The Pittsburgh Press (January 14, 1945)
U.S. handling of prisoners angers Yanks
French also score soft treatment
By Helen Kirkpatrick
Paris, France – (Jan. 13)
American treatment of German prisoners of war continues to embitter the people throughout France and has even aroused the anger of G.I.’s.
American information services have issued lengthy and careful explanations to the French showing that German prisoners are treated according to the Geneva Convention. They eat the same food as the American soldiers, it is pointed out, because the convention so prescribes, and to feed them otherwise would create an additional supply problem.
Frenchmen understand and accept that. Only the most unreasonable continue to argue that neither the American, nor (particularly) the Frenchmen, who are prisoners in Germany, get even adequate food.
Nazis get cigarettes
But instance after instance is reported from all parts of France of German prisoners receiving cigarettes and chocolate at a time when the American troops were short of smokes, and when French children were not getting chocolate. During my recent trip through Alsace and Lorraine, French feeling was almost at fever heat on this subject.
That aspect has not bothered the average combat soldier much. Recently, however, the Germans’ cold-blooded shooting of American prisoners has created a new feeling among the G.I.’s. It was about the time that this feeling was growing that the November issue of an American weekly appeared with pictures and a description of German prisoners’ life in a camp in the United States. The reaction was instantaneous and violent.
The pictures showed well-dressed Germans in reading and recreation rooms, and described their daily movies – in German – and their hobby and workshop quarters. Shown also were Army issue towels and clothing on their comfortable beds.
Offers phone numbers
Even the most unimpassioned G.I. has learned by now that nothing like this awaits him if he is captured. He knows that he will live, in what he has on his back, in unheated camps, and will have to rely on Red Cross packages for clothes and for food to eke out a sufficient diet.
“I think I’d better write some of those Jerries and give them some telephone numbers. Maybe they don’t know any girls and aren’t having a good time,” one G.I. said bitterly.
Many of them commented on the lectures and educational courses being given the Germans by their Nazi leaders in these camps.
“We are supposed to be ready to die so they can keep their Nazi ideas alive while living on the fat of our land,” another said.