Exhibit -- Civilians and German and Austro-Hungarian POW's Interned in the U. S. During World War I (Part 1, Text)

Funeral procession for a sailor from either the interned German cruiser SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich or SMS Kronprinz Whilhelm. .

The imprisonment in the US of the interned crews of enemy Naval and merchant marine ships, enemy aliens, anti-war radicals and conscientious objectors is generally a little known facet of our WWI involvement. The WWI internment/POW camps became a precursor for the much larger and wider WWII facilities 20 years later.

This is the postal story of the thousands of Germans, Austro-Hungarians, and US citizens confined for various periods of time in military prisons, civilian jails or immigration stations. Early in the war internees and military POWs were held in scattered location through out the country. However, by early 1918, most captives were concentrated into the war prison camps at Fort Douglas, Utah, Fort McPherson, Georgia and Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.

The exhibit is organized along type and location of confinement facilities. In the presentation at each facility the postal history elements of delivery routes, usage, rates and censorship and various types of official stationary are covered. During the early stages of confinement policies of censorship and mail privileges varied considerably. Some location were very strict others had no restrictions. The major exhibit headings are:

Interned Ships

Hawaii

The Imperial German gunboat SMS Geier, her collier the SMS Locksun and nine German merchant ships were interned in Honolulu and Hilo. The Geier and Lockson arrived in Honolulu for repairs on October 15,1914. When the Japanese battleship Hizen arrived outside the US three mile limit on October 21, the German Captain decided to intern in Honolulu.

SMS Geier Marine Schiffpost No. 67, 12/22/1914. The German Feldpost making accepted and forwarded as first class mail. Note the return address of: SMS Geier/Berlin/Marine Fildpost

SS C.J.Ahlers interned at Hilo (8/28/1916). Ahlers did not have an on-board post office, so use of the U.S. post office was required. Correct two cent international post card rate. Censorship: None indicated.

SMS Grier (11/29/1916). Sent to Stockholm, Sweden, German Help Committee. Classified as prisoners of war, the crew by international convention received free franking privilege to Germany. However, since this cover went to Sweden, it incorrectly received free franking. The international rate of five cents was required. Censorship: British censor label

Konigsberg, Germany card to a SMS Geier crewman (4/22/1916). The card was mailed to the Berlin German Naval post office, forwarded through the Netherlands and then sent by neutral shipping to Honolulu. The red “prisoner of war” hand stamp was applied at the Berlin Naval Post Office.

Censorship: The purple censor hand stamp was applied at the Cologne censor office for foreign mail going to the Netherlands. . .

Kiel, Germany card to a SMS Geier crewman (7/4/1916). The card was likely sent to the Berlin German Naval post office, where it was returned to the sender for lack of transportation. Again the red “prisoner of war” hand stamp was applied at the Berlin Naval Post Office

Censorship: The purple censor hand stamp was applied at the Cologne censor office for foreign mail going to the Netherlands. . .

British Templemore, Ireland, POW camp mail to an interned Honolulu German sailor (4/3/1915 ) Censorship: Templemore censor hand stamp.

SMS Cormoran Marine Schiffspost No.8, 1/22/1915. The German Feldpost marking was accepted and forwarded as first class mail.

At the outbreak of war in Europe the SMS Cormoran was located in the German colony at Tsingto, China. To escape capture by the British or Japanese, it made for the safety of an American port . The SMS Cormoran was interned on the island of Guam on September 14, 1914.

Registered letter mailed through the Guam Post Office (1/17/1918) Guam and Manila registration stamps on the cover back.

Guam PAQUEBOT letter to a sailor on the SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich. (German cruiser interned in Portsmouth, VA). As the receiving post office, the cover was cancelled in Manila. The four cents paid the double weight postage.

SMS Cormorman -Classified as Internees/POW’s Mail Carried to Philippines & Parcel Post

Interned Guam sailors parcel post package to San Francisco, CA. The parcel was incorrectly sent post free. Domestic POW mail required payment of postage. “PRISONER OF WAR/FROM S.M.S “CORMORAN” hand stamp applied in Guam

Interned sailors card carried out of the mails from Guam to the Philippines. (1/9/1917). The Cormoran sailors now had Prisoner of War free franking privileges.

Interned sailors mail from Guam to San Francisco, CA (3/27/1917). The letter was incorrectly sent post free. Domestic POE mail required payment of postage. Censorship: The blue “PRISONER OF WAR/FROM S.M.S “CORMORAN” hand stamp was applied in Guam.

