugated iron, painted red, and the walls are
whitewashed inside. All rooms have wooden floors.
Boarded verandahs are built out from most of the
buildings. Windows are glazed and of sufficient
size. A cemented gutter round each barrack carries
away the rain-water.

The various buildings used for quarters are
assigned according to the standing of interned fami-
lies. Most of the bachelors have separate rooms,
while some are put two or three in a larger room.
Married people occupy two or three or even more
rooms, according to the number of their children.

Each suite includes a room with a fireplace and a

46 British PrisoivCamps

bathroom. All quarters are kept clean and sanitary.
The occupants express complete satisfaction with
their accommodation. . . .

C Lot king. The authorities provide the prisoners
with linen, footwear and winter and summer clothes.
The clothing estimates for the whole year are got out
in March, when clothes are examined and distributed.
If necessary, internees may ask for extra clothes.

Relief. Most of the internees are sufficiently well
off. The poor among them are allocated a fixed
annual sum of ^5. . . .

On returning to Calcutta we interviewed Mr.
Edgley, Under-Secret ary to the Bengal Govern-
ment, and laid before him the points raised by the
interned people at Katapahar. The requests related
to:

1. Permission to buy spirits.

2. Permission to correspond in German with
their families in Europe.

3. Extension of bounds for walks.

4. Reduction in the number of roll-calls (now
three per day), and their abolition in the case of
women and children.

All these concessions were granted us.

in India and Burma 47

7 CAMP AT THAYETMYO (BURMA)

Visited 11-14. April, 1917- Contained 3,591
persons, nearly all of whom were Turkish
prisoners of war.

. . . Hygiene. Water supply. The question of a
good water supply has been most carefully studied.
Colonel Fooks, I. M.S., head of the army medical
service in Burma, told us at Maymyo that the Irra-
waddy water, after settlement and purification with
solution of chlorine, is quite fit to drink ; but,
although the whole native population uses the river
water, the danger of contamination prevents it being
used for camp purposes. Five wells are now being-
utilised. The water drawn from these at a depth of
26 to 33 feet, from a sandy stratum, is clear and cold.
It has been analysed several times with very good
results. The depth of water in the wells varies with
the rainfall ; it was 3 feet last year and 8 feet this
year, in April. After the rainy season has set in, the
level rises about 20 feet and the wells meet the
requirements amply. April and May are the low-
supply season. Adjoining each well is a metal tank,
quite enclosed, into which the water is delivered
direct from the well by a rotary hand pump. Four
cocks control the distribution.

The camp authorities recognised that the pumps
now in use do not work very satisfactorily. Their
mechanism is too delicate and, in the hands of the
soldiers, often gets out of order, so that there is
almost always a well under repair. Three large new

48 British Prison*Camps

tanks are now being made and will be kept full by
pumps running all day long. Each holds 400 gallons
(1,600 litres). In the future prisoners will not be
allowed to fetch their water from the wells, as this
caused crowding and disorder. The kitchens will
be supplied by pipes straight from the tanks. Each
hut has a tank holding 2 gallons (8 litres) per man
housed. The kitchen tanks hold a gallon per head
for preparing food. Every lavatory has four basins
filled with water once or twice daily. Turkish
prisoners did not complain of lack of water, but we
think that the well-fitted shower-baths will be more
used when there is a more abundant water supply.
The efforts made by the authorities to improve matters
in this respect deserve the highest praise. There is
a sufficient number of bathrooms and of laundries in
which the prisoners wash their linen.

In the fort, which is occupied only by three sick
cases and some attendants, water is drawn by hand
from a well in buckets.

The two hospitals are provided with wheeled baths
and fixed douches for the sick. . The orderlies have
their own special bathroom. . . .

In connection with sanitation we may refer to the
question of poultry keeping, which is of some
importance. Quite 'a large number of Turkish
prisoners have taken up the rearing of fowls round
their huts, and have made a good profit by selling
the produce to the officers. The camp authorities
have not discountenanced this minor industry, but,
as the number of fowls increased too fast and disease
broke out among the stock, poultry are now confined
in a separate enclosure.

in India and Burma 49

Exercise. The large area round the' buildings of
the two camps gives room tor all necessary exercise.
A field 970 feet square is kept for games and
gymnastics. Turkish soldiers seem to prefer sleep-
ing to walking. They told us that the walks which
they have to take in squads outside the camp are
distasteful because their escort of native Reservists
walk too fast.

