TURKISH PRISONERS IN EGYPT

A Report By The Delegates Of The International Committee Of
The Red Cross

Extracted and translated from the Official Reports of
the Red Cross Society

(Documents publiés à l’occasion de la
Guerre Européenne, 1914-1917)

Published in 1917

A Report on a visit made in December, 1916, and January,
1917, to the Camps for Turkish Prisoners of War in Egypt,
by the Delegates of the International Committee of the Red
Cross.

Turkish Prisoners in Egypt

INTRODUCTION

Being deputed by the Red Cross International Committee to
visit Turkish prisoners of war in Egypt, we presented ourselves
on December 3, 1916, to the officer for Naval Transport in the
British office at Marseilles. By order of the War Office he
obtained berths for us on the liner Morea, of the P. and
O. Line. We embarked at Marseilles on December 19, 1916, and
after an uneventful journey reached Port Said on December
27.

At Cairo General Murray, Commander-in-Chief of the British
forces in Egypt, was good enough to put us in touch with
Brig.-General II. G. Casson, C.M.G., Director-in-Chief of the
Prisoners of War Department. With the help of Colonel Simpson
we drew up a programme of visits. A motor-car was placed at our
disposal, and permission given us to take photographs in the
camps, distribute gifts among the prisoners, and talk freely
with them.

We have to express our warmest thanks to General Murray and
to the officers who allowed us to make our enquiries
everywhere, without restriction. We should also like to offer
our deepest gratitude to Sir Reginald Wingate, British High
Commissioner in Egypt, for the kindly care accorded us
throughout our stay.

1. Heliopolis Camp.

(Visited on January 2, 1917.)

This camp is laid out quite close to the new city of hotels
and villas founded in 1905 under the name of The Oasis of
Heliopolis. The camp site is 134 feet above the level of
Cairo.

Strength.—3,906 Turkish non-commissioned
officers and men.

3 Turkish soldiers of the Sanitary Corps.

2 Armenian doctors (officers in the Turkish Army).

The camp is arranged to hold a total population of 15,000
men. A barbed-wire fencing separates it from adjoining
property.

Accommodation.—The barracks for the prisoners
are arranged in groups, in parallel lines separated by passages
65 feet wide. These barracks, built under the supervision of
the Egyptian Engineering Department, are of uniform
construction, and about 42 feet long by 30 feet wide. They are
solid frames of wood with the spaces between filled in with
reeds arranged vertically and held in place by crossbars. The
roof is of reed thatch edged with tarred felt. Thanks to the
design, the ventilation is perfect. The sandy soil shows hardly
a sign of dampness. The passage between the rows of beds is
made of hard-beaten earth which is very dry and easily kept
clean. All along this corridor, as in all the camp roads,
buckets full of water are arranged in readiness to meet an
outbreak of fire. The water in these buckets is not meant for
drinking, and therefore contains a little cresol to prevent
prisoners drinking it. The danger of fire is further reduced to
a minimum by the fact that the men smoke only out of doors and
that the mildness of the climate does away with the use of
stoves. Each barrack accommodates 50 men.

Bedding.—Each prisoner lies on a mat of plaited
rush, and has four blankets. Every morning the mats are brushed
and rolled up and the blankets folded, so that during the day
there is a large clear space inside the building. The detention
cells have the same sleeping accommodation.

Exercise.—The space left between the barracks
of the separate sections is amply sufficient for exercise,
which is quite unrestricted during the regulation
hours.

Food.—Provisions are purchased by the
commissariat and brought every morning into a special barrack,
whence each section draws its daily rations. Bread comes from
the Cairo bakeries. It is of good quality and agreeable to the
taste. The kitchens are in the open and heated by wood fires.
They are staffed by a detachment of prisoners under a head
cook. At meal times each section sends men to draw the rations
for each room in large metal bowls. Every man has his own
spoon, bowl and drinking cup, all of metal. The hours of meals
are ordinarily as follows:

5 a.m.; 11 a.m.; and 4 p.m.

The last meal is the principal one of the day.

We have examined the various food materials given the
prisoners and found them to be of excellent quality.

The menu of the Turkish prisoners of war now interned in
Heliopolis Camp consists of bread, meat, vegetables, rice,
butter, pepper, salt, onions, tea (7-1/2 grammes), sugar (42
grammes), cheese and jam or olives.

Each prisoner receives 42-1/2 grammes of cigarettes and two
boxes of matches every week; two lbs. of firewood per day; and
soap.

It interested us to make a note of the expenses involved by
the support of each Turkish prisoner, according to figures
supplied by the English authorities.

The calculation is based on a period of six months (in
winter).

Depreciation of buildings, fittings, blankets and other
things provided is not included in these figures.

Canteen.—The regulation food of the prisoners
being ample, the canteen plays a very minor part in the feeding
arrangements. It sells tea, coffee, and light refreshments. A
cup of sweetened tea costs 5 paras, or about one-third of a
penny. The canteen also deals in letter paper, post-cards,
thread, needles, buttons and other small odds and ends.

The men receive 2 ounces of tobacco free every week. They
never get alcohol.

Clothing.—Each prisoner is supplied with two
complete sets of underwear: shirts, drawers, and socks. The
uniform consists of trousers and coat of dark blue cloth. The
brass buttons give it a military appearance.

All the men wear the red fez. They are allowed to wear their
decorations. That they are prisoners is shown only by their
having on them a white metal plate about 1-1/2 inches in
diameter, bearing a registration number and the two letters
P.W. (Prisoner of War). In our opinion this kind of medallion
is a more judicious form of indication than the bands, armlets
or large letters used elsewhere. In summer the cloth uniforms
are replaced by linen uniforms of the same cut and colour.

All men wear indoors leather slippers of the Eastern kind.
Shoes are used only by prisoners engaged on gardening, and by
non-commissioned officers.

Linen, clothes and footwear are renewed on fixed dates or
according to need.

Hygiene.—Everything that has to do with hygiene
and the sanitation of the camp is the province of
Lieut.-Colonel E.G. Garner, Medical Office Inspector of
Prisoner-of-War Camps in Egypt.

Water is supplied from the Heliopolis town mains, is of good
quality, and is provided in sufficient quantities.

For toilet purposes the prisoners have the use twice a day
of shower baths and water taps. The floor of the lavatories is
sloping cement, and the water drains away through a gulley
between the two rows of baths. Prisoners can get hot water from
the kitchen when they need it. Soap is supplied ad
libitum.

For washing their clothes the prisoners have some very
convenient arrangements. Once a week each prisoner’s blankets
and clothes are passed through the disinfecting chamber and
thoroughly sterilised. Thanks to this precaution, there is not
a trace of vermin to be found in the camp.

Ten Turkish barbers are occupied in cutting the hair of
prisoners and shaving them in a well-managed barber’s shop.

The latrines are clean and numerous enough. Some of them are
on the English system; the rest on the Turkish. They are
disinfected daily with carbolineum. All discharge into the
sewers.

Medical attention.—The camp medical service is
staffed by Colonel E.G. Garner and two Armenian doctors (Arsen
Khoren and Léon Samuel). Four English hospital orderlies
are assisted by three Turkish orderlies. An English dentist
visits the camp at the doctor’s request.

At the infirmary, which is clean and well looked after, all
prisoners not seriously ill are accommodated with beds having
mattresses and steel springs. The consulting room is well
supplied with medicines. Serious cases are sent to the
hospitals set apart for prisoners of war.

From 20 to 30 men come to the infirmary daily for medical
attention. All the cases are entered in a register, which we
have examined; after each name is the complaint and the
treatment prescribed.

At the time of our visit there were six lying-down cases in
the infirmary; two with tuberculosis in the first stage
(prisoners captured recently at El Arish); one with diarrhoea;
one with conjunctivitis; one with malaria; and one with a
wounded leg.

Of the prisoners in camp 3 per cent. have been attacked by
malaria—old cases from the marshy districts of Turkey,
such as Angora Yosgath, for instance. Nine per cent. have been
attacked by chronic bacillar dysentery; these are treated
periodically with anti-dysenteric serum. Some cases of amibian
dysentery are being treated with calomel, salol, and emetine.
Twenty per cent. were affected by ophthalmia due to their stay
in the desert before being captured. These were treated with
sulphate of zinc and protargol.

