This, your attempt to untangle and classify a small part of this military cosmos, does not lessen its immensity. But you wonder why private enterprise has developed no such efficiency on such a scale; or why the rewards of private industry bring forth no such devotion; or why exertion which these men put forth smoothly, without friction or grumbling, and even with joy in their work, staggers even the civilian mind to contemplate. And you speculate, too, on what those who are opposing the Germans can do upon like lines; if better or if worse, then the merits of the opposing civilizations and ideals of life, which makes the difference? Conflict of civilizations, struggle of ideals, contest of philosophies!-is it possible that the coming years, which hold all secrets, will reveal that this world war is a combat of hostile cultures, and that, facing one another and striving for the mastery, are irreconcilable ideas? Think it over calmly by the warm glow of cozy fireside and find if, in the end, other or different thoughts arise than those which come on the wings of the arctic blast as one dashes across the snowy plains under the steel blue midnight heavens of Russian Poland on the night of January 31, 1915. G V SOME FRUITS OF WAR* Prisoners ERMANY has within her borders at the present moment not far from 700,000 prisoners of war. At the end of December, 1914, the exact number was 586,000, of whom 310,000 were Russians, 220,000 French, 40,000 Belgians and 16,000 British. These specific figures are those of the railway department, which is the only mathematically accurate authority. Among the British are included Sikhs, Gourkas and others from India; among the French, Ethiopians, Arabs, Moors and others from Africa. On January 15, 1915, a semi-official but fairly reliable estimate placed the total number of prisoners at 633,000. While this latter figure is not from the railway records, it is believed to be reasonably dependable. At the date of this writing (February 10, 1915) it is known that many thousand additional prisoners have been taken. Thus an approximate of 700,000 would seem to be not unfair. These numbers include no civilian, but only soldiers actually engaged in hostilities. * Written at Berne, Switzerland, February 10, 1915. This same semi-official but sufficiently dependable estimate placed the total number of German missing and prisoners at 154,000. It is possible, of course, that all of these may be prisoners. Thus, at this date Germany has on her hands, in unwounded, able-bodied, captured enemies about one per cent. of her total population of men, women and children. To feed these prisoners means the providing of enough food to supply the whole German nation for about three days out of a year. Yet it is firmly expected in Germany that the number of prisoners taken by German forces will be very greatly increased during the present year, and Germany is preparing, now, for that contingency. These soldiers of the Allies held in Germany are concentrated in prison camps scattered all over the empire. Let us, then, go through two of these camps, which are typical of all. Yet all these places are not alike; for, although the same general orders govern all, and the same quantity and quality of food are supplied everywhere, the character, ability and inclination of the camp commander has much to do with the camp management. "We have no complaint to make, sir, considering that we are prisoners of war," was the answer of a French common soldier when questioned about his treatment; "and," added he, of his own accord, "they treat us like white men, sir." This particular prisoner spoke English perfectly, having worked in London for three or four years. Permitted to talk freely with the prisoners, more |