Officers have free range within the camp, visit
their club on the river bank, and can obtain permis-
sion to make excursions in the neighbourhood. For
reasons of discipline and health, prisoners may not
go to the town.

Clothing. Soldier prisoners receive free from the
camp authorities :

i fez ; 2 whke cot-ton shirts ; 2 white suits ; i pair
of slippers ; 2 pairs of socks ; 2 pairs of drawers ;
2 towels ; i bathing wrap ; 2 flannel jackets ; 2
handkerchiefs.

At an inspection we found the prisoners' kits clean
and well kept. We were told that at Thayetmyo, as
in many of the other camps, kit is sold on the sly.
Some representatives of the prisoners whom we
questioned declared that the men were perfectly
satisfied with their clothes. The shoes are good,
though of various kinds, and wearers of Eastern
slippers envy those of their fellows who have shoes.
The soldiers carry in their pockets or under their
shirts a small tin plate with a number in Turkish and
European figures. . . .

Food. . . . Every morning the section sergeants
and men on fatigue duty go to the hut where the
rations are issued. The latter are in accordance with

50 British PrisoivCamps

the usual scale and number of prisoners; and are
handed to the food orderlies, who weigh them in the
presence of the English sergeant in charge of sup-
plies and take them to the kitchens. The beef which
we saw was of excellent quality, and is supplied by a
contractor who brings a certain number of cattle to
camp daily. The beasts are not accepted for eating
until they have been examined by the British over-
seer. As we received some complaints about the
quality of the meat, the commandant gave orders
that in future a Turkish doctor should be present
every morning at the time of drawing rations and
receive all complaints about the quality of meat and
other provisions. Complaints are made on the spot
by heads of sections, to obviate their being put for-
ward when it is too late to investigate them. The
Turkish soldiers expressed a wish to be given mutton
occasionally, and to have a larger choice of vege-
tables and a different diet during the Ramadan fast.
The commandant promised us to do all he could to
meet these requests. Mutton is seldom to be had in
that district, and the British soldiers rarely get it.

The individual daily rations are as given on
p. 19. Every prisoner receives 40 cigarettes and a
box of matches weekly, and a pound of soap once a
month. . . .

Medical attention. The camp medical service
is under a head doctor, Captain J. M. Williamson,
R.A.M.C., who is assisted by Lieut. Brookes and
Surgeon Swolle. Seven Turkish doctors have prac-
tised in the camp since its formation, viz., Col.
Bahidj Bey; Capt. Yosef; Capt. Mustapha; Capt.
Mehemed Osman ; Lieut. Suad, a dispenser ; Lieut.

in India and Burma 51

Hamid Chakir, an oculist; and Lieut. Aghia, the
assistant dispenser.

The Turkish doctors and Dr. Williamson accom-
panied us during our visits to the hospital and gave
us much information. We were pleased to see that
the Turkish doctors were on excellent terms with
their English colleagues. The last were loud in
their praises of the energy and devotion of the first,
who get no pay beyond what they receive as officers.
In return they enjoy a great deal of liberty and may
go anywhere outside the camp. At the time of our
visit two of them were on leave in Rangoon. . . .

Death rate. During 1916 two officers died —
Subhi Bey from cerebral haemorrhage, and the other
from pulmonary consumption. There have been
76 deaths among the soldiers and civilians ; which,
distributed among an average total of 3,500
prisoners, are 2.17 per cent. Mr. Samuel G. Reat,
the U.S. Consul at Rangoon, visited Thayetmyo on
26 March, 1916. His report gives an average death
rate of 3.19 per cent., which he considers too high.
Our opinion is that a considerable number of the
deaths, which occurred during the two first months
after arrival in camp, may perhaps be attributed to
the exhausted state of prisoners from the front. The
very carefully kept chart in our possession of the
disease and death rates at Thayetmyo shows a
decided increase after the arrival of each batch of
prisoners. Deaths have been due to the following
causes :