Four prisoners are suffering from trachoma of old standing.
Recent cases are ordinary ailments, bronchitis and simple
diarrhoea.

As a general rule the camp prisoners look well, have a good
colour and are well nourished.

The prisoners were inoculated in Turkey against typhoid
fever and smallpox. All who no longer showed traces of
vaccination were vaccinated immediately after being captured.
They were also inoculated against cholera.

There is no typhoid fever in the camp, nor exanthematic
typhus, nor any other infectious disease.

Work.—The prisoners have no regular work to do.
No prisoner is employed in workshops outside the camp. Even
inside, except for ordinary camp fatigue duties, and some light
gardening, no labour is exacted. During our inspection we saw
the digging for a water supply through the camp being done by
Arab workmen, not by prisoners.

In any case, corporals and sergeants are not allowed to
work.

Religion and Recreation.—The prisoners are
quite free to follow their own religious practices, which are
performed thrice a day ordinarily, and six or seven times daily
during Ramadan. Music and singing are permitted; prisoners have
manufactured several guitars and violins.

Correspondence.—Most of the prisoners brought
money with them; some have received sums of money from their
families through the Turkish Red Cross and the International
Committee of the Red Cross. They receive the amount in weekly
instalments of 30 piastres (about 6 shillings) per month. Each
person has a separate current account with the camp
accountant.

Letters take from three weeks to three months to get from
the sender to the prisoner to whom they are addressed. Some of
them are sent through the American Consul at Cairo. Very few of
the prisoners can write, but these may do so as often and for
as long as they wish. There is no system of delaying
correspondence after delivery or before despatch.

Prisoners’ Aid.—There is no relief committee in
the camp; so far, no general relief funds have been sent.
Sergeant-Major Hussein Hissan, a native of Constantinople, told
us that, although there were many poor prisoners in the camp,
there was no need to send help, as all prisoners are well fed,
well clothed and supplied with tobacco.

Prisoners’ Behaviour.—What strikes one more
than anything else on entering the camp is the prevailing
orderliness and cleanliness. A Turkish sergeant-major commands
each group of huts, and a Turkish sergeant is responsible for
each dormitory. The prisoners are smart, give the military
salute and come to attention at the orders of the
non-commissioned officers when those in command pass through
the camp.

Sergeant-Major Hassar Mohammed, from Angora, and Hamid
Abdallah, from Koniah (Asia Minor), told us, on behalf of their
fellow prisoners, that they had no complaints to make, and
assured us of the kind treatment which they receive.

On their part, the English officers and non-commissioned
officers declared that the prisoners are well disciplined and
very willing. In short, we took away with us an excellent
impression of Heliopolis Camp.

2. Hospital No. 2, at Abbassiah, near Cairo.

(Visited on January 2, 1917.)

This hospital, on the pavilion system, and arranged in
accordance with the requirements of modern practice, is
reserved exclusively for German, Austrian, Bulgarian and
Turkish prisoners of war. It is staffed by head doctor
Wickermann, assisted by four English doctors. Some English Red
Cross nurses and 18 Turkish orderlies attend to the sick and
wounded. These nurses and orderlies are engaged only with
treatment. The rough ward work and cleaning are done by native
employés. The pavilions are built of stone and separated
by intervals of 32-1/2 feet. The roofs are of cement. Along one
side runs a covered gallery wherein beds and arm-chairs are
placed for the open-air cure of patients for whom it is
prescribed. The floor of the pavilions is a kind of linoleum
made of sawdust and cement, and is covered with palm mats. The
windows are large, and the cubic space per patient ample. The
beds are arranged in two rows and have spring and stuffed
mattresses. Blankets are not stinted. The rooms are
scrupulously clean; and the hospital sterilising chamber serves
to disinfect the clothes, which, after being washed and
labelled, are stored in a wardrobe and handed back to the
owners when they leave the hospital. The prisoners have no
trouble over them. A large supply of things for the patients is
kept in the laundry.

Clothing.—The hospital patients wear pyjamas
like those of British soldiers; and, like the latter,
convalescents wear a bright blue suit with white facings and a
red necktie. Patients able to sit up have folding easy-chairs
at their disposal.

Dressings.—The hospital drug department is well
stocked. The wounded are supplied with surgical appliances, and
with artificial limbs of the most perfect make.

The day before our visit 80 wounded prisoners arrived at the
hospital from El Arish in an exhausted and emaciated condition.
We saw each case receive the most suitable treatment. The
apparatus most generally used for dealing with fractures
consists of a metal frame with flannel strips stretched from
side to side to form a kind of trough. When the broken limb is
in position the apparatus is suspended from the ceiling by
means of pulleys. We have never seen this ingenious arrangement
in any German or French hospital; it seems to us to be a very
practical idea and likely to prove of great benefit to the
wounded. At the head of each bed is a temperature chart, a diet
chart, and a clinical summary of the case.

Special Quarters.—The operating theatre is well
arranged; a sterilising stove is heated by paraffin. In the
wards for prisoners suffering from malaria the beds are
enclosed by mosquito nets to prevent the anopheles
mosquito infecting itself and then biting other patients or
people of the neighbourhood. Two wards are kept for
convalescent cases, who have a dining-room to stay in during
the day.

Cases of venereal disease are also confined to separate
premises.

The orderlies live in two comfortable tents in the hospital
garden, one of which, is occupied by those on day duty, the
other by those on night duty.

Hygiene.—The water is of good quality, supplied
from the Cairo water system. The prisoners can use the
well-equipped hot and cold baths at their pleasure. Invalids
wash themselves, or are washed with the aid of bowls.
Convalescents wash at the taps supplied for their use.

The latrines are on the Turkish plan, with automatic
water-flush, and discharge into the town drainage.

Food.—The hospital management employs a
contractor to do the provisioning. The food is prepared in the
kitchen by 4 Egyptian employés. The dietary of the
Turkish soldiers differs somewhat from that of the German and
Austrian prisoners, in order to suit the palates of each. For
example, the Turks prefer flat loaves, which are baked for
them; while European prisoners get what is called English
bread, toasted. Bulgarian curdled milk is prepared for
dysentery patients, and the English doctors testify to its good
effects.

An ice-box in each pavilion keeps such provisions as must
stay there quite fresh. The diet for invalids is divided into
full diet and milk diet.

1. FULL DIET.

• Breakfast: Bread; milk.
• Lunch: Meat stew; vegetables; rice; bread.
• Supper: Bread; soup; rice; milk.
• Extra, when ordered: Chicken; pigeon; rabbit;
  butchers’ meat; lemons; eggs; cheese; curdled milk.

2. MILK DIET.

• Breakfast: Bread; milk.
• Lunch: Soup; bread; milk; rice.
• Supper: Bread; milk; sugar.

The quantities of food allowed to invalids are given
below:

We examined all these provisions and found them to be
excellent in quality.

Sickness.—Sick prisoners are transferred from
the camps to the hospital in specially fitted motor vehicles.
The English doctors without exception praise the patience and
brave endurance of pain shown by the Turkish prisoners. The
cases treated in the hospital up to January 2, 1917, the date
of our visit, are analysed below.

There is no epidemic disease in the hospital.

Deaths.—Sixty-six Turkish prisoners died in the
Abbassiah hospital between August 8, 1916, and January 1,
1917.

In addition, one German prisoner died of pneumonia. As
regards deaths from dysentery, most of the prisoners attacked
by the disease came from the Hedjaz, and were in a seriously
weak and exhausted condition.

Turkish prisoners are prepared for burial in the manner
prescribed by their religion. They are buried in a Moslem
cemetery. British soldiers from the garrison pay them the last
honours, and the prisoners are represented at the
cemetery.

3. Maadi Camp.

(Visited on January 3, 1917.)

The chief camp at Maadi is 9-1/3 miles south of Cairo, on
the right bank of the Nile. All prisoners are taken to it after
capture, and thence distributed among the other camps in
Egypt.

Strength.—Five thousand five hundred and
fifty-six Turkish non-commissioned officers and men, including
1,200 men recently captured at El Arish in the Sinai
peninsula.

No officers are interned in this camp. Three imaums
(priests) were not classed with the officers, as they had
served as privates.