The letter was forwarded to Germany without a canceling postmark and sent by neutral steamer to the Netherlands. Censorship: The British intercepted the steamer and forwarded all mail to the London censor office. The censor sealing label was applied by the London prisoner of war censor’s office. The cover was then forwarded through the Netherlands to Germany. The censor hand stamp was applied at Emmerich, Germany (point of entry into Germany from the Netherlands).

SS Coblinz interned in Manila Bay (10/4/1916). Letter was carried by the U.S,. Army(A) Transport (T) SS Sherman.to San Francisco. Censorship: British censor label.

Registered cover from the German Treasury in Berlin, to the Government Treasury, Rabaul. This cover and at least 12 others contained money for the operation of the German Protectorate of New Guinea. On board the North German Lloyd steamer SS Prinzess Alice the covers left Hamburg on 6/25/1914. When war broke out the SS Prinzess Alice was on her way from Singapore to Rabual. In accordance with German standing orders she changed direction and headed for the neutral port of Manila and later to the island of Cebu. In Marilia the German Consulate took over this mailing and removed the money. Sized by the U.S. in 1917, the newly renamed USS Princess Matoika carried over 50,000 U.S. soldiers to and from France. Rate: 20 pfennig postage + 20 pfennig registry fee.

Early in the war, four merchant ships of the German Hamburg-American line interned in the Colon, Panama harbor. On 2/3/1917, the day the US severed diplomatic ties with Germany, sailors from the USS Charleston took over the four ships. The 69 German sailors were first likely interned in Empire, CZ and then transferred to the Hotel Aspinwall resort on Taboga Island. Following the declaration of war on 4/6/1917, the government arrested and interned 91 German aliens and other non US citizens considered a security risk on Taboga Island. In the spring of 1918, the interned sailors and civilians were sent to the Ellis Island, NY, detention facility. From Ellis Island most internees would have been transferred to the Hot Spring, NC camp and then to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.

Interned 3rd Class Engineer Rothe (SS Savoia, Hamburg - American Line) letter to Germany (4/28/1915)

POW cover from a German interned in the British Knockaloe Isle of Man civilian internee camp, to 1st Officer Emil Blunk. Interned on the Hamburg-American SS Grunewald merchant ship (9/11/1916). Censorship: The back of the cover has a British POW censor seal.

Dock side view of the interned German cruisers SMS Prinz Eotel Fredrich and SMS Kronprinz Whilhelm. Interned in the Portsmouth Navy Yard since early 1915, the sailors from the two ships built a “Little Germany” on shore.

The German cruisers SMS Prinz Etel Fredrich, SMS Kronprinz Whilhelm and prize ship RMS Appam (captured off the West coast of Africa) interned at the Portsmouth, Virginia Navy Yard. The date stamp from the Prinz Eitel Fredrich was used by all three ships. In October of 1916, the ships were transferred to the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich Marine Schiffpost No. 3. The cover’s German Feldpost marking was accepted, forwarded as first class mail and accorded Prisoner of War free franking privileges Censorship: British censorship tape.

SS Kronprinz Wilhelm United States Sea Post cover (8/1/1914). The SS Kronprinz Wilhelm was engaged in the New York to Germany passenger commerce and was sailing in western Atlantic at the start of WWI The cover was mailed prior to the Wilhelm sailing to rendezvous in the Caribbean with the SMS Karlsruhe. The writer was the Wilhelm paymaster (Zahlmeister). With start of war the letter was UNDELIVERABLE.

After arming the SS Kronprinz Whilhelm the SMS Karlsruhe stopped at San Juan, Porto Rico for coal. The stop allowed the crew to mail letters home. This cover was mailed on 8/9/1914,at the ship post office and franked with a 10 pfennig German stamp. German franking was not accepted by the San Juan post office and an additional 5 cents stamp was applied on 8/12/1914 to meet US postage requirements. This is one of three known SMS Karlsruhe covers from her San Juan , Porto Rico stay.

The German light cruiser SMS Karlsruhe (MSP 11) was based in the Caribbean at the outbreak of WWI On 8/6/1914 the Karlsruhe rendezvoused with the passenger ship SS Kronprinz Whilhelm to arm the Whilhelm as an auxiliary cruiser. Until her Newport News internment on 4/11/1915 the now SMS Kronprinz Whilhelm sunk or captured 15 British, French and Norwegian ships.

SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich Marine Schiffpost No. 3. (2/2/1915) The cover’s German Feldpost marking was accepted, forwarded as first class mail and accorded Prisoner of War free franking privileges Censorship: None indicated.

Letter to Germany by Adolf Adler (private first class, reserves), one of the seven German POW’s onboard the Appam at the time of her capture (1/31/1917). Mail to Germany was suspended at this time and the letter was return to Adler. Evidently not all sailors were transferred with the three ships to the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 10/1916. Without the Prinz Eitel Fredrich post office, using the US Post Office was required.