Typhus ... ... ... ... i

Dysentery ... ... ... ... 9

52 British PrisoivCamps

Malaria ... ... ... ... 7

Pyrexia (origin unknown) ... ... i

Pneumonia ... ... ... ... 3

Pulmonary consumption ... ... 12

Tuberculosis of various kinds ... 3

Exhaustion ... ... ... ... 4

Anaemia ... ... ... ... 8

Hemiphlegia ... ... ... i

Heart trouble ... ... ... 4

Trombosis ... ... ... ... i

Endocarditis ... ... ... ... i

Bronchitis ... ... ... ... 2

Pleurisy ... ... ... ... i

Nephritis ... ... ... ... 4

Enteritis . .*. ... ... ... 9

Piles i

Hernia ... ... ... ... i

Wounds ... ... ... ... 3

During the first three months of 1917 the number
of deaths was 4, or a yearly death rate of 2.18 per
cent. Deaths were due : to appendicitis, i ;
aneurism of the heart, i ; enteritis, i ; sprue
(choleraic?), i.

The dead are buried with the rites of their religion
in the presence of their comrades. The cemetery is
well cared for. Officers' graves are apart from the
rest.

Religion and recreation. At Thayetmyo camp
the religious question has passed through several
stages. At first the commandant proposed fitting up
a building to be used as a mosque. The late
Subhi Bey, who had considerable influence over his

in India and Burma 53

fellow-countrymen, opposed the suggestion on the
ground that the mosque would be abandoned after
the war, and that this would be contrary to religious
teaching. Later on, the Turkish prisoners asked to
be allowed to attend services at the mosque in
Thayetmyo town. But this request was not granted,
as the higher authorities feared, not unreasonably,
that in a country of numerous sects and violent
religious hatreds, quarrels might be caused by
religious ceremonial. We took the matter up both
with the commandant and with a soldiers' committee
called by us. The proposal to build them a place of
worship in the camp was gratefully accepted, and
the building is now in course of erection. An imam
interned in -the camp will be responsible for
conducting religious services.

Intellectual recreations are thought little of by the
Turkish prisoners ; but card games, draughts and
dominoes are very popular. An orchestra has been
got together, and gymnastics and sports are much
appreciated. On the day when wre arrived we
watched a gymkhana got up by the Turkish soldiers,
in which jumping, running and wrestling events were
keenly contested. We admired the strength and
litheness of the athletes. Some money prizes were
distributed amid the cheers of the onlookers.

Officers are allowed to arrange their own pastimes.
They have a club in seme pretty premises on the
banks of the Irrawaddy, with billiard and refresh-
ment rooms. They received us there with great
cordiality. Some go in for painting, others for
music. The lack of Turkish books is felt greatly,
and we think that it would be a good thing were a

54 British Prison-Camps

committee in Turkey to make a point of sending out
useful and interesting works. There is a fair
number of books in French, English and German.

Correspondence. The prisoners despatch about
10,000 letters per month and receive from 2,000 to
3,000. Letters from Mesopotamia sometimes take
four or five months on the way, while those from
Constantinople come in five or six weeks. Prisoners
may write two letters a week in any language except
Hebrew. The War Office supplies regulation note-
paper — a sheet measuring 6 by 10 inches, folded
three times, the back being used only for the address.

Letters are at present censored in camp by a
Mosul Syrian and two interpreters. Later on they
will be censored at Bombay, to avoid loss of time.
The censor, however, seldom has to delete passages
in either outward or inward letters.

Money orders. The total value of postal orders
received by the prisoners now amounts to about
1,200 rupees a month. A little time ago Turkish
civilian employes who had not been paid up to date
by their Government began to receive their salaries
from Constantinople. Prisoners may receive in one
sum any amount of money sent to them, excepting
those whose conduct has been unsatisfactory. Any-
body who wishes to leave all or part of a remittance
on deposit is given a private bankbook in which
credits and debits are entered. We were not able
to establish how long it took money orders to reach
the payee, as they show only the date of their arrival
at Bombay. Some orders have had to be returned
through being insufficiently or inaccurately
addressed. To avoid this inconvenience, orders

in India and Burma 56

should bear the prisoner's number and the name and
address of the sender. . . .

