been dispensed with. It
is believed in the camp that the United States authorities
prompted these investigations.
The German authorities provide bread which is of better quality
than formerly. The allowance is over half a pound per man per
day, i.e., more than the civilian population is allowed, but it
is believed that a regulation has been made, though not yet
brought into force, to reduce the bread allowance to correspond
with that allowed to persons outside the camp. Bread is no
longer purchaseable at the canteen.
The Government allows 60 pfennige (just over 7d.) per head for
the rest of the food. The canteen committee buys 100 grammes of
meat (gristle, bone, etc., included) per man per day. Pork is
much used, then comes mutton, and, more rarely, beef.
The meat is cooked in the soup and each man is given a piece
about the size of a cutlet with his soup at midday. The spare
pieces are divided amongst the men from the last barracks to be
served; the barracks take it in turn to be last.
On one day a week dinner consists of a piece of sausage and rice
and prunes.
A piece of sausage is now served with the evening tea or coffee.
This sausage is bought out of the savings under the new system.
The rest of the savings on the catering and the profit on the
sales at the canteen go towards providing clothes, etc., for the
poorest men in the camp.
The meat is inspected by two of the prisoners, one a veterinary
surgeon and the other a butcher; it is cooked by ships' cooks
who are interned, and served by men chosen from among the
prisoners. The food is said to be well cooked and the meals
quite appetising, at any rate when compared with the previous
regime.
The two men named above received all parcels sent to them.
Formerly parcels took about four weeks to reach the camp from
England, but now they arrive in ten to twelve days.
The officials are scrupulously honest as regards money owned by
or sent to the prisoners, except that they pay out in paper or
silver, whereas they took in gold. Money is paid out to those
prisoners who have an account at the rate of 20M. per fortnight,
but an extra 20M. can be obtained for the purchase of boots,
clothes, etc., if shown to be necessary.
The correspondence regulations are now that one postcard with
nine lines
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