The British vessel RMS Appam left Lome, Togo on 1/4/1916 and was captured by the German raider SMS Mowe on 1/15/1916. On board the Appam at the time of her capture were seven German POW’s being taken back to England. With a German prize crew and the now liberated German POW’s, the Appam sailed for Newport News, VA, and was interned on 2/1/1916. The Appam passengers were released and returned to England on 2/7/1916. On 3/6/1917, the US Supreme court ruled the Appam should be return to its prior owners. On August 20, with a new crew, the ship sailed for Liverpool, England.

Card from a member of the Appam prize crew to Germany (3/9/1915). Mailed at the SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich post office MSP 3. Note the S.M.S. Appam annotation in the left hand corner. Censorship: None indicated.

RMS Appam Captured Mail. Under UPU rules first class mail is not a prize of war. After the ship was interned on 2/1/1916, the first class mail was unloaded and forwarded to England. The 150 bags of parcel post mail did not reach England until the Appam was returned to its owners and sailed for England on 8/20/1917.

Registered cover form Lome, Togo, to Cambridge, England. The letter was mailed on 1/2/1916 and held for the RMS Appam. The cover has a Cambridge arrival 2/19/1916. Censorship: Censored in Lome, by Postmaster H. Brooks, with a purple “Passed By Censor/at/Lome (Togo)” hand stamp.

SS Kronprinz Wilhelm sailor mailed the RMS Appam through the SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich MSP 3 post office. (5/11/1916) Note the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm in the signature block. The free frank was correctly used. Censorship: The British intercepted the card and did not release it until the late summer of 1919. The poorly struck red hand stamp reads—REALEASED BY THE/BRITISH MILITAY AUTHORITIES. It seems the censor did not appreciate the card design face subject matter.

In October of 1916, as relations between US and Germany deteriorated, the SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich and SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm were transferred to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. On 2/31917, with the break in diplomatic relations, the Navy seized the two ships and placed their crews in isolation barracks. On 3/23/1917, two weeks before the official declaration of war, the 700 crew members of the two ships were sent under Marine guard to newly constructed Fort Oglethorpe and Fort McPherson, Georgia prison compounds.

Domestic usage post card from likely a SMS Kronprinz Willelm interned seaman (1/9/1917). The card was incorrectly given free franking. Prisoner of war mail to destinations other than their home country required payment of postage. Censorship: None indicated.

Domestic Special Delivery usage cover from a interned seaman on the SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich (1/13/1917). The cover is affixed with the correct postage of 12 cents (2 cents first class rate plus a 10 cent special delivery fee). Prisoner of war mail to destinations other than their home country required payment of postage. Censorship: None indicated.

Postcard from a prize ship RMS Appam sailor after the ship was transferred from Portsmouth to the Philadelphia Navy Yard (10/30/1916). The SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich and SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm were respectively two and four stack ship. The RMS Appam was a small freighter equipped with one stack, as pictured above .

U. Deutschland mail intended for an interned sailor on the S.M.S Prinz Eitel Fredrich (1/13/1917). The letter intended for the Deutschland was sent to Bremen in an outer envelope marked Tauchbootbrief Nach Bremen (Bremen U boat letter). The inner envelope was postmarked in the city of origin (Emden) and forwarded unsealed in the outer envelope to Bremen. At Bremen it was canceled with the Bremen submarine cachet (1/20/1917). In the Bremen cachet the initials T.B. stand for Tauchboot Briefverkehr (letter carried by U-boat) and D.O.R. stands for Deutsche Ozean-Rhetderei (German ocean shipping company). When the Deutschland third trip to the U.S. was cancelled, the letter was return to the sender. The handstamp Zuruck./Wegn Einstellung des Tauchboot-/briefverkehrs zuruck an Absender. (Return. /Because U Boat Cancelled - /Return Letter to Sender.). Censorship: No indication of censorship.

On November 8,1915, the German Ocean Navigation Company was formed to construct a number of unarmed commerce submarines. The first of two commerce submarines constructed was the U. Deutschland (U155). The Deutschland made two trips to the United States on June 23,1916 and October 14, 1916. A third trip was planned in January 1917, but cancelled due to the worsening relationship between U.S. and Germany. Mail to and return was carried on each trip.

S.S. President Lincoln, Hoboken, NJ cover to Greenville, SC. (9/14/1914). The President Lincolen was one of 26 ships interned in New York harbor.