Assisting prisoners. There is no committee at
Thayetmyo to handle correspondence with relief
societies. The following bodies have sent relief:
the Red Cross at Constantinople, the Armenian,
Jewish and Mahometan communities at Rangoon.
The last has made some considerable contribu-
tions, chief among which are: 5,666 khaki shirts;
5,000 yards of material for clothes ; 1,500 cigarettes ;
99 boxes of soap ; 480 aluminium cups ; 1,200 rupees'
for soda-water ; 50 pairs of football boots ; 6 foot-
balls. In addition, 345 rupees have been sent for
the school and sports; 1,000 rupees have been
distributed among the civilians with the help of
Subhi Bey and 530 by Saifullah Bey. The
Armenian community at Rangoon has contributed
for the Armenian, Greek and Syrian prisoners
360 towels, 360 shirts, 492 handkerchiefs, 2 cases of
soap, 32 boxes of cigarettes, 300 Bibles and
335 rupees.

The Jewish community sent cheese and other
foodstuffs for the observance of the Jewish Passover.

The Mahometan community has offered to meet
the needs of the poor, but up to date no calls have
been made upon it.

Conclusions. The Thayetmyo prisoners generally
look well and not at all depressed. They give a
very good impression. We asked Saifullah Bey
to arrange a meeting between us and representatives
of the soldiers. It was held on 14 April, the only
other person present being a Turkish officer who
acted as interpreter. We noted, for forwarding to

56 British PrisoivCamps

the British authorities, some criticisms and wishes
which were laid before us. The men showed modera-
tion and no ill-feeling. The authorities have met
the men's wishes so far as is possible.

The camp commandant treats his prisoners with
real kindness, doing everything to lighten their lot
that his instructions permit. In this he is well
backed-up by his colleagues, who are on excellent
terms with the Turkish officers. The last sent us
certain demands which will be given serious con-
sideration. Eight Turkish majors presented a
separate petition, drawn up in violent language and
making accusations which we knew to be inaccurate
and misleading. We sent it back. On the other
hand, we received a touching letter of thanks from
the Turkish soldiers.

in India and Burma 57

8 CAMP FOR CONVALESCENTS AT
SHWEBO (BURMA)

Visited 18 April, 1917. Contained go persons,
nearly all Turkish prisoners of war.

Situatic;i. The camp is situated in Upper Burma,
125 miles N. of Mandalay and about 2 miles from
the small town of Shwebo. It is a camp for con-
valescents. The climate, though hot, is dry and
healthy, and one of the best in the country.

Prisoners who need a change of air are sent here
from Thayetmyo for a month or two. The camp
commandant is Lieut. H. Parry, who, single-handed,
carries out most conscientiously the heavy work that
falls on him. . . .

Exercise. From 7.0 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. officers may
take walks without escort in the neighbourhood of
the camp anywhere inside an area 7^ miles in cir-
cumference. Private soldiers take exercise in the
camp and twice a week go for walks under escort:
though the walks are optional, and sometimes
nobody falls in for them. Soldiers whom we ques-
tioned on the point allege that their shoes are not
stout enough for the purpose.

Clothing. The regulations are the same as at
Thayetmyo. The officers, who have to pay for their
clothes, complain that the tailors' charges are too
high. The only complaint made by the soldiers was
that about lack of stoutness in their footwear. The
military authorities, whom we approached on the

58 British Prison^Camps

matter, promised to look into it ; but one must take
into consideration the fact that for a year past foot-
wear has been as difficult to obtain in India as
elsewhere.

Medical attendance. The military hospital in the
British cantonment at Shwebo is under Dr. W. N.
Greer. One of its wards is reserved for Turkish
prisoners ; but contained no patients at the time of
our visit. The hospital arrangements, the dis-
pensary, materials for dressings and disinfection, and
the sanitary service are in excellent order and leave
nothing to wish for.