The prisoners include—besides Turks—Arabs,
Armenians, Greeks, Jews from Palestine and Mesopotamia, and
some Senoussi. Only a small number have been captives ever
since the beginning of the war; a large proportion come from
Gallipoli. We found among the prisoners a boy 8 years old,
named Abd-el-Mohsen, who lives in camp with his father.

The camp is divided into 41 sections and 4 quarters. The
last are divided off from one another by barbed wire
fences.

Accommodation.—The quarters of the Turkish
prisoners in Maadi Camp include: (1) Old buildings originally
erected as a school of music and subsequently used as a
factory; (2) barracks built recently for prisoners of war.

The first consist chiefly of a huge hall 252 feet long and
49 feet wide, with many large openings in the walls. The roof,
of match-boarding, is 33 feet above the floor. Standpipes are
fixed all along the hall. There are, in addition, some
out-buildings used by the management and as stores.

In the other camp sections new barracks, measuring as a rule
100 by 39 feet, were erected by a building firm. Walls and roof
are of wood and thatch; the floor is hard-beaten earth. All
camp quarters are well open to the air, so that proper
ventilation presents no difficulties.

Sleeping Accommodation.—Lengthwise of all the
quarters run platforms of beaten earth, 6-1/2 feet wide, and 9
inches above the floor. On these are placed the woven rush mats
which serve for beds. Each prisoner has 3 blankets. During the
season when the temperature falls appreciably at night extra
blankets are served out. All bedding is cleaned and disinfected
at regular intervals. Shelves whereon the prisoners can keep
their belongings are fixed between the rows of beds.

Food.—The food of the prisoners of war is
according to the scale already given. Kitchens are provided in
each section and staffed by the prisoners themselves. We tasted
the soup and meat stew, and found them of good quality and very
appetising. The prisoners receive baladi or native
bread, which resembles their usual food and is supplied by
Cairo bakeries. We questioned many of the men, who assured us
that they were satisfied with the food. The only complaint
noted by us was that of a man who thought that he got rice too
often. A small canteen supplies black coffee, sweetened, at a
farthing per cup. It is run as a private concern under the
supervision of the authorities. Tobacco is distributed every
Thursday on the scale mentioned previously.

Clothing.—Soon after their arrival in camp the
prisoners were taken to a large courtyard, in which they
stripped off all their clothes and foot-gear. As a health
precaution all this stuff was scrapped and destroyed. After
being disinfected, the men received a complete new outfit
consisting of two pairs of drawers and two flannel shirts, a
cholera belt, socks, a pair of trousers and a dark blue cloth
tunic with linen lining and uniform buttons, and a red fez.
Leather slippers for privates and shoes for sergeants and
corporals complete the outfit, the smartness of which leaves
nothing to be desired. Although on the day of our visit the
thermometer stood at about 53°F. many of the men were also
wearing their thick cloth overcoats. Every prisoner has
fastened in his tunic a small metal plate bearing his
registration number. Non-commissioned officers are
distinguished by a white linen armlet, crossed by a blue band
for corporals, and by a red band for sergeants. The
sergeant-major wears a red armlet.

Hygiene.—The drinking-water used in camp is
drawn by two steam pumps from a well sunk to a great depth
close to the Nile. The Nile water, after passing through a kind
of natural filter, is thus lifted into a reservoir above the
camp, and is distributed in all directions by gravity. The
bacteriological analysis made every week when the supply was
first opened—now once a month—showed the water to
be perfectly pure.

Water for washing purposes is plentiful. Hot and cold
shower-baths are installed throughout the camp. The prisoners
are obliged to use them once a week, but may, if they choose,
have a bath four times a day. In summer especially the baths
are never idle.

Prisoners get plenty of soap and wash their own linen on
wooden tables arranged under water taps.

Two high-pressure steam disinfecting chambers serve the
camp, and once a week all blankets are passed through them. The
camp contains no fleas, lice, or bugs.

The day latrines are 100 yards from the living quarters.
They are of the Turkish kind, with movable tubs—1 tub for
every 10 men. Every tub contains some cresol solution. The
night-soil is removed daily by the Cairo road authorities and
converted into manure. Some latrines close to the barracks are
kept for night use and are locked up during the day.

Medical Attention.—The medical service of Maadi
Camp is in the hands of head-doctor Captain Scrimgeour, who in
time of peace practised in Nazareth. He is assisted by an
English doctor-adjutant, and 4 Arab doctors, natives of Syria.
All these doctors speak Turkish and Arabic. Nine English
orderlies and 12 Turkish orderlies carry out the sick duties. A
dentist comes to camp when required.

The infirmary included three well-appointed quarters built
in masonry, and able to hold 40 patients.

The infirmary bedding accommodation consists of iron
bedsteads with spring mattress and stuffed mattress. The
blankets are warm and unlimited in number.

Illness.—Every morning 300-400 prisoners come
on sick parade. This number represents about 8 per cent. of the
strength. Although these men often come to be treated for
trifling ailments, such as slight constipation, or even a small
boil, the doctors make it a rule not to prevent anyone going
sick, as this course enables them to keep the closer watch upon
the health of the camp.

On the occasion of our visit there were in the infirmary 7
men laid up: 1 with itch, 1 with diarrhoea, 1 with neuralgia, 1
with an abscess in the neck, 1 with articular rheumatism, and 1
with gastritis. A prisoner who had been trepanned by the
doctors on account of damage done to his skull before his
capture, was gradually recovering the power of motion and his
normal sensibility.

Since the camp was opened there have been 35 cases of
tertian ague, all from the Hedjaz, Mecca, Taïf and Jeddah;
but no case of aggravated malaria. Eleven cases of tuberculosis
were sent into the Egyptian Red Cross hospitals and to that at
Abbassiah. Six cases of trachoma are now undergoing treatment
with applications of protargol. In summer there have been a few
cases of ordinary diarrhoea. The camp has not suffered from
dysentery, typhoid, typhus, nor any other epidemic disease.

All prisoners are inoculated against smallpox, typhoid and
cholera.

The Severely Wounded and those who have lost
Limbs.—A special quarter of the camp contains 55 men
who have lost limbs in the war. They are provided with the most
perfect prothesis apparatus, jointed artificial limbs. Among
them are 2 blind men. Sixty other wounded who have escaped more
lightly suffer from stiffness of the joints, ankylosis and
atrophy. They are well provided with sticks and
crutches.

Deaths.—Two aged prisoners have died in the
camp, both from apoplexy. They were interred with military
honours in the Moslem burial-ground nearest to the
camp.

Exercise.—No limit is placed upon the time
during which exercise may be taken in the open space round the
barracks.

Work.—The prisoners have not to do work.
Several attempts have been made to teach them boot-making, but
their results were so unpromising that they were given up.
Although there are many agriculturists among the prisoners, it
would not do to use them for work on the land along with the
natives, owing to the ease with which they could escape and the
need for having many soldiers to guard them. However, for some
weeks past the camp commandant has made trial of using some
prisoners for market gardening on lands beside the Nile, just
outside the camp.

Discipline.—Under the head of discipline there
are hardly any complaints to make, and punishment has rarely
had to be inflicted. One case of escape was punished with three
months’ imprisonment without any alteration in diet. Only
tobacco was cut off. An old offender was brought before a
court-martial, and sentenced by it to six months’ imprisonment.
The prison quarters are cells built entirely of cement, with
two barred windows well above the ground to light the chamber,
which is of ample size.

Right to Make Complaints.—The camp commandant
makes a general inspection every day. Every prisoner has the
right to step forward and make his complaints. The commandant
converses with the prisoners through the medium of several
British officers who speak Arabic and Turkish. Moreover, the
prisoners have the right of appeal to the Commander-in-Chief
and to Brig.-General Casson, who often make tours of inspection
through the camps.

Religion.—The prisoners have every opportunity
for practising their religious observances. For the Mahometans
a small mosque has been built, round which they spread their
praying carpets. Some of them read the Koran regularly; others
seem indifferent. Despite differences of race, origin, and even
of religion, good-feeling prevails among the prisoners and
quarrels are very few in number.

