oney and were denied the receipt of contributions from home,
their relatives and friends doubtless being too poor to help them.
Naturally these luckless prisoners were speedily reduced to extremely
straitened circumstances and distress among them became very acute.
Furthermore parcels of clothing and other articles were being sent in
bulk, addressed merely to the camp as a whole, instead of to
individuals, the objects of the senders being the fair and equitable
distribution of the articles among the prisoners indiscriminately. The
handling of these supplies led to frequent and unblushing abuses, the
men who were not in need of such contributions receiving them at the
expense of those who sorely wanted them.

After our civic government had been reduced to practical application and
was working smoothly, the task of distributing these unaddressed bulk
supplies was entrusted to the captains of the barracks. The captain was
selected for this responsibility because he knew all the deserving cases
in his own party and was able to see they received the alleviation of
their distress. When a crate of goods came in the captain compiled a
list setting out the names and precise needs of every man in his party.
If you were in a position to do so you were expected to pay a small sum
for the articles, the price thereof being fixed, although you were at
liberty to pay more if you felt disposed. This money was paid into the
camp treasury. But if you were "broke," no money was expected.
Consequently every man was certain to secure something of what he
needed, irrespective of his financial circumstances.

The camp government also embarked upon trading operations. Shops were
erected, one or two at a time, until at last we had a row of emporiums.
The requisite material was bought from the Germans or from home with
money drawn from the camp treasury. It must not be forgotten that the
Teuton authorities resolutely refused to supply us with a single thing,
declined to participate in any improvements, and refused to contribute a
penny to defray the cost of any enterprise which was considered
imperative to ameliorate our conditions. Indeed they robbed us right and
left, as I will narrate later. By building shops in this manner we were
able to boast a Bond Street, from which in a short time radiated other
thoroughfares which were similarly christened after the fashionable
streets of London--we had a strange penchant for the West-End when it
came