Turkish Prisoners in Egypt Part 8

_Correspondence._--The number of illiterates being very high (98 per cent.), letters are comparatively few. The prisoners are allowed to write three times a week, and a certain number of them get more educated comrades to write for them. Correspondence is practically impossible for those who belong to nomadic tribes.

_Religion._--Except one Copt, all the prisoners are Mahometans. There are many imaums among them. Religious exercises are practised freely and regularly.

_Discipline and Behaviour._--There are no complaints as to discipline, and no attempts to escape have taken place. Despite racial diversities, few quarrels take place among the prisoners, and the authorities seldom need to interfere. We spoke to an old and infirm sheik who is treated with particular regard and has a tent to himself; he told us that he is in every way satisfied.

~CONCLUSIONS~

The Red Cross International Committee, at Geneva, has since the beginning of the war organised visits to the camps of prisoners of war and of civilian prisoners in the various belligerent countries.

The members of the mission sent to Egypt, MM. Dr. F. Blanched, E.

Schoch, and F. Thormeyer, had already inspected camps in Germany, France, Morocco and Russia. They may be allowed to compare the treatment of the Egyptian prisoners with what they had seen elsewhere.

We express our deep grat.i.tude to the English authorities for all the facilities which they gave us for the accomplishment of our mission.

We will now sum up the whole set of observations made by us.

We visited the camps of Heliopolis, Maadi, the Citadel of Cairo, Ras-el-Tin, Sidi Bishr, and the hospitals of Abba.s.siah and the Egyptian Red Cross.

The camps are situated in healthy localities, and their dimensions are amply sufficient for the population that they hold. The accommodation seems to us exactly suited to the conditions of the country and climate.

Whether barracks are specially constructed for the prisoners, or stone buildings are adapted to their use, these results are obtained.

Ventilation is sufficient everywhere. Measures of protection against the cold, so difficult to render effective in other countries, are unimportant here, owing to the mildness of the climate. Both boarded and beaten earth floors are kept perfectly clean.

The bedding of the prisoners of war (non-commissioned officers and privates) is composed of plaited rush mats, such as they are accustomed to use when at home. These mats are regularly cleansed, and replaced as they wear out. The officers, civilian prisoners and sick are provided with iron spring beds, and mattresses generally stuffed with vegetable fibre. For hospitals and officers, pillows and coverlets are also supplied.

The blankets a.s.signed to each prisoner vary from 3 to 5, a number which we have never seen equalled in other places.

As to clothing, the military authorities furnish the men with all that is necessary: 2 pairs of drawers, 2 flannel s.h.i.+rts, 2 pairs of socks, a woollen belt, 1 neckerchief, 1 pair of trousers, a tunic of blue cloth (or beige) and a cloak. All these garments are warm, clean, and of good quality. All the Turks wear the national head-covering, the fez.

Decorations are allowed to be worn unrestrictedly. Owing to the date of our visit we were not able to inspect the summer outfit, but the prisoners told us that in the hot season they wore blue linen suits.

The civilian prisoners whose personal belongings were worn out received a complete equipment.

The interned civilians were decently and sufficiently clothed.

Officers can order their clothes at their own expense from the town tailors.

The private soldiers all wear the oriental slippers; non-commissioned officers are given high-lows. All necessaries for repairs are provided by the camp administration.

Everywhere we found the prisoners adequately and suitably dressed. No external mark shows their position as prisoners of war, except a metal medallion attached to the tunic.

We can a.s.sert that the commissariat of the Egyptian prisoners leaves nothing to be desired. The fact that the prisoners prepare their own food insures them a diet suitable to their tastes and customs. The quant.i.ties supplied are calculated upon a very liberal scale. The quality, whether of bread, meat or vegetables, is excellent and constant.

The officers' mess is entrusted to private contract. They arrange their own menu. The daily board is very moderate. Well-stocked canteens enable them to obtain additions at prices fixed by the authorities.

The sick in hospital have a regimen suited to their condition prescribed by the doctors. The milk provided is of excellent quality.

The health department is remarkably well organised everywhere. Drinking water and water for was.h.i.+ng purposes are equally abundant. There is an _ad libitum_ supply for douches and baths in every camp. The arrangements for laundering linen are very efficient.

Each camp is provided with a disinfecting furnace, linen and upper garments being sterilised once weekly. There are no vermin anywhere.

Special pains are taken over the cleansing of prisoners newly arrived from the front. The result of these measures and of the system of vaccination is seen in the entire freedom of the camps from epidemics.

Turkish or English latrines are sufficient in number, odourless, and regularly disinfected.

In every camp medical attention is given by a staff of first-cla.s.s English physicians, a.s.sisted by Armenian or Syrian doctors; hospital orderlies keep the quarters in perfect order. The infirmaries are s.p.a.cious, well lighted, thoroughly stocked with drugs and with surgical apparatus and dressings.

If dentistry be needed, which is rare among Ottomans, it is supplied by dentists from the town or resident in the camps.

Cases of mutilation are provided with artificial limbs.

An examination of the medical register in all the camps has convinced us of their good sanitary condition. The small number of sick, and the slight character of the ailments, corroborate what we have ourselves observed from the hygienic point of view. The death-rate is very low.

Deceased prisoners are interred with military honours and according to the rites of their religion.

The s.p.a.ce enclosed within the camps permits the prisoners to enjoy walking exercise as well as outdoor games.

The English military authorities have not sanctioned compulsory work for prisoners. Except for sanitary fatigue duties, prisoners have the whole disposal of their own time. The numerous complaints provoked in other countries by forced labour are entirely absent among the Ottoman prisoners in Egypt.

Imaums take religious charge, and the prisoners have full liberty to carry out their daily wors.h.i.+p.

Correspondence is less active than elsewhere owing to the large proportion of illiterate prisoners. Letters are long on the road because of the great distances traversed. The censors.h.i.+p is carried out in a liberal spirit and gives rise to no complaints. Money orders sent from Turkey are paid in full; but their number, as well as that of parcels, is restricted.

a.s.saults and corporal punishment are totally unknown in the camps. The only disciplinary penalty, very seldom applied, consists of arrest for a period fixed by the military authorities. We were happy to learn that the discipline of the Turkish prisoners is excellent. Their own commissariat officers exercise a good influence. We were ourselves struck by the correct bearing of the men and their good humour. They fully appreciate the English authorities' kindness to them.

To sum up, our conviction, based upon careful investigations, is that the inspectors, commandants and officers of the camps treat the prisoners with humanity and do all in their power to soften their lot.

We form the impression that the English Government's proposals concerning repatriation of the interned civilians will soon bear fruit; and we hope that this measure will be extended to all mutilated prisoners of war.

CAIRO, _January, 1917_.

The Delegates of the Red Cross International Committee.

Dr. F. BLANCHOD.

F. THORMEYER.

EMMANUEL SCHOCH.