Games and Recreations.—As regards games and
recreations, the prisoners are interested only in wrestling,
cards and dominoes. They have been introduced to football
without success. Some have shown great skill in the manufacture
of mandolines, guitars, and tambourines. All materials as well
as games are provided gratis by the British Government. The
camp commandant has bought the men some gramophones. Many
prisoners make articles of coloured beads—handbags,
purses, necklaces, bracelets, etc.—which show
considerable artistic taste. We bought one of these beautiful
pieces of work as a specimen. The articles sell readily in the
curiosity shops at Cairo. One section of 1,200 prisoners netted
from the sales a sum of 2,500 francs in a fortnight.

Correspondence.—Most of the prisoners receive
very few letters or none. They are allowed to write in their
language once a fortnight, but take very little advantage of
the permission. It seems that many letters addressed to their
families in Turkey come back again, as the addressee has not
been found. Some Turks captured near Bagdad and transported to
Burmah received their money from home, but have not received
any more during the one or two months that have elapsed since
they were transferred to Maadi. It is probable that the money
was sent home again, or forwarded officially to the new place
of internment, and this takes a long time. Several prisoners
have taken advantage of their captivity to learn reading and
writing with their comrades’ assistance. Many men had money on
them when they were taken. This money is lodged, and handed to
them at demand in monthly payments. Many soldiers have received
money orders from their families through the International
Committee of the Red Cross. Parcels, which are seldom received,
are opened in the presence of the addressee. Only knives are
confiscated.

Help for Prisoners.—Leaving out of
consideration the wish expressed by some men to have a little
money for buying extra tobacco and coffee, we are satisfied
that there are no needy persons in the camp at Maadi.

Mentality.—The many questions which we have
asked show that there is no dissatisfaction among the prisoners
with regard to the treatment they receive. Prisoners have
mentioned to us chiefly their anxiety about their families, of
whom they have no news. The Armenian clergy at Cairo look after
their fellow-countrymen.

4. The Egyptian Red Cross Hospital at Cairo.

(Visited on January 4, 1917.)

The Egyptian Red Cross, under the presidency of His Highness
Prince Fuad Pasha, being anxious to help its co-religionists,
founded in March, 1915, a hospital for sick and wounded
prisoners of war. This hospital is under the sole management of
the Turkish Red Cross, which is in touch with the British
authorities through Dr. Keatinge, Professor of the Faculty of
Medicine at Cairo.

Sanitary Staff.—All the hospital doctors are
Egyptian. In addition to the doctor-in-chief, Dr. Abbas Bey
Helmey, two doctors, three surgeons, and one druggist live in
the hospital.

Consulting doctors come from the town when sent for to treat
nose, ear and eye troubles. A Cairo specialist also places his
X-ray apparatus at the service of the hospital patients. The
matron is an American, and has three English nurses under
her.

Thirty-two orderlies do the ward work.

Accommodation.—The Egyptian Red Cross Hospital
is installed in an old palace of Omar-Pasha Lufti, situated in
a large garden, which is very shady and well kept. The
dimensions of the wards assure easy circulation of air and
perfect ventilation. As the building was not designed to serve
its present purpose, the various staffs are somewhat scattered,
but this difficulty has been got over in a most practical
manner. A huge corridor gives communication between the wards,
which are usually 23 feet square and 26 feet high. The large
wards considerably exceed these measurements, and their
tasteful decoration gives them a characteristic style. On the
first floor, the rooms for the consumptive patients measure 16
by 16 by 13 feet—a very good cubical allowance for the
four beds in each. The floor is of large flag-stones. Most of
the rooms command the garden and a courtyard planted with
trees. The building occupied by the guard is quite separate
from the hospital. Electricity is used throughout the
buildings.

Bedding.—The iron bedsteads, painted with white
ripolin, are separated from one another by pedestal tables. The
spring mattress, stuffed mattress, sheets and pillows are in
very sound condition. There is no limit set to the number of
blankets allowed. The beds are covered with pretty blue and
white quilts, with the Red Cross in the middle. This quite
recent innovation has a very pretty effect.

Food.—The commissariat is arranged by contract
with a head cook. The menus are drawn up by the doctors
according to the diet prescribed. We tasted the day’s food and
found it excellent. All provisions examined by us were of good
quality and carefully overlooked. The kitchen, with its
well-fitted ranges and polished utensils, struck us favourably.
The cooking and attendance is done by persons engaged by the
chef.

Each man is provided with two bowls of tinned copper and a
drinking cup. All invalids get sweetened tea twice a day.
Officers may choose tea or coffee. The following is the
hospital dietary:

FOR OFFICERS.

• Breakfast: European bread; fresh milk; 3 eggs;
  tea; coffee.
• Lunch: Mutton; two dishes of vegetables, or
  macaroni rice; salad; rice pudding; coffee; fruit.
• Dinner: The same as lunch, but without
  fruit.

ORDINARY DIET.

• Breakfast: Arab bread; sweetened fresh
  milk.
• Lunch: Arab bread; beef; rice, vegetables.
• Dinner: Arab bread; rice soup; rice
  pudding.

MILK DIET.

• Breakfast: Bread, 350 grm.; sweetened milk.
• Lunch: Arab bread; soup; beef-tea; rice
  pudding.
• Dinner: Bread, 350 grm.; sweetened milk.

FEVER DIET.

• Breakfast: Milk, 400 grm., without sugar.
• Lunch: 400 grm. of milk without sugar.
• Dinner: 400 grm. of milk without sugar.

On Sunday and Thursday mutton is replaced by game. On the
same two days a course of sweetened rice and macaroni is
substituted for fruit. The ration of Arab bread is 780 grammes
for ordinary diet; that of European bread 450 grammes. The
proportion of other articles is equally liberal.

Clothing.—The sick men’s garments are consigned
to a storehouse, and are replaced by 2 nightshirts, a hospital
jacket with a hood, and a pair of slippers.

Hygiene.—Drinking water is drawn from the town
main and filtered before use. There is an ample installation of
lavatories with running water, baths with hot and cold douches,
and Turkish baths. Turkish latrines have been fitted in the
annexes of the palace. Natives do the laundry work and
ironing.

Special Quarters.—The Red Cross Hospital is
provided with a spacious, well-lighted theatre for operations,
and all the necessary apparatus. In a neighbouring ward a
powerful fumigating stove, built by natives after a French
model, enables instruments and dressings to be completely
sterilised. Since the introduction of this perfected method of
sterilisation cases of infection and erysipelas have entirely
disappeared from the hospital, and post-operation mortality has
been reduced to barely one quarter per cent.

There is a laboratory devoted to summary analyses; more
complete chemical or bacteriological analyses are carried out
in the town institution. The dispensary is well supplied,
containing all the most modern medicaments.

Six wards are reserved for tuberculous cases, who have their
own special nurses. Such consumptives as are not confined to
bed pass most of the day in one of the palace gardens which is
assigned to them.

One ward is occupied by wounded officers; another by the
non-commissioned officers. Two more wards are set apart for
patients suffering from dysentery. Operation cases are
assembled in a special chamber adjoining the theatre. Three
comfortable English hospital tents erected in the garden serve
as accommodation for convalescents who have to vacate their
beds in the palace when an unexpected influx of sick or wounded
prisoners takes place. All the wards are clean and well kept;
at the head of each bed is a medical chart detailing the
illness and the temperature.

Sickness.—Since March 17, 1915, the date of its
foundation, up to the day of our visit, the Egyptian Red Cross
Hospital has treated 2,245 wounded or sick prisoners.

There are at the present time 149 prisoners under treatment,
8 Ottoman officers and 141 soldiers, distributed as
follows:

Surgical cases (wounds): 66; among them 13 invalids and 6
who have undergone amputation and have been detained a long
time in the hospital.

Internal ailments: 38; we may mention among the most serious
cases of this kind noticed by us, 4 suffering from bilious
haemoglobinurea, all from Bagdad; 6 from dysentery, anaemic and
enfeebled patients; 4 from chronic nephritis.

Eye affections: 25.

Consumptives: 20.

Which make up the total of 149 cases.

Among the officers under treatment we may mention: 1 wounded
right knee, 1 scalp wound, 1 compound fracture of the thigh, 1
neck wound, 1 bullet wound in the chest, 1 bullet wound in the
face, all recent cases coming from El Arish.

Deaths:

The dead were buried in the Musulman cemetery with military
honours, such comrades as were well enough attending the
ceremony.

5. The Cairo Citadel Camp.

(Visited on January 3, 1917.)

