Inspection:  May 1 and 2, 1945 by Dr. Rudolph Fischer, representing the Legation of Switzerland, and Mr. Charles C. Eberhardt, representing the Department of State.

It may be of interest to refer here to an attack which was made on this camp in March or April by the notoriety-seeking Walter Winchell.  Among other things, he criticized the camp for employing Germans near an American factory turning out war munitions.  Investigation developed the fact that both the Mississippi River and 100 miles intervened between the prisoners' working camp and the munitions factory under reference.

However, after all this publicity, Colonel Gammell, who is himself an old newspaperman, induced the well-known woman writer, Mary E. Bostwick, to visit the camp, with free access to everything and anything affecting the camp administration.  Her report as finally published in the Indianapolis Star of April 8, 1945 completely discredited Winchell.  A copy is attached to the original of this report.  Along the same lines, there is attached (1) and article which appeared in The Grenade published by the Service Club of Indianapolis, which sarcastically criticized the camp and its administration, and which Colonel Gammell took as a reflection upon himself directly. 

He invited one George Kingsbury, whose name was one of several attached to the article, to call and inspect the camp for himself.  A copy of his retraction of the article which appeared in The Grenade is enclosed (2), as is also a copy of his letter dated April 11, 1945 (3) addressed directly to Colonel Gammell.