ed my friend that while his prisoner-hands were not
receiving excellent cider, like that which he himself was now
allowed, they had plenty of good beer during the harvest.

I have often thought that a widespread distribution of prisoner workers
throughout each belligerent country might do more than anything else to
allay mutual misunderstanding. In all wars the tendency is to regard the
enemies as terrible beings, scarcely even of human shape. To a
considerable extent this is due to the fact that all the horror of war
is attributed by civilians to the enemy. The soldiers of course know
better. But when the civilian finds enemy prisoners good fellows to work
with, he cannot often resist the proof of our common humanity. A village
girl was telling me lately how the feelings of many had altered since
German prisoners had been in the neighbourhood, and especially marked
had been the effect upon those who had actually worked with them. "So
you've changed your mind about them," she said to a friend who worked
with prisoners, and the friend had the courage to answer quite simply:
"Yes, I have." If we all have the courage to change our minds, the peace
that comes will be real.

SOME OTHER PRISONERS.

There is often so much similarity in the complaints made on both sides
that the sufferings would seem to be very similar. I happened once, in a
private hotel, to get into conversation with some German women who had
been taken prisoner in East Africa. They were scarcely "military
prisoners," but they were taken prisoner in the ordinary operations of
war. With the women were three children. A young baby was wizened and
pitiable, a little boy of between three and four had evidently had his
whole body covered with boils or abscesses, a little girl of perhaps
five would have been a charming little creature, but for a large abscess
on her forehead and big swellings under the eyes. I asked how it was the
children were in this condition. The Belgians, by whom these women were
originally taken prisoner, would not, I was told, supply any milk for
the children. It may be said that the Belgian officials should be
consulted on this point, and I am well aware that prisoners' statements
need corroboration. Do we, however, apply this rule in other cases? Are
we careful to investigate newspaper reports of the statements of
prisoners who have been in German hands, and should we suggest that the
evidence of German officials should also be