This camp occupies the curious Jewel-Palace, one of the
monuments of the citadel, and contains only women and children
coming from Hedjaz, who were captured near Mecca.

The dates of arrival are as follows:

Numbers.—The total includes 229 women and 207
children (7 of whom were born in camp), and a further batch of
200 women is expected shortly.

The Head Matron is Miss Lewis. It is she who has the
management and full control of this camp, which, by its
character and its diversity of nationalities, classes and
religions, demands great patience, tact and
kindness—qualities possessed in the highest degree by
Miss Lewis. She devotes herself entirely, and most capably, to
this often very ungrateful task, and we welcome this chance of
conveying to her the expression of our appreciation.

Those interned are divided into three classes. The first
class consists of officers’ wives and children; the second
class, of those of the non-commissioned officers; and the third
class, of soldiers’ wives and servants. This classification has
been adopted in order that the dormitories shall be occupied by
persons of as nearly as possible the same social
standing.

Accommodation.—The important group of buildings
known as Saleh-el-din (Saladin) comprises a great number of
rooms whose size and curious ornateness contrast strangely with
their present use as a concentration camp for civilian
prisoners. From the windows of these apartments one looks
across the panorama of Cairo, with its mosques, its minarets
and the misty background of the desert.

The 40 inhabited rooms are allotted in three sections,
corresponding to the social classification established for the
interned women.

The rooms and corridors are paved throughout with marble,
but the general distribution of mats and even beautiful carpets
gives an impression of comfort. The large dimensions of the
chambers, as compared with the smallness of the number of
occupants, give plenty of room for exercise and work. Corridors
and vestibules connect the different buildings. They are
lighted with paraffin lamps.

An extensive garden is always at the prisoners’
disposal.

Bedding.—The japanned iron bedsteads are
furnished with spring and stuffed mattresses, sheets, blankets,
and pillows. In their arrangement one notices the influence of
personal taste. Embroidered coverlets, hangings and upholstery
give to some of the apartments an aspect of comfort and even of
elegance. The military administration supplies all the
furniture and the regulation bedding, to which the inmates may
add what they like at their own expense.

Dress.—The English authorities supply women and
children with all their linen and other clothing.

Food.—Provisioning is a private enterprise,
carried out under a contract. The food is the same for all
classes, and is unlimited in quantity. The women are given as
much as they desire of each dish. No complaint was made
concerning the food, which is wholesome and palatable. We
visited the kitchen and sampled the day’s menu. Milk in large
quantities is provided for the children. The meals are served
in three well-appointed dining-rooms.

The hours for meals are:

• Breakfast, from 7.30 to 8.30.
• Lunch, from 12.30 to 1.80.
• Supper, from 5.30 to 6.80.

Hygiene.—Water is supplied from the town mains.
Lavatories are installed in the corridors near the dormitories.
The inmates may have hot and cold baths every day. As to
laundry work, those of the first class can have it done by
their own servants or pay the third-class women to do it.

The W.C.’s consist of movable tubs on the Turkish system,
each containing a solution of cresol. They are emptied daily by
contract into the citadel cesspool, which communicates with the
main sewer of Cairo.

Medical Care and Illnesses.—The Head Physician,
Captain Scrimgeour, comes to the camp every day; a Greek doctor
also visits it four times a week at 9 o’clock in the morning.
These two doctors both speak Turkish and Arabic fluently. Three
trained nurses and an English midwife take charge of the
infirmary. As Moslems usually have very good teeth, the
services of a dentist are not often needed.

The infirmary is very commodious. It consists of a
consulting-room, with a couch for examinations; a surgery, and
a sick ward.

In the infirmary register the name, the disease, the
treatment and the course of the illness are all duly noted.

When the internment camp was opened a hundred prisoners
applied for treatment daily; many had suffered great privations
previous to their capture. At the present time only 5 or 10
patients take advantage of the doctor’s visit; and these are
mild cases, chiefly bronchitis, constipation, diarrhoea, and
eye affections among women and children, and some cases of
heart affections and chronic bronchitis among the old
people.

There is neither malaria, dysentery nor typhus in the camp,
and no epidemic malady. An early case of tuberculosis, without
Koch’s bacillus in the sputa, was cured.

On the day of our visit to the infirmary we found 5 patients
in bed or crouched in the oriental manner upon their bedsteads;
1 suffering from senile paralysis, 2 from bronchitis, 1 from
inflammation of the ears, and 1 from general debility.

Maternity.—Confinements not being uncommon, it
was necessary to establish a maternity ward. There were 5
births during the last three months of 1915. Two more occurred
upon the day we inspected the camp, mothers and infants doing
well.

Deaths.—Up to that time there had only been one
death at the Citadel Camp, that of a baby prematurely born,
which died from debility at the age of 18 days.

Education.—A school has been started in the
camp, and all boys as well as girls up to 12 years old are
obliged to attend it. A mistress teaches them Turkish and
Arabic, and also gives them half an hour’s instruction in
English daily.

Religious Services.—The imaum came once to hold
a Mahometan service, but the interned women expressed no desire
that he should repeat his visit. However, an old woman, chosen
from among them, reads the Koran aloud upon feast days.

Intellectual Diversions.—The women seem to have
no needs or desires on this score. They pass their days in
talking and smoking.

The camp has been presented with a gramophone.

Work.—This is absolutely voluntary. The head
nurse has organised a little dressmaking class, the wife of a
former president, Sir B. McMahon, having given her £10
with which to buy the necessary materials. The results will be
divided equally among those who did the work, but as most of
the women have plenty of money they are not energetic over
it.

Money.—Many of those interned had money on
them, sometimes a large amount, when captured; the whole of
which has been left in their hands. They often send money
through the agency of British officers to their husbands who
are prisoners in Maadi Camp, or at Sidi Bishr, near Alexandria.
Others, on the contrary, receive allowances from their
husbands. Some money orders have also come through the
International Red Cross Committee.

Correspondence.—Each person interned has the
chance of writing once a week; those who do not know how to
write get help from their companions. An interpreter is
attached to the camp. Many letters arrive through the medium of
the International Red Cross Committee, but the exchange of
correspondence is not generally very active.

Wishes of the Interned.—Some of the women
express a wish to see their husbands more often, at least once
a month; others wish to see their sons or brothers who are
prisoners at Maadi or at Sidi Bishr. This being a legitimate
and comprehensible desire, the English Government has several
times already allowed the husbands to come from these camps (4
hours distant by train) to spend three or four days with their
wives in the Citadel. A part of the building containing 12
rooms has been reserved for these visits. But it would clearly
be impossible to permit these indulgences often, as they entail
considerable expense, and require much organisation and
surveillance.

Repatriation.—Some of the women beg to be sent
back to Turkey, which the British Government has already
offered to do. Many, on the other hand, prefer to remain in
Cairo. The American chargé d’affaires in Egypt, M.
Knabenschuh, is considering this question. He has visited the
camp several times, and has transmitted different propositions
of the English Government to the Sublime Porte. The first offer
was to repatriate the interned women and children by means of
an American vessel, which would land them at the port of
Mersina in Asia Minor. The second was to take them back to
Turkey in an English hospital ship, which should at the same
time carry medical supplies, food and clothing to the English
prisoners in Asia Minor, and bring away about 25 English ladies
who had been made prisoners in Mesopotamia. Finally, the
English Government offered to repatriate the Turkish women
without any reciprocity conditions. Unhappily, up to now all
these proposals have borne no fruit. The English Government
sincerely desires to be freed from the maintenance and
surveillance of these people, whom it took under its care
merely for reasons of humanity.