S.S. Vaterland, New York to Germany (7/23/1914). Sea post cancel; VATERLAND H.A.L. DEUTSH AMERIKANISCHE SEEPOST HAMBURG NEW YORK 23.7.1914. This was the last voyage of the Vaterland under the German flag. When war broke out the Vaterland remained interned in Hoboken, NJ.

Seven German and Austrian merchant and passenger ships were interned in Boston harbor. This post card was sold as a fund raiser for the interned Boston sailors. In their two and half years of internment, many of the interned seamen found jobs and housing on shore.

Registered 1917, cover to Eduard Mossner, Chief Engineer (Oberingenier) on one of the two German merchant ships interned in the Port of Philadelphia. When the letter reached Philadelphia on 9/20/1919 it was forwarded to Mossener, now interned at Fort Oglethorpe. The cover backside has registered receiving stamps applied at New York, Philadelphia and Chattanooga, TN.

Censorship: The letter was intercepted by the British and not released until the late summer of 1919.The cover back has German censor hand stamps from Berlin, and a British censor sealing tape.

Five German and Austrian merchant ships were interned in the New Orleans harbor. This letter was mailed from a timber shipping agent in Amsterdam to P. Adam, an Engineer on one of the interned ships (11/15/1918). and forwarded to Adam, now interned at Fort Oglethorpe. The letter was likely forwarded to Fort Oglethorpe by New York office of the Chief Military Censor were a record was kept of all German internee’s.

Censorship: The letter was triple censored. The back sealing label (5204)was applied by the British office of civil censorship. The front cover hand stamp (358) was applied by the US New York civil censorship office. The back cover hand stamp (26) was applied by the Chief Military Censors’ New York office

S.S. Kiel. Hamburg, Germany, card to the S.S. Kiel, Wilmington, NC.(7/22/1915) The Kiel was one of two interned ships in Wilmington harbor. The card is a picture of Pvt. Robert Markl, with a return address of Feld post 66. Censorship: Non indicated.

Letter was forwarded to La Haye, Holland. The hand stamp translates as: DAMAGED BY FIRE ON BOARD SS ROTTERDAM”

The SS Rotterdam left New York on 8/21/1915 and arrived at Holland with fire in herhold.on 9/2/1915. The mail that was savaged was either forwarded or returned to the US for processing.

Prior to the US entry into WWI an extensive spy and sabotage network was run out of the German Embassy. Starting in late 1914 German sailors on the interned New York and Hoboken ships were recruited to manufacture and distribute delayed action fire bombs. The machine shop on the Friedrich der Grosse was used to manufacture of the outer casings The bombs were placed on cargo ships carrying munitions to France and England and timed to explode once the ships were well out to sea. In May, 1917, six interned crew members and Hamburg America managers were convicted as saboteurs.

The letter was returned to the US for a forwarding address and sent back to Holland.

Schofield Barracks prison camp (4/10/1917). Addressed to Deutschen Huelfsverein (German Help Organization), Stockholm, Sweden. Correct five cent postage for international mail used for mail not sent to Germany. Censorship: Schofield Barracks censor label—OPENNED BY/U.S. CENSOR/AT HONOLULU. (Only recorded use of this label) British censor label—OPENED BY CENSOR..

After the declaration of war with Germany on April 6, 1917, the German sailors were taken to Schofield Barracks until their transfer to Fort Douglas, Utah in September, 1917.

Schofield Barracks prison camp (5/26/1917). Postage required for mail not sent to Germany.

Censorship: Schofield Barracks prison camp censor hand stamp. One of two recorded examples of this censor hand stamp.

Schofield Barracks prison camp (7/12/1917). Addressed to Deutschen Huelfsverein (German Help Organization), Stockholm, Sweden. Incorrectly sent without the required five cent postage for international mail.

Censorship: Schofield Barracks censor hand stamp on the cover front. British PW label on the cover reverse.

POW mail from Camp Burnett (4/25/1917). , The Cormoran sailors were interned in Camp Burnett after the US 4/6/1917 declaration of war. The cover was processed through the Naval Commandants office , to the Guam PO then to Manila (Manila receiving machine cancel).

Censorship: The British intercepted the cover. After British censorship the cover likely was sent to the Netherlands and then to Germany. Possible US censorship in the Guam Naval Station Commandants Office..

On April 7, 1917, rather than surrender to the American Navy the crew blew up their ship . The German sailors were interned in Camp Burnett until June 1917, and then transferred to the War Department Fort Douglas, Utah facility.

Letter mailed in Riestedt, Germany , to a SMS Cormoran crew member (8/14/1917). The letter arrived at Guam on 12/7/1917 (Guam back stamp). By 12/7/1917 the Cormoran crew had been transferred to the Fort Douglas, Utah prison camp. At Guam the letter was forwarded to the Army Western Department, Bureau of Information for Prisoners of War, San Francisco, CA. From San Francisco the letter was again forwarded to the Fort Douglas prison camp.

