nly enjoyed, although the meat was of inferior quality. But I
never saw another chop in our barrack for a month! Crash went another
alluring Teuton promise.

We became inquisitive and to our amusement learned what the more shrewd
and doubting among us had suspected. Sufficient chops were being cooked
every day to ensure so many men regularly receiving the meat meal. Every
man received his chop as promised although he was perhaps compelled to
wait an inordinate time for his turn. As there were twenty-three
barracks with two kitchens to fulfil their demands meat dinners were
being prepared every day. Indeed, the Germans appeared to be always
cooking chops!

It was a masterpiece of German cunning. Whenever a visitor, animated by
desires to ascertain how the prisoners were being treated, visited the
camp he was piloted to the kitchen. There could be seen an imposing
array of chops sizzling and spitting gaily, and emitting an appetizing
aroma. Were prisoners of war ever treated so sumptuously as those at
Ruhleben? The visitor was gravely assured that the chops he saw
represented but a portion of what were being prepared for the prisoners,
in which statement the Germans were perfectly correct, but they artfully
refrained from saying that only a certain number of men received the
dainty dish each day, the idea being to convey the impression that this
was merely the daily routine for the whole of the camp.

It did not matter when the American representative or any other visitor
came into the camp--chops were being cooked. The visitors naturally
concluded that we were being treated in a right royal manner, and one
quite in accordance with the most noble traditions of the German nation.
It never occurred to these visitors, apparently, to make enquiries among
the prisoners to ascertain how they enjoyed their _daily_ meat meal? Had
they done so they would have been surprised.

The German explanations were so verbose and ostensibly so sincere as to
be received without the slightest cavil. Naturally our task-masters
studiously declined to extend any enlightenment upon the matter,
preferring to lull the visitors into a false haven of credibility.
Unfortunately we discovered that we had to pay indirectly for the
delectable dainty and Teuton liberality--the dinners upon the other days
steadily grew worse in quantity, quality, and variety!

We all admire the unceasing efforts which the American Ambassador has,
and still is exerting