Special Inquiry at the Citadel Camp.—During our
visit to the Maadi Camp, Dr. Suleïman Bey, head physician
at Taïf, a town of the Hedjaz, told us that he had
personally nothing to complain of in the camp treatment, but
that his wife and children, interned in the Cairo Citadel, were
suffering greatly from the conditions there. What he especially
criticised was the diet and the medical attendance. These
complaints, made in much detail, seemed to us to deserve a
specific inquiry, and we went again to the Citadel next day. We
closely cross-questioned Mme. S. and another of the ladies. Her
replies, collected and confronted with the official data, our
personal observations, and the testimony of the other interned,
absolutely convinced us that Dr. Suleïman’s accusations
had no real foundation. Mme. S. assured us that meat was only
provided three times weekly. We have proof that meat is served
six times each week, a quarter of an English pound being
supplied to each person. After telling us that the cheese and
olives were of the worst quality, she finished by owning that
she only found the cheese too salt and the olives monotonous.
Mme. S., who purchased coffee, biscuits, fruit and bonbons at
the canteen, would not touch ordinary bread because it was not
good enough for her. This bread, which is provided by the best
bakery in Cairo, is served fresh twice a day to whoever desires
it. Mme. S. has enough money to buy any food that she wishes,
either from the canteen or by ordering it in from the town. Her
companions, less rich and less dainty, find the food provided
by the camp kitchen both excellent and abundant.

As Dr. Suleïman Bey complained that his two sick
children, interned at the Citadel with their mother, received
no medical care, they were examined by Dr. Blanchod. The one
suffered on its arrival in camp from ophthalmia, now completely
cured, no trace of photophobia remains, no redness nor oedema;
the other had its sub-maxillary glands enlarged; these glands
are now reduced and nothing to worry about.

These two children have received constant care from (Dr.)
Captain Scrimgeour, their names are repeatedly entered in the
infirmary register, and their mother herself expressed
gratitude for the care which had been lavished upon them.

Dr. Suleïman Bey’s complaints upon this point therefore
proved equally inexact.

6. The Ras-el-Tin Camp.

(Visited January 5, 1917.)

This camp of interned civilians is situated on a rising
ground beside the sea, 5 kilometres (3 miles) from
Alexandria.

The camp contains 45 Ottoman civilians of military age, and
24 others; the latter are all elderly men, or have been
exempted from military service owing to illness. There is one
priest (imaum). We also found 400 Austro-Germans interned at
Ras-el-Tin; many of them had been in Egypt when war was
declared and could not get home.

Though our mission was to visit the Turkish prisoners, we
made a point of concerning ourselves equally with the Austrians
and Germans, and of entering into conversation with them.

Several Ottoman prisoners in the camp were making the
pilgrimage to Mecca when they were captured by the Sherif’s
troops and passed over to the English authorities, who interned
them. The camp at Ras-el-Tin was to be evacuated in a few days’
time, and all the occupants were to be transferred to Sidi
Bishr Camp, now prepared to accommodate 5,000 men. In this camp
there will be a special section for civilians.

The commandant of Ras-el-Tin is Major F.G. Owens, who takes
the greatest interest in his prisoners. Every day he personally
receives anyone who has a wish or a complaint to bring
forward.

The camp was visited in 1916 by the American Consul from
Alexandria, and also by the American chargé d’affaires
from Athens.

Accommodation.—The civilians interned in the
camp of Ras-el-Tin are placed in tents. These circular tents,
set up either on the sand or on a cement base, each contain
three men. Those of the Ottoman prisoners form one sectional
group of 24 tents. In the centre of each tent is a wire-work
cupboard to contain personal belongings. The space inside the
tent is ample for the three beds. Some prisoners are provided
with matting and small rugs.

In the stone buildings surrounding the court a certain
number of rooms are reserved which open upon a veranda. Each
contains three beds. These comfortably fitted-up chambers are
assigned to elderly prisoners or to those in weak health. The
rest of the camp buildings are occupied by the administrative
quarters, the kitchens, refectories, canteens, etc. The English
guard is lodged under canvas in a special section. The camp is
lighted by electricity.

Bedding.—The bedsteads are iron provided with a
wire-spring mattress, a squab of vegetable fibre and a
sufficient number of blankets. All the bedding is kept
scrupulously clean.

Food.—The commissariat is supplied by a private
contractor. A committee presided over by the camp commandant,
and composed of delegates from among the prisoners, arrange the
menus for each week. The kitchen is very clean, and the
prisoners do not provide the personnel.

Here is the menu for Friday, January 5, 1917,
the day of our visit:

• Breakfast: Porridge; milk; chocolate; butter;
  bread.
• Lunch: Haricot soup; ragoût of beef and
  potatoes.
• Dinner: Rice soup; hashed meat (moussaka), with
  vegetables; eggs; tea.

The prisoners’ menu is extended on Thursdays and Sundays by
an extra dish and cake of some sort. We examined the day’s
provision in the kitchen, and found it wholesome and
appetising. When pork is included in the menu, which happens
rarely, this item is replaced, in the case of the Turkish
prisoners, by a dish of eggs and vegetables.

A second kitchen staff, installed in a separate room,
prepares a special menu which the prisoners can have by paying
for it. The commandant himself authorised the reservation of
this kitchen to provide for such prisoners as possess ample
means.

Here is the extra menu for January 5, 1917:

• Lunch: Italian dumplings; roast veal; salad and
  gherkins.
• Dinner: Soup “parmentier”; fish croquettes;
  braised beef with cabbage.

The meals are served at:

• Breakfast, half-past seven.
• Lunch, one o’clock.
• Dinner, half-past five.

Three canteens furnish all kinds of commodities to the
prisoners—ham, sausages, preserves, cakes, chocolate,
fruits, wine, beer, etc. The prices are exactly the same as in
the English army canteens. A shop, run by a Bulgarian merchant,
is permitted for the sale of tobacco, cigars and cigarettes.
Besides this there is a Viennese who makes cigarettes in the
camp itself. On Christmas Day the commandant made a generous
distribution of cigarettes to all the interned men at his own
expense. They can also obtain at the bar tea, coffee and other
drinks. In point of fact, we made sure that the camp
administration has organised the commissariat in a manner that
meets all needs.

Clothing.—The men arrived in camp in their own
clothes. When these began to wear out the administration
furnished a new outfit, which consists of two flannel shirts,
two knitted pairs of drawers, a vest and trousers of blue
cloth, an overcoat, a police hat or a fez for the Turks, socks
and slippers. The Mahometans receive Turkish slippers. All
prisoners have a red scarf and two handkerchiefs. A well-found
shop sells under-clothing at moderate prices, and articles of
outfit, scent, post-cards and watches.

Hygiene.—Drinking water, abundant and
wholesome, is brought from the mains of the town of Alexandria.
Besides the toilet lavatories, there are 4 bathrooms supplied
with hot water and cold douches always available. The prisoners
go in parties to bathe in the sea near the camp, under guard of
British soldiers.

The prisoners do their own washing, numerous wash-houses
being provided for the purpose.

The latrines are partly on the English and partly on the
Turkish system, 1 to every 10 men, cleanly kept. They are
disinfected daily. The floor and the lower part of the chambers
are treated with cresol; the upper part is whitewashed. The
sewers discharge into the sea. The sweepings are burnt in a
special stove.

Medical Attention.—The sanitary condition of
the camp is inspected at regular intervals by the Colonel,
medical director of Hospital No. 21, Alexandria. Captain (Dr.)
Dunne is resident in the camp; he pays a medical visit each day
at 9 o’clock. Eight to ten prisoners out of the total in camp
may present themselves for treatment, among them 1 or 2
Ottomans.

An interned Turkish civilian, Abrahim Assan, by calling an
employee in a Constantinople factory, who speaks French and
English perfectly, serves as orderly-interpreter.

An English Red Cross orderly assists the doctor. An Austrian
dentist, formerly in business at Cairo, gives dental attention
to the prisoners; he has a complete outfit of instruments.

The infirmary is well housed in a stone building. It
contains a consulting-room, supplied with a full-flushed
lavatory basin; a sick ward with 6 iron beds, mattress and
coverings ad libitum; an isolation ward, and a
dispensary.

Only slight cases are treated at the infirmary; serious
cases are removed to Hospital No. 21 at Alexandria, situated
within 10 minutes of the camp, a large modern hospital
overlooking the sea.

On the day of our inspection there were in the infirmary 1
prisoner ill with bronchitis; at the hospital 1 tuberculous
case and 1 with a wounded elbow.

The sanitary state of the camp has always been excellent.
Apart from two relapse cases of dysentery in 1916, there has
been neither trachoma, typhoid, typhus, malaria, nor any other
infectious disease. This is explained by the fact that the
interned civilians were not in bad health before their
captivity, as was the case with soldiers who had sojourned in
the desert, whom we saw in the other Egyptian camps.