Censorship: The cover was censored by the German censorship office in Emmerich, Germany. From Emmerick the letter went to the Netherlands and then by neutral shipping to the US. The British intercepted the ship and censored the mail (British prisoner of war censor label on back of the cover). At Fort Douglas the letter was censored a third time (Fort Douglas censor hand stamp on the front of the cover).

On 2/7/1917, four days after the US broke diplomatic relations with Germany, the US took passion of ships interned in Philippine ports. The Baguio Government Center on Luzon was used as a holding center for the crews of the 23 interned merchant ships and approximately 700 German and Austrian aliens. Transfer of the internees to the US began in the fall of 1917. The interned sailors were sent to the Hot Springs, NC, Immigration Department Camp. The civilians were interviewed at the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco. Various military posts in California were used as temporary detention centers . All the woman and children and most men were paroled. Those not paroled were sent to Fort Douglas or the Hot Springs detention camp.

Early 2/12/1917 interned seamen cover to Hamburg, Germany. The card is incorrectly franked with a two cent stamp. Correspondence to an internee’s home country was post free.. Censorship: None indicated.

Card from a former Philippine internee now in the Immigration Department, Hot Springs, NC, detention camp, to his wife. The card is addressed in C/O of the Swiss Consulate, Manila, Philippines (6/24/1918). The Swiss Government was the protecting power for German and Austrian internees/prisoners of war. The card was correctly franked to pay the domestic two cent post card rate.

Late 10/5/1917 Baguio internee cover to Hamburg, Germany. The card is correctly sent post free to Germany. The Spanish hand stamp, likely was applied at the Baguio post office, appears to be promoting Philippine Government bonds.

Cover from Baguio internee to the Manila German Relief Committee (9/3/1917). The cover was incorrectly sent post free. Domestic mail required two cent stamp. Censorship: None indicated..

Letter from an Ellis Island internee addressed to Otto Haak at the Taboga Island internment camp and there forwarded to Panama City (7/10/1917). Mail for the Taboga internment camp was consolidated by the Balboa Post Office and for shipment to Taboga. Haak was evidently initially interned but allowed to return to his Panama City business, but was finally shipped to Ellis Island in April of 1918. Otto Haak’s name appears on the manifest of the U.S. Transport Kilpatrick that on April 19, 1918, sailed form the Canal Zone for New York carrying Taboga internees for internment on Ellis Island.

A second card to Captain Eello from Fort Oglethorpe and forwarded to Captain Eello at the Fort Douglas, Utah detention camp (1/5/1919). The card was evidently hand carried to Oakland evidenced by the Oakland 2/3/1919 machine cancel.

Censorship: No Fort Oglethorpe censor markings. Two Fort Douglas censor stamps. . The #32 Chief Military Censor/Washington stamp was assigned to Fort Douglas during September, 1917.

Card from a Fort Oglethorpe internee to a Captain Eello detained in the Oakland, CA, county jail (12/30/1919). The card, cancelled in Chattanooga, TN, was incorrectly addressed to Alameda, CA, and forwarded to Oakland. Captain Eello was likely one of Hawaii or Philippine merchant ship Captains. Correct domestic postage paid.

Card to the Presidio Interment Camp from the Fort Oglethorpe War Prison Camp (12/29/1918).

Censorship: Double censorship. Oval Presidio Department of Justice and Circular Fort Oglethorpe (31) hand stamps.

Censorship: The above letter was written at Gloucester, carried to Ellis Island for censoring then mailed in New York

The Department of Justice Presidio Detention Camp and Gloucester Immigration Station were used though-out the war to house German and Austrian aliens or US Citizens judged as dangerous.

The Gloucester, NJ Immigration House cover was sent to the Copenhagen Prisoners Department of the International Red Cross (Philadelphia, PA 6/13/1917 postmark). Correct international five cent postage paid for mail not to home country. Copenhagen repeater machine cancel on the cover back side

Censorship: The cover was censored by the English Civil Censorship Office. During the summer of 1917 the English Civil Censorship Office was used to handle the overload of POW mail. Thus the reason for the P.W. annotation. .

Letter (8/1/1918 from a soldier to his mother describing seeing interned aliens at the Gloucester Immigration House. “...I went to Gloucester City, N.J. yesterday with Lt. Cassmore. A part of our company is detached there and we had to visit them. The place is a large internment station where they keep German spies and all other alien enemies. It surly is some place….”

