Last 400,000 European POWs
To Quit The United States By Spring
By RAYMOND J. PETERSON
(/P) Newsfeatures
WASHINGTON — All enemy
prisoners of war, their wor': rap
idly nearing an end in the United
States, are expected to be re
turned to Europe by next spring,
providing a major source of labor
for reconstruction of the battered
continent.
The office of the provost mar
shal general of the Army says the
Italian service unUs comprising
229 officers and 8,400 enlisted
personnel.
Maj. Gen. Archer L. Lerch, pro
vost marshal general, said the
prisoners of war in this country
are working at present but the
need for such labor is decreasing.
The release of men from the
i Army, cutbacks in government
contracts for war Materials and
layoffs of workers during recon
version of war industries have
_ _ _ __i
VISITORS — War prisoners were Jacks-of-all-trades in man
power-conscious wartime America. Here a group of them are
shown working earth up on a Mississippi levee.
number of enemy prisoner, oi war
in the United Stales as of Sept. 12,
1C45, was 362,170 Germans and
49,784 Italians. (There were also
5,080 Japanese).
This does not include approxi
mately 12,500 prisoners who have
been shipped back to Europe since
V-E day.
The provost marshal general’s
office expected 18,000 additional
POWs to be returned to Europe
during September, including 49
j freed thousands of Americans to
! replace prisoners of war in cer
tain industries.
In the South, the POWs picked
cotton .citrus and other fruits, cut
sugar cane, harvested peanuts,
rice and tobacco and cut pulp
wood.
In the West they harvested
sugar beets, corn and grain, pick
ed and packed fruits and vege
tables, while in the North and
East they cut pulp and chemical
wood, harvested and packed fruits
and vegetables.
In addition to this work, which
was mostly on a contract basis be
tween the government and private
agencies, prisoners also worked
for the Army at bases and camps.
Although paid at the prevailing
wage level for civilian workers
doing the same type of labor, the
prisoners working on private con
tracts receive only 80 cents a day.
They are paid in coupons redeem
able for goods at camp canteens.
The remaining money earned
by the prisoners is paid to the
Army and deposited in the treas
| ury.
Through 1944. $22,000,000 was
deposited with the treasury. The
total of such deposits was $38,000,
000 up to June 1. 1945.
In addition the Army estimated
it saved $152,000,000 in wages by
using POW help in camps.
Housed In Camps
Prisoners are housed in 150
camps located on Army bases, and
at 300 branch camps set up wher
ever the prisoners are working.
The POWs housed at bases live ,
in compounds, usually an unused |
section of the camp’s baracks. i
However the branch camps vary!
from tents to abandoned schools i
or buildings in the vicinity of their;
work.
When they are ready to be |
shipped home, the POWs are:
moved into a staging area near
their port of embarkation. Then
they are loaded, in most cases,
aboard Army transports headed
for Europe to bring Americans
home.
Together with other prisoners
taken after the capitulation of
Germany, the POWs will be as
signed to various types of recon
struction work in Europe by the
manpower division of the Allied
control council.
The provost marshal’s office
said that with increased shipping,
lessened needs for POW labor in
the United States, and better fa
j cilities in the European theater to
I handle them, the return of all
POWs in the United States will
be materially stepped up so as to
have them all returned by spring.
NOW! FOR THE FIRST TIME
A TORQUE CONVERTER TRACTOR
HD-14-C
Tried, tested, proved on a variety of jobs during the war years, the new Allis
Chalmers HD-14-C Diesel Tractor is now ready to increase your production, cut
your operating cost. A new power drive—Torque Converter—gives the HD-14-C out
standing advantages over standard tractors:
MORE WORK is accomplished because horsepower output of engine is
held near maximum. This means higher average working speeds, more
loads moved per day.
LONGER TRACTOR LIFE is assured by the cushion effect of convertor
when master clutch is engaged. This eliminates shock, greatly reduces
breakage and wear.
LONGER LIFE OF EQUIPMENT PULLED OR PUSHED is the natural
result of gradual acceleration and even application of power.
SMOOTHER OPERATION . . . LESS GEAR SHIFTING means greater
operator comfort, more work done. Tractor operates in each speed with
out stalling. An overload can pull it to a standstill. . but engine can
not be stalled.
You will want to investigate these any many other advantages of this new-type
money-making Diesel tractor.
Lomen Commercial
Company
irvl
XM-;
mm
CROWN JEWELS SEIZE D—Lt. Col. Henry D. Cragon
of Nashville, Tenn., examines some of the German crown jewels,
taken by American soldiers as they battled through Germany
and no'v held at tb« Reichsbank Hn Frankfurt.
__ — i ■ ■■ ■ i— i n — ~i —— *'
WALLACE HOTEL & TAXI
NOME, ALASKA Phone MAIN 55
ALASKA TELEPHONE &
TELEGRAPH CO.
%
LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE SERVICE
Alaska Nugget and Ivory. Jewelry
• Brooches • Pendants
• Earrings • Bracelets
• Rings • Necklaces
• • •
Alaska Souvenirs
Leather Albums Diaries
Leather Comb Cases Pillow Tops
Leather Card Cases Billfolds
Alaska Map Table Cloths
• • •
POLAR CURIO
sb SHOP
Souvenm 1V/1 Diamonds
Keepsake
rTru'oTTi to iccr s a r k Ti w err*