There had been no deaths in the camp or at the hospital in
Alexandria. The orderly, Abrahim Hassan, told us of his own
accord that the sick receive the most assiduous attention, and
have nothing but praise for the resident physician.

Religion and Amusements.—The prisoners offer
their prayers daily. A mosque will be built for them in the new
camp at Sidi Bishr.

Catholics are looked after by several Austrian priests, who
used to manage Catholic schools in Upper Egypt.

For the Germans and Austrians there is a good circulating
library, containing English, French and German books.

The prisoners have formed an orchestra, and organised
theatrical performances, for which they have painted pretty
scenery.

There is a cinematograph performance every evening. There
are a piano and harmonium. A photographer, who had an
establishment in Cairo before the war, practises his art in the
camp.

Discipline.—The very occasional cases of
infraction of rules which entail one or more days’ detention in
the police cells, have a special diet prescribed for them. The
military authorities find the general conduct of the civilians
quite satisfactory.

Exercise and Sports.—The prisoners have at
their own disposal that part of the grounds lying between the
tents and the barracks, a broad space where they can amuse
themselves all day long with football and other games.

They have also a tennis-court, of which the Austro-Germans
make more use than the Orientals; a committee of the prisoners
arrange the hours for each set of players. Skittles are very
popular. Fencing is eagerly learned; the English officer who
teaches it being delighted with his pupils’ progress. Lessons
in gymnastics, like those in other sports, are optional.

Periodically a gymkhana is got up, with donkey races,
gymnastic competitions, and the distribution of prizes.

Work.—No work is demanded from the
prisoners.

Correspondence, Money Orders and Parcels.—Very
few money orders are received. The interned Turks are chiefly
illiterate; those whose wives are interned at Cairo, and who
are allowed to occasionally visit them, seldom write, as they
know them to be well treated. Parcels are seldom sent to the
camp, and hitherto no philanthropic society has busied itself
over the necessitous.

Prisoners’ Aid.—The only plea which has been
addressed to us by means of the Ottoman interpreter, who speaks
French and English extremely well, comes from a certain number
of destitute prisoners. They wish to have, in addition to the
complete outfit with woollen overcoat supplied by the English
Government, a change of warm garments, which they have not the
means to buy. Many find it difficult to wear the kind of
foot-gear in ordinary use—the heelless leather Turkish
slippers—and wish for laced shoes such as they wear at
home. We asked the interpreter to make out a list of names of
the needy; and after submitting it to the commandant of the
camps for verification, we decided to send him from the Ottoman
Red Cross Fund the sum of 2,000 francs, to provide these
prisoners with the extra garments which they require, and with
shoes and tobacco.

7. Sidi Bishr Camp.

(Visited on January 6, 1917.)

The camp of Sidi Bishr is situated 15 kilometres (9-1/2
miles) to the north-east of Alexandria in a healthy spot on the
sea shore, where the sand dunes form little hillocks
intersected by miniature valleys. Palms are scattered over it,
and it lies open to the fresh breezes. The view from the
highest points of the camp is very extensive. A recently
constructed road for vehicular traffic leads into the camp, all
the appointments of which give the impression that everything
has been done to make the prisoners as comfortable as possible.
A kitchen garden has just been laid out in a sheltered place,
and a flat piece of ground surrounded by palm trees prepared
for games, tennis, football, etc.

Strength.—The camp at Sidi Bishr contains 430
officers, 60 of whom have been here since February, 1915; 410
orderlies captured with their officers, on whom they attend,
each officer having 1 orderly; 10 imaums (priests); 20
civilians, who were captured by the Sherif of Mecca and at once
handed over to the English.

The commandant of the camp is Lieut.-Colonel Coates.

The American chargé d’affaires in Egypt has twice
visited the camp.

Accommodation.—The equipment of the camp at
Sidi Bishr not having been entirely completed before our visit
we found some of the buildings still in course of erection. But
the officers’ quarters were ready, and lacked nothing except
some furniture, which was daily expected. The barracks, 25
metres (81 feet) long and 8 metres (20 feet) wide, consisted of
a solid wooden framework, with partitions either of timber or
cement, constructed in the camp by native workmen. A corridor
about 1 metre 75 (6 feet) wide runs all along the front of the
building, and gives access to the chambers. These measure about
3 metres 50 (14 feet) by 4 metres (17 feet), and 4 metres (17
feet) from the wooden floor to the ceiling. All the interior
walls are lime-washed. Each room has two windows, glazed and
also covered with wire gauze to exclude insects, and a latched
door. Chimneys rise above the roof, which is of timber covered
with tarred felt.

According to regulation, the number of occupants of each
chamber depends upon their grade. Officers up to the rank of
captain are quartered four in each dormitory; captains three,
and colonels two. (Some superior officers have each a separate
chamber.) The orderlies are housed elsewhere. All the buildings
are lighted by electricity, generated by a local plant.

Bedding.—The iron beds have wire springs,
mattresses stuffed with vegetable fibre, pillows, and
sufficiency of blankets, to which many officers like to add
curtains and coverlets. The rest of the furniture is adequate,
and easy-chairs are general.

Food.—The officers’ mess is run by a
contractor. One of the officers, appointed by his comrades, is
entrusted with arranging the menus and seeing them properly
carried out. No limit is fixed to the choice and quantity of
food. The cost must not exceed 10 piastres (about 2s.) daily,
including tea, coffee, sugar, preserves, etc. The officers can
get any extras which they desire either from the canteen or
from the town, except alcoholic drinks, which are forbidden.
The meat is previously inspected by the veterinary of the
sanitary department. The bread is particularly good. Officers
are given European bread, orderlies native bread. We tasted the
day’s menu ourselves. No complaints with regard to food reached
us. The Turkish officers take their meals in two dining-rooms,
each of which seats 150. The tables are covered with cloths;
the china and plate are suitable.

The orderlies’ fare is wholesome and sufficient.

Dress.—The Turkish officers are warmly and
suitably clad. They can procure for themselves all kinds of
toilet articles and other equipment. Most of them wear civilian
costume with a fez. An Alexandria tradesman comes to the camp
to take their orders.

When inspecting the orderlies we heard some of them complain
of a lack of linen, especially of drawers. Surprised by this,
we made an immediate inquiry, which produced the following
results: the orderlies all received their regulation supply of
linen, and signed a receipt in the register. A certain number
of them subsequently sold the articles to their officers; these
are the men who now complain of a deficiency of linen.

Hygiene.—Abundant and wholesome drinking water
is laid on from the town system. The toilet supply comes to
cement basins provided with many taps. The water from the
lavatories and kitchens empties itself into a lake at some
distance from the camp.

In the morning the officers use the baths or douches fitted
up close to the barracks, and separated from each other by
woven grass partitions.

The officers’ linen is washed by their orderlies in very
convenient wash-houses built of wood and cement.

There are 44 Turkish W.C.’s, cemented, at a good distance
from the quarters. They are arranged over cesspools 18 feet
deep, disinfected every day with whitewash and cresol, and are
quite odourless.

Medical Attention.—The health of the inmates of
Sidi Bishr Camp is looked after by an English doctor, Captain
Gillespie, assisted by an Armenian doctor, who practised at
Aleppo in Turkey before the war.

These two doctors speak Arabic and Turkish.

An English corporal and 5 English hospital orderlies take
care of the sick.

Twenty-one Egyptian orderlies do the sanitary work of the
camp; serious cases are sent to the English hospital at
Alexandria. A Turkish Surgeon-Major, Dr. Ibrahim, interned at
the camp, is present at operations performed upon his Ottoman
comrades in the hospital. He expressed himself as entirely
satisfied with the care bestowed upon them.

The infirmary contains 12 iron bedsteads, with wool
mattresses and blankets. The consulting room is well fitted up,
the cupboards abundantly supplied with drugs. An isolation ward
accommodates infectious cases in the incubation stage.
Bathrooms reserved for the patients adjoin the infirmary, and
there is a kitchen service for preparing special diet.

Officers troubled by their teeth are taken to a dentist in
Alexandria.

The prisoners’ garments and bedding are sterilised in a
special apparatus.

All new arrivals pass 14 days in quarantine, in special
quarters in one of the sections of the camp. They are permitted
to join their comrades only when it is certain that they are
free from any contagious malady. At present 36 officers and 34
orderlies are in quarantine.