Post card from a crew member of the German passenger ship S.S. Vaterland (10/1917). The correct domestic postal card rate was used.

Before there arrest and interment, the German crews damaged their ships to prevent future use. However, by the end of the summer of 1917, most of the damaged ships were repaired. The “Vaterland’s” name was changed to “Leviathan” and refitted as a troop ship. She made her first trip to France in December of 1917. The above card is from that voyage.

Cover from a crew member of the German passenger ship S.S. Harburg( 5/4/1917). The correct five cents international postage rate was used. The letter was sent to Deutscher Hilfsverein (German Benevolent Society) in Stockholm, Sweden. Censorship: British censor label.

A (11)/28/1918, post card from a German internee to a New York City address. The picture side illustrates scenes from the internees built “German Village”.

The Hot Springs, North Carolina, Immigration Department Interment Station was built on the resort grounds of the 160 acre Mountain Park Hotel. The camp primarily housed the interned merchant seamen stranded in the US and its processions since 1914. As civilians the seamen were classified as “enemy aliens” they became an Immigration Dept. responsibility. The first internees arrived in Hot Springs on 6/8/1917. By June of 1918, the camp had grown to 2,314 internees with the addition internees from Philippians. In June of 1918, the War Dept. assumed responsibility for all prisoner of war and civilian internees. In August the Hot Springs internees were transferred to the Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, prison camp.

5/27/1918 cover to Bern, Switzerland The cover was incorrectly sent post free. Only mail to the home country was granted the free frank.. Censorship: Change in the hand stamp to read: CENSORED/U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/HOT SPRINGS, N.C. (54X14.5 mm). The May 17,1918, hand stamp indicates the date the censor’s office received the cover. All internee correspondence was held by the censor ten days before mailing.

8/21/1917 cover to Stockholm, Sweden. Incorrectly sent post free. Only mail to the home country was granted free postage. Censorship: Hand stamp OFFICALLY CENSORED/U..S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/HOT SPRINGS N.C. (53X12 mm)

YMCA envelope used for a letter to Switzerland (7/26/1918). The envelope has a new printed format from the June letter. The printed return address, deleted date line and “Y.M.C.A. Aid” statements are revised. The cover was incorrectly sent post free. Only mail to an internee’s home country was granted the free frank..

The YMCA ,under the 1907 Hague convention, was recognized as one of the official military relief agencies. By direction Secretary of War Baker, the YMCA sent representatives to each of the prison/internment camps. YMCA workers organized educational classes ,recreational activities and provided free movies and books. Hot Spring appears to be the only camp that the YMCA provided letter head stationary for.

YMCA envelope used for a letter to Germany (6/27/1918). Correctly sent post free.

YMCA post card to Germany (7/8/1918). The printed return address and “Y.M.C.A. Aid” statements are revised from the May card. The “INTERNED CAMP” hand stamp correctly marked the card as internee/POW mail and indicated postage was not required for international mail to the home country. Censorship: The card has both Hot Springs and New York (25) censor office markings. The “Jun 28,1918”, date stamp indicates when received by the censor. The card was held ten days before mailing. The German circular had stamp likely was applied at Emmerich, Germany (point of entry into Germany from the Netherlands).

YMCA post card to Germany (5/24/1918). The “INTERNED CAMP” hand stamp correctly marked the card as internee/POW mail and indicating postage was not required for international mail to the home country. Censorship: Censored at Hot Spring internment station. The “May 14 1918”, date stamp indicates when received by the censor. The card was held for ten days before mailing.

Post card to Belgium (6/24/1918.) The swing wheel shown on the picture side was internee built. The card was incorrectly sent as a free frank. Censorship: Hot Spring Internment Camp censor hand stamps.

Revised YMCA post card design (1/22/1918) I Correctly sent post free to Germany. Censorship: Hot Spring Internment Camp censor hand stamps

Two cent postal card (9/3/1918) Correct postage used for domestic use. Censorship: Hot Spring Internment Camp censor hand stamps

Incoming letter from Honolulu, Hawaii, with a purple INTER ISLAND STEAM NAV. CO. hand stamp marking (4/13/1917). Also in the marking is what appears to be the name of a ship - MAIINA KEA. The addressee Capt. Fritz Hellhoff, was likely the captain on one of the nine German merchant ships interned in Hawaiian waters.

War Department Detention Facilities U.S. Justice Department, Bureau of Investigation

Cover and letter from the Justice Department, Bureau of Investigation to a lawyer in Bangor, Maine. The letter acknowledges the receipt of information concerning people thought to be German sympathizers. During the war the Justice Department actively encouraged Americans to report any perceived statement or action of disloyalty. With the help of the 250,000 member American Protective League, the Bureau worked to stamp out all perceived disloyalty. If intimidation was not effective, the Bureau brought charges of aiding the enemy. Some 2000 American citizens ended up in one of the War Dept facilities, and thousands more spent time in local jails.

