Italian Prisoners at Camp Atterbury Pleaded for more Flour and Less Meat June 27, 1943 Inee Robb, International News Service staff correspondent, was in Tunisia as British forces raced toward victory.  Today she continues her series on Axis prison camps in America, revealing, among other things, that the Italian asked for less meat and more flour in their prison fare - and got it.   by Inee Robb CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - (INS) - When Lt. Col. John L. Gammell, commanding officer of the Italian prison stockade at Camp Atterbury, heard that Italian prisoners were giving the eye, emitting long low appreciative whistles and otherwise annoying the American girls working in the camp laundry, he got mad as hops. So he sent Lt. Col. Harley E. Johnson, a calm, pleasant gray-haired officer, into the laundry to investigate.  And what Colonel Johnson saw made his blood boil, too ! Because it was the American gals working in the laundry who were emitting long, low whistles and "yoo-hoos" at the Italian prisoners. Anyway, the situation has been changed and the prisoners can now go their way to and from work without distraction. Every prisoner at Atterbury is at work, either as a contract laborer to the farmers in the vicinity, or in soil erosion, salvage, road work or general camp improvements.  Prisoners are only permitted to work in agricultural pursuits or allied work (such as the tomato canneries where many will be employed in the autumn.) "We do not supply farm labor where regular labor is available," Colonel Gammell explained.  "We are never in competition with any local labor market." Prisoners of war labor is paid for at the prevailing wage scale in any community in which they are hired.  The prisoner gets 80 cents per day in script.  The government applies the remainder to camp maintenance costs.  This wage is determined for Colonel Gammell by the United States agricultural extension director for Indiana and details are handled through the county farm agent. A farmer who furnishes transportation is entitled to deduct 10 cents per hour for transportation.  All food is furnished by Camp Atterbury, none by the farmers. "All in all, we figure that any prisoner who is working is earning in one month in this country what he used to earn in six as an Italian soldier," Colonel Gammell said.  "No wonder they look content !" But no matter how much he earns, the prisoner can never draw more than $13 per month, and this always in coupons only redeemable at the canteens within their own compounds.  Of that sum, $3 represents the 10 cents per days allowance given each soldier for spending money under the Geneva Convention.  The other $10 is the maximum he may draw if he has been working and earning a salary.  The balance of his pay will be credited to him and will be paid him when he is repatriated. (All payments made to prisoners of war as wages must be reimbursed at the end of the war.  The precludes any country or nationals from profiting at the expense of the "host" county with which they have been at war.  The pay which prisoners of war receive is simply a temporary arrangement during their interment, the U. S. government explains.) The Italians at Camp Atterbury, like the Germans at Breckenridge, have a 50-acre prison farm on which they are growing a great variety of vegetables with which to provide some of their rations. The prison rations are identical with U. S. Army rations.  That is, identical with one exception.  The prisoners, respectfully petitioned through their own spokesman, for a reduction in their meat rations !  They explained that they were not accustomed to so much meat as Americans and could they, please, have a little more flour and less meat ? This has all been amicably arranged, and the Italians, accustomed to a starchy diet, are now getting it.  With I went through their kitchens, a young Italian cook proudly showed me an enormous crock of Boston baked beans he had learned to brew since his arrival at Atterbury around May 1st. The Italians like beans cooked a la Boston. They make their own delicious bread, of which they eat quantities.  And ovens were quickly opened to show me the meat prepared for the evening meal.  It was fat wiener sausages cut up and cooked in tomato sauce.  They looked simply deledtable. Like the Germans, there are never any leavings on the Italians' plates.  There is a common saying in the U. S. Army that the garbage from 10 American soldiers' plates will feed a pig.  A pig would die of malnutrition at Camp Atterbury or Camp Breckenridge ! The Italians were so starved for fruit when they arrived at Atterbury that they ate their grapefruits, rind and all. In their canteens they cannot buy enough of the American cigarettes, chocolate bars, candy and sweets available to them.  The first day's sale at the prison canteens amounted to more than $4,000 in prison coupons !  The prisoners are literally starved for many of the items which are common stock at any ordinary American canteen. In the pleasantly furnished day or recreation room in each compound (Camp Atterbury is a standard prison stockade with three compounds designed for 1,000 prisoners each), Colonel Gammell permits the prisoners to have a radio, an item forbidden the Nazi prisoners at Camp Breckinridge. "They love music," Colonel Gammell said.  "The radio in the recreation rooms is controlled by the Italian non-commissioned officer in charge. "I try to unload as much command on their own non-coms as possible," he continued.  "They're very co-operative and the system works well so far." However, the prisoners' own organization at Camp Atterbury differs considerably from that at Camp Breckinridge, where the Germans were given a sly lesson in democracy when they were instructed to elect their own representatives and spokesmen as go-between themselves and American prisoner officers. At Camp Atterbury, Colonel Gammell has appointed leaders according to their non-commissioned rank, including sergeants. For example, these appointed leaders determine how any profits from their own canteens shall be spent for the benefit of the whole group of war prisoners.

Source: St. Petersburg Times, Sunday, June 27, 1943

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