or exterminating mosquitoes for the reason that it has been found
impossible to procure petroleum in Germany for the purpose." Three
internees who tried to escape were in consequence imprisoned, and are
stated in the report transmitted by the British Foreign Office to be
starving. Mr. Gerard writes: "I visited Messrs. Ettlinger, Ellison and
Kirkpatrick at the Stadtvogtei-Gefaengnis about three weeks ago, and
heard from them that they had no complaint to make about the food. They
are now allowed to receive parcels and money from the outside, and are
no longer in solitary confinement. The limitation of exercise to half
an hour seems regrettable, but owing to their attempt to escape, I fear
that it will be impossible to obtain a change until their sentence
expires."

The report forwarded to Mr. Gerard says:

It would be of material benefit to the interned if a
representative of the United States Embassy could call at the
Camp fortnightly, and receive complaints direct from prisoners,
without the inevitable presence of the captains [i.e., the
internees' own captains] in the room.

Mr. Gerard replies:

A representative of this Embassy has visited the camp at
Ruhleben (with the exception of the time when the camp was first
formed) certainly on an average of more than once a fortnight,
and it has been possible for any prisoners to speak to him
without the presence of the captains. For the past few months
the camp has been visited once a week if not more often. In
addition to this Mr. Powell, sometimes accompanied by other
captains of the camp, has visited this Embassy regularly once a
week for consultation with me.

"I wish again to reiterate," says Mr. Page, "that Count Schwerin, Baron
Taube and the other officers in charge of the camp, are all kindly and
considerate gentlemen, who do everything within their power to help the
prisoners."

But the real quarrel was not with Count Schwerin or Baron Taube (of whom
all seem to speak well), but with the English captains and their
management. The financial statements and the distributions effected by
the captains are adversely criticised by the released British subject.
He adds, somewhat acidly:

It would be a kindness to the captains and to the camp if the
Government could convey to them a message informing them that
they are public men holding important and responsible positions,
and that public men