Sick soldiers attend sick parade at 7.30 a.m.,
officers at 5.0 p.m. As there is no interpreter in
camp at present, Capt. Djavid Cherket always comes
to parades. A wheeled ambulance is always avail-
able for carrying patients who cannot walk to hos-
pital. Most of the Turkish officers are very emphatic
about the improvement in their health due to the
Shwebo climate.

9. NEW CAMP AT MEIKTILA (BURMA)

Meiktila was formerly the summer station of the
British Government in Burma. The prisoners"
camp was not yet in use when visited by the
Commissioners.

in India and Burma 59

10. QUARANTINE CAMP AT RANGOON
(BURMA)

Visited 30 April, 1917.

On returning to Rangoon we were informed by
General Young, commanding the Rangoon brigade,
that a quarantine camp had just been opened for
suspicious cases notified during the recent move-
ment of Turkish prisoners. We considered it our
duty to include this camp in our inspection, to inform
ourselves about the measures taken by the authori-
ties to prevent the spread of cholera. . . .

Water for drinking purposes is brought from Ran-
goon every morning in a tank boat. The pump on
board is connected up by a rubber hose with the
cast-iron piping which carries the water to the camp
reservoir, whence it is distributed to all buildings.
Contamination is impossible.

The patients number nineteen. Two are ill with
cholera, and are housed in an isolated hut under the
care of special orderlies. The kitchen and latrines
of this hut are isolated also. Fifteen patients who
showed symptoms of cholera are at present recover-
ing and under observation. One patient is being
treated for mumps, another for pneumonia. No
deaths have occurred.

Transport. We were interested in getting some
information as to the conditions under which
Turkish prisoners are transported from Mesopotamia
to Burma. We obtained it partly from the prisoners
themselves, partly from the English doctors, and

60 British Prison-Camps

partly from the captain of the mail-steamer Bangala,
S.I.N.C., on which we left Rangoon, and which had
brought in the last convoy.

There are two camps at Basra, an observation
camp, and an isolation camp reserved for epidemic
diseases. The prisoners stay in the first for from
two to four weeks. Patients in the segregation
camp remain there until they have recovered. When
a convoy has been made up it is taken by steamer to
Bombay or Karachi, and thence across India to
Calcutta by railway. The men travel in carriages
able to hold 60 persons. Biscuits, bread, cheese,
fruit and tea are distributed twice daily during the
journey. At Calcutta, the prisoners are either
embarked at once or housed at Fort William (see
p. 44) to await departure. Each convoy is accom-
panied by a doctor and the necessary staff. All
boats used as transports are disinfected at the end of
each voyage. The sea voyage from Calcutta to
Rangoon takes three days, the normal time for mail
steamers.

At Rangoon the prisoners are put aboard large
flats — towed by steamers of the Irrawaddy Flotilla
Co. — and taken straight to Thayetmyo. The journey
to Meiktila is partly by rail. Officers travel first or
second class according to rank. Special arrange-
ments are made for kitchens, lavatories and closets
on the steamers.

Each steamer is able to carry 2,400 persons, but
the number of Turkish prisoners put aboard never
exceeds 1,300.

in India and Burma 61

11. CONCLUSIONS

(Translated without Abridgment)

i. Turkish prisoners. In the course of three
months we visited all the camps for Turkish prisoners
of war in Egypt, India and Burma. Nothing was kept
from us. We had full liberty to inspect all premises, to
examine registers, and to obtain all useful informa-
tion. We were allowed to talk with the prisoners as
much as we liked, either through an interpreter or
directly in French, German, English or even Rus-
sian. After every inspection we interviewed repre-
sentatives of the soldiers and of the officers. The
camp authorities always made a point of not being
present, so that the prisoners might have full liberty
to lay their complaints before us. Prisoners were
also permitted to send us letters and petitions.

We can therefore affirm that we know the exact
position of Turkish prisoners interned in British
camps. The premises occupied by the prisoners are
either buildings normally used as barracks for British
or native troops, or buildings erected for the pur-
pose. In both cases the sanitation is excellent. The
quarters and bedding are kept scrupulously clean ;
and special care has been taken over the fittings of
the w.c.'s, lavatories and laundries, and the
discharge of sewage and dirty water.

