Prisoners of War
George Kennen
THE world war, novel in so many of its phases, is no less new in its aspect of the prisoner question. Numbers, treatment, direct and indirect results from prisoners taken in the Great War are all setting a new standard, blazing a fresh trail. In this article from 27íe Outlook, the distinction and differences are set out, and salient commentary upon the comparison between the Allies’ and the Huns’ treatment of prisoners is added.
The present European war differs in many respects from any previous war recorded in history, and among the most striking and noteworthy of its peculiarities is the immense number of prisoners taken on both sides. The Germans say that they have captured more than 600,000 mostly Russians; the Russians declare that they hold nearly half a million, including Austrians, Germans, Turks, and Kurds; the Allies have probably taken 200,000 in Belgium, France, Africa, and Manchuria; and the Turks have gathered in a few thousand mor