Incoming mail to Fred Briehl now interned in the Fort Douglas detention camp (11/18/1919). Along with 400 other Fort Leavenworth internees, Fred Briehl was likely transferred to Fort Douglas on 7/11/1919. Censorship: Censored with a three line censors hand stamp and a torn piece of a censor seal. Censors often complained about the quality and lack of supplies.

Incoming mail to Fried Briehl interned in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (4/6/1919). Fort Leavenworth was used to hold primarily conscientious objectors, alien nationals and anti war radicals. Censorship: Fort Leavenworth circular hand stamp: Examined and Permitted. A piece of brown tape was used as a censor seal.

Early domestic post card usage, no postage required (4/?/1917). The card was sent postage free, contrary to later regulations that required postage on domestic mailings.

Censorship: The card has a straight two line censor hand stamp. April, 21,1917, is date the censor received the card. The card would have been mailed ten days later.

The Fort Oglethorpe prison camp began operation in late March 1917 and closed April of 1920. The Fort initially held a mixed population of seaman and foreign nationals. However, there developed considerable friction between the two groups and eventually all the seaman were sent to Fort McPherson. Early mail from the first few months would be on private stationary. Later almost all outgoing mail is on government provided stationary.

A month and half later, postage was required on outgoing domestic mail through the Fort Oglethorpe base post office (6/?/1917).

Early correct two cent letter rate usage on non government stationary (7/14/1917) The letter was routed through the Chattanooga, TN, post office.

Internee card to Denmark (5/8/1917) The correct use of postage on foreign mail not to a prisoners’ home country - Denmark . The free frank was only available on mail to a prisoners’ country of origin. In May of 1917, the postage rate for foreign mail post cards was two cents.

Censorship: Straight line Fort Oglethorpe censorship hand stamp. May 18,1917, is date the censor received the card. The card would have been mailed ten days later.

Post card mailed at the Chattanooga, TN, Military Branch, to Capt. Eello temporary detained in an Oakland, CA, jail c/o the local Sheriff (9/30/1918). The three cent stamp was used as a convenience, only two cents required.

Post card with a Fort Oglethorpe return address hand carried to and mailed in Oakland, CA (3/20/1919) and mailed. At Oakland the card was forwarded to the Fort Douglass detention camp.

Censorship: The card was censored on arrival at Fort Douglas with the three line hand stamp and a circular No. 26..

Fort Oglethorpe post card mailed at the Chattanooga, TN, Military Branch, to the Fort Douglass internment camp. Correct domestic postage paid. Censorship: Double censorship, The card was censored at both internment camps by a three line censor hand stamp.

Fort Oglethorpe post card mailed at the Chattanooga, TN, Military Branch, to the Fort Douglass internment camp. Correct domestic postage paid. Censorship: Double censorship. The Number 34 Chief Military Censor/Washington stamp was assigned to Fort Oglethorpe. The # 35 circular stamp was assigned to Fort Douglas.

Mail in a language the local censor did not understand, suspicious mail or mail containing information of value to Military intelligence was forwarded to the Chief Censors Washington DC, office.

Censorship: The cover was censored by three censorship offices. Because the letter was written in Danish it was sent to the Washington office for review (EXAMINED AND PASSED label) and then forwarded to New York. The hand stamp (441) and tied label belong to the New York Postal Censor Office. The OPENED BY CENSOR (237) label with the blue PW annotation indicate British censorship.

Censorship: The letter was sent to the Washington DC office for review, possibly for suspicious content. The No. 8 hand stamp belonged to the Washington DC, censors office. The stamp is frequently also seen on soldier “Safe Arrival” mail postmarked in Washington DC.

Fort Oglethorpe, March 20, 1919 Dear Sir, Hoping that you and Mr. & Mrs. Lavolle are well & happy. We have been here 6 weeks now and are feeling all right in the new surroundings, but we would prefer to be in your neighborhood because we are missing the sociality and the freedom we had while we have been up there. Would be much obliged to you in receiving a few lines. With best wishes for everyone yours Richard Heiden & Oscar Schalk

Card sent by civilian internee to former neighbors in Champlain, NY, asking them to correspond. Censorship: Fort Oglethorpe circular hand stamp.

Fort Oglethorpe, Office of the Censor letter (4/21/1919). The camp censor read all incoming and outgoing mail. The cover may have returned a letter of objectionable material or answered an inquiry.