The feeding arrangements — of first importance to
the prisoners — are liberal and practical. The rations
are the same as, and in some ways larger than, those
given to the British troops. The system of supply-
ing the prisoners with the necessary materials and

62 British Prison-Camps

allowing them to prepare their food in their own way
to suit their own tastes may be regarded as a perfect
solution of the food problem in interned prisoners'
camps. The complaints which we recorded related
especially to lack of variety in the diet, a variety
which can hardly be given when large quantities are
in question and the local conditions are difficult.
The camp authorities are very strict about the quality
of the provisions supplied by native contractors.
The Turkish prisoner is fed well.

He is also clothed well. Except for a few com-
plaints about footwear, the Turks expressed them-
selves as satisfied with their kits. We think that the
more or less compulsory carrying of a small identity
disc is far preferable to bands, armlets, name-tabs,
etc., worn too visibly outside the clothes.

Bad treatment is unknown. Discipline is strict
without being harsh ; and the prisoners get on well
with their guards. The penalties inflicted for infrac-
tions of discipline are reasonable, and are generally
incurred by quarrels and petty theft, in a few cases
by attempts to escape. There is no corporal
punishment, and practically no compulsory work.
Camp fatigues are light, being distributed among a
large number of men. We know how difficult it is
to organise workshops and yards, especially when
one has to deal with men who know no trade and
show little desire to work. The attempts made
so far have been almost complete failures ; but it
will be worth while to keep the matter in view and
try to establish employment, not for the sake of the
return, but in the prisoners' interest.

The medical organisation deserves nothing but
unstinted praise. The excellent health of the

in India and Burma 63

Turkish prisoners is explained by the good condition
of the hospitals, the abundance of surgical equip-
ment and drugs, strict prophylactic measures, and
the conscientious care taken by the doctors. Con-
sidering the exhaustion and weakness of the soldiers
who come from the front and are in a state which
renders them most susceptible to infection, it may
be said that the disease and death rates among the
normal camp population are as low as it is possible
to keep them.

Difficulties in correspondence form the subject of
many complaints. The delay of letters, parcels and
money orders may be attributed to the serious diffi-
culties on lines of communication. Postal relations
with the East are affected especially, but this is not
the fault of the British authorities.

The position of the Turkish officers certainly
deserves our sympathy. In many cases they have
no news of their families, they are without intel-
lectual resources, and are divided among themselves
by political differences ; so they find it hard to resist
the moral depression due to a prolonged captivity.
Unhappily, they take little interest in the soldiers
interned along with them. They should superintend
the recreations and games of their men, and get up
lectures, meetings and concerts, to which the British
authorities offer no objection.

In all camps Turkish officers receive considerate
and courteous treatment, and the British officers do
all they can to keep on good terms with them. At
Thayetmyo we dined at the commandant's table with
Turkish officers, who were received as distinguished
guests. Nothing pleased us more than this
chivalrous behaviour towards unfortunate enemies,

64 British Prison-Camps in India and Burma-

We conclude this report with the expression of our
belief that the Turkish prisoners, on returning to
their country, will testify that England has treated
them with all the humanity they could wish for.

2. Interned German and Austrian civilians.
Complaints — not to call them demands — were most
numerous in civilian camps. It is easy to under-
stand that people who have lived many years in
India, occupying independent and in many cases
distinguished positions, and are accustomed to good
living, find it very hard to be dragged away from
their business and reduced to a confined and
monotonous life. Their connections are broken,
their interests suffer and in many cases future
prospects are more or less prejudiced. Most com-
plaints related to affairs and not to the climate, to
which everybody is accustomed already. The
British authorities do all they can to make things
better by treating the prisoners with the greatest
possible consideration. Witness the fact that all the
requests which we laid before the Indian Govern-
ment to assist the interned were promptly granted.

Many of the interned took an unprejudiced view
of the situation and assured us that in the circum-
stances they had nothing but praise for the con-
sideration shown them by the authorities.

The Delegates of the International Committee
of the Red Cross:

(Signed) Dr. F. BLANCHOD.
F. THORMEYER.
EMMANUEL SCHOCH.

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