Illnesses and Deaths-All officers imprisoned at Sidi
Bishr having been vaccinated against smallpox, typhoid, and
cholera, there are no epidemics in the camp. Three to five
officers come forward each morning when the doctor makes his
rounds. There are perhaps 6 light cases of malaria weekly, 3 to
5 cases of bacillic dysentery every month, treated with serum;
1 case of more serious dysentery was sent away to the English
Hospital in Alexandria. In summer there are some mild cases of
diarrhoea. There were 3 cases of trachoma among the officers’
orderlies. Four tuberculous patients, coming from the Hedjaz,
were conveyed to the hospital without any stay at the camp; two
died after 20 and 30 days of treatment respectively. In the
infirmary at Sidi Bishr are now:

1 officer with a foot wound, 1 suffering from pharyngitis,
and one passing 1/2 per cent. of albumen.

Some of the Turkish officers were wounded in the war:

One whose thigh was amputated is provided with a fine
artificial substitute; one who had both bones of the lower arm
fractured, and was operated upon four times, is now well on the
way to recovery.

One suffering from hemiplegia, owing to a fractured skull,
is now able to move again and to walk with crutches. Another
lame officer is affected by rupture of a main nerve in the
leg.

Salik Sidki, judge of Mecca, entrusted us with a letter of
thanks to the English authorities, in recognition of the care
which he received at the hospital where he underwent a severe
operation for a chronic affection of the pylorus.

Prisoners’ Wishes.—Some officers complained of
not being allowed to go to Alexandria to make their purchases;
but in the circumstances such a request could not be gratified.
On the other hand, a certain number of officers have obtained
permission to go to Cairo and spend a few days with their wives
interned in the Citadel; it is evident that this favour is only
accorded in exceptional cases and cannot be made general. To
extend it equally to sons, brothers and other relations, as
some of the prisoners desire, is clearly impossible.

The officers were offered two hours’ walk every morning
outside the camp, in parties of 26, under the supervision of an
unarmed soldier, on condition of their giving their parole not
to escape. This they refused, declaring that a conditional
proposal was no privilege. They can, however, stroll about
freely inside the limits of the camp, which is very
extensive.

We received several complaints concerning rain having
recently found its way into the barracks. But the extreme
rarity of such an occurrence makes it of no importance.

Pay.—Officers’ pay is fixed by the War Office.
That of lieutenants comes to 5 francs daily, that of captains
to 5 francs 75, that of superior officers is proportionate to
their rank.

The orderlies, being privates, are not paid. Some of them
receive pay from their officers, others get nothing. Most of
them have some money, but nevertheless we have decided to remit
£20 to the camp commandant for the poorest soldiers’
small needs.

Correspondence.—Prisoners may write as often as
they like, but seldom take advantage of the privilege, and as a
rule receive few letters, which take from 40 to 45 days in
reaching them. Few money orders come to the camp.

Religion and Amusements.—The prisoners have
every chance of worshipping according to their own creed. The
imaums can use a building arranged as a mosque and lighted by
electricity. There is one mosque inside the camp enclosure.

The camp contains 40 musical instruments; a piano has been
hired for the officers.

The prisoners play football, tennis, cards and chess. Many
amuse themselves with reading.

8. Bilbeis Camp.

(Visited on January 16, 1917.)

Bilbeis Camp is situated 65 kilometres (40-1/2 miles) to the
north-east of Cairo, on the confines of the cultivated land of
the Delta. Founded in the month of August, 1916, it now
contains 540 prisoners grouped as follows:

First Division.—One hundred and thirty-five
Bedouins from the East and the Sinai peninsula, and civilians
coming from El Arish; 9 Arab soldiers of the Ottoman army; 5
Turkish soldiers from Syria; 30 Egyptians.

Second Division.—One hundred and seventy-five
Senoussi and soldiers from Tripoli; 185 Bedouins from the West,
and civilian prisoners of divers nationalities.

Among these prisoners are included several young boys who
have relatives among the interned. The characteristic of this
camp is the diversity of nationalities herein represented.
Though the number of Turks is restricted, we thought it wise to
visit this camp in order to assure ourselves that the treatment
of the prisoners is the same as in other Egyptian camps.

The camp commandant is Colonel Collins.

The camp is surrounded by a barbed wire fence.

The prisoners are lodged under canvas, 8 men to a tent. At
the present time two great barracks of timber framework and
reeds are being erected, each large enough to contain 250 men.
Their dimensions ensure perfect ventilation. The sandy soil
shows no trace of damp. Between the tents little gardens are
laid out wherein, thanks to the abundant water, the prisoners
can grow flowers and vegetables.

The camp is lighted by paraffin reflector lamps.

Bedding.—Mats of plaited rush. Two blankets per
man.

Exercise.—The dimensions of the camp leave
large clear spaces where the prisoners can walk at their
pleasure.

Food.—Cooking is done by the prisoners
themselves, provisions being supplied by the administration.
The quantities are the same as in the other camps. The menu
consists of: meat, bread, butter, cheese, lentils, fresh
vegetables, onions, rice, etc. The prisoners whom we
interrogated, either personally or through the medium of an
interpreter, declared that they were well fed. A little
canteen, set up in a tent apart, provides them with such small
luxuries as tea, sugar, and so on, at a moderate price. The
prisoners get tobacco regularly. Each man has a plate, an
enamelled bowl, and a spoon.

Dress.—The prisoners have all received a
complete outfit. Their clothing was clean and warm. The mending
of linen and outer garments is done by tailor prisoners,
working in a tent provided for the purpose. Their headdress is
the fez or a red cap.

Hygiene.—Drinking water is distributed
everywhere throughout the camp by means of pipes well supplied
with taps. Water for washing purposes is abundantly distributed
to the lavatories, douches and bathing-places.

The prisoners do their washing in well-fitted wash-houses; a
movable furnace facilitates the weekly disinfection of all the
prisoners’ effects.

The latrines, on the Turkish system, consist of movable
tubs, emptied each day by means of a “shadouf,” and then
disinfected with cresol and whitewash. There are no smells in
the camp.

Medical Attention.—Dr. Ibrahim Zabaji, a Syrian
refugee doctor, undertakes the medical charge. His work is
supervised twice a week by Lieut.-Colonel Garner and Captain
Scrimgeour.

There are 3 Turkish orderlies and 1 Coptic orderly.

The infirmary is clean and well appointed. It is sub-divided
into 4 quarters: the consulting room, dispensary, sick ward and
isolation ward.

The beds are iron with wire springs, the mattresses stuffed
with vegetable fibre, the number of blankets not limited.

All the men have been vaccinated against smallpox and
cholera. We learned from the infirmary registers that 30-40 men
attend daily at 8 o’clock, the doctor’s visiting hour.

The advanced age of many of the prisoners, who are suffering
from chronic affections, accounts for this large
attendance.

The day we visited the infirmary it contained 8 patients: 3
cases of malaria, 3 cases of bronchial pneumonia, and 2 cases
of dysentery.

As soon as they arrived in camp 25 men were attacked with
tertian malaria; 15 are cured, 10 are still being treated with
quinine. Of 7 attacked with dysentery 5 are now cured.

Ten men were suffering from trachoma and are still being
treated with protargol.

There has been no typhoid fever, nor typhus, nor any other
epidemic in the camp.

The serious cases are sent to the Egyptian hospital at
Zagazig, where they are looked after by native doctors. There
are 4 prisoners now in hospital: 1 eye case, 1 of tuberculosis,
1 of bronchitis, and 2 feverish patients under observation.

Six prisoners have died in the hospital since the camp was
established here. One had tumour on the brain, 2 chronic
enteritis, 1 tuberculosis, and 1 an intestinal obstruction. The
dead were buried with military honours and according to the
rites of their religion.

Work.—With the exception of fatigue duties,
nothing is required from the prisoners besides a little light
work in the gardens near the camp. Some of them make small
articles which are sold for their benefit.

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 gratitude 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 Abbassiah
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 assigned 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
shirts, 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 assert 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 quantities 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 washing 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-class English physicians, assisted by Armenian or Syrian
doctors; hospital orderlies keep the quarters in perfect order.
The infirmaries are spacious, 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 space 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 worship.

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
censorship 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.

Assaults 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.