Soltau, with its 31,000 inmates
with Halil Halid Bey (formerly Turkish Consul in Berlin) and Herr
Muller (interested in Germany's Far Eastern developments).

Five hours away from Berlin, on the monotonous _Luneberger Heide_
(Luneberg Heath), has sprung up this great town with the speed of a
boom mining town in Colorado.

On arrival at the little old town of Soltau we were met by a
military automobile and driven out on a road made by the prisoners
to the largest collection of huts I have ever seen.

There is nothing wrong that I could detect in the camp, and I
should say that the 300 British prisoners there are as well treated
as any in Germany. The Commandant seems to be a good fellow. His
task of ruling so great an assemblage of men is a large and
difficult one, rendered the easier by the good spirit engendered by
his tact and kindness.

I had confirmation of my own views of him later, when I came across
a Belgian who had escaped from Germany, and who had been in this
camp. He said:--"The little captain at Soltau was a good fellow,
and if I am with the force that releases the prisoners there after
we get into Germany, I will do my best to see that he gets extra
good treatment."

Our inspection occupied six hours. Halil Halid Bey, who talks
English perfectly, and looks like an Irishman, was taken for an
American by the prisoners. In fact, one Belgian, believing him to
be an American official, rushed up to him and with arms
outstretched pleaded: "Do you save poor Belgians, too, as well as
British?"

The physical comfort of the prisoners is well looked after in the
neat and perfectly clean dormitories. The men were packed rather
closely, I thought, but not more than on board ship.

One became almost dazed in passing through these miles of huts,
arranged in blocks like the streets of an American town.

We visited the hospital, which was as good as many civilian
hospitals in other countries. There I heard the first complaint,
from a little red-headed Irishman, his voice wheezing with asthma,
whose grievance was not against the camp itself, but against a
medical order which had reversed, what he called his promise to be
sent to Switzerland. He raised his voice without any fear, as our
little group, accompanied by the Commandant and the interpreter,
went round, and I was allowed to speak to him freely. I am not a
medical man, but I should think his was a case for release. His
lungs were obviously in a ba