Censorship: Double censorship. The card was censored at the German, Colon foreign mail censor office and the English POW (P.C.) censor office in London. No indication of incoming Fort Oglethorpe censorship.

By late 1919, only a few hundred interned alien enemies, who had refused repatriation, remained in camp. Gradually over the next few months they were paroled of released outright to their former homes in America. In April of 1920, Fort Oglethorpe was closed.

A late incoming letter from a Zurich, Switzerland bank (11/18/1919). As prison of war mail the letter was allowed to travel postage free..

Early foreign cover by a sailor from the SMS Kronprinz Whilhem to Sweden (6/4/1917). The cover was sent postage free, contrary to later regulations that required use of government issued stationary. Only foreign mail to the home country was postage free.

The Fort McPherson prison camp began operation in late March 1917 and closed late summer of 1919. The Fort initially held a mixed population of seaman and foreign nationals. However, there developed considerable friction between the two groups and eventually all the seaman from Fort Oglethorpe (10/1917) and Fort Douglass (3/1918) were sent to Fort McPherson.

Post card showing the seamen from the German cruisers SMS Prinz Eitel Fredrich and SMS Kronprinz Whilhelm unpacking on arrival at Fort McPherson.

Card mailed from a Fort McPherson prisoner of war to a German prisoner temporarily held in the Oakland ,CA , county jail and forwarded to Fort Oglethorpe.

Censorship: The card has no Fort McPherson censor markings. The Chief Censor hand stamp (No. 31) was assigned to Fort Oglethorpe. The card evidently followed (possibly hand carried with no need for forwarding instructions) the addressee to Fort Oglethorpe and was censored there.

Domestic post card to a Fort Oglethorpe POW (1917) The correct 1917, domestic postage rate of one cent. was paid.

Censorship: Double censorship. Fort McPherson straight line “CENSORD” and the Washington DC, Chief Censor straight line “EXAMINED AND PASSED”.

Official Business Prisoner of War Penalty Post Card sent to Germany (7/3/1918) Censorship: Double censorship. The Chief Censor hand stamp No. 28 was applied at Fort Oglethorpe. The card was then sent to the Washington Chief Censor Office that applied the No. 26 hand stamp..

Domestic use post card (7/27/1918) The correct domestic postage rate of two cents. Censorship: Four straight line .”EXAMINED AND PASSED/WAR PRISION BARRACKS No. 1/ FORT McPHERSON, GA./CENSOR No. 2”

Number 10 envelope used by machinist (Obermashinist) Haake to mail his New York letter. Correct domestic postage paid.

Registered domestic cover with return receipt requested (8/30/1919). Two cent first class postage plus the ten cent registry fee correctly paid. The three cent letter war rate ended 7/1/1919. Only recorded internee registered cover. Censorship: Circular Fort McPherson censor hand stamp (No. 28).

Incoming mail from the Swiss Legation in Washington D.C.(5/13/1919). Switzerland acted as the protecting power for the German prisoners. As the protecting power the Swiss conducted camp inspection, handled prisoner complaint and provided relief work. Censorship: Fort McPherson No. 28 circular stamp.

Incoming mail from Hannover, Germany to a member of the RMS Appam prize crew The cover was sent under cover to the International Red Cross for forwarding to the U.S.. Postage not required hand stamp: FRANC DE PORT.

Censorship: Fort McPherson No. 28 circular censor hand stamp. Cover backside U.S. censor sealing label not shown.

*Ref: Earlier Portsmouth Navy Yard returned letter to Hannover, Germany by Adolf Adler

Incoming mail from Coln,Germany (3/19/1919). Mailed prisoner of war mail, therefore no postage was required. Because of the AEF censorship the cover appears to have gone through the AEF mail system.

Censorship: Double censorship. AEF base censor markings (eagle hand stamp and No. 57) and Fort McPherson No. 29 circular stamp

Printed Prisoner of War card used to Germany (8/3/1918). Postage was not required on mail to Germany.

Censorship: The card received double censorship review. The No.28 censor hand stamp was applied at Fort McPherson. The circular No. 26 hand stamp was applied in the Washington D.C Chief Military Censor’s office.

Out going foreign destination mail to the Japanese Karume, German Prison Camp (1/4/1918). The card is short paid 1 cent.

Censorship: The card received triple censorship. A straight two line Fort McPherson censor hand stamp. The straight line “CENSORED” hand stamp was applied at the Vancouver, British Columbia censorship station. During WWI much of the mail from and to the Pacific area was censored in Vancouver. The circular censor stamp was applied at the Karume Prison Camp.

Post card to Berlin (11/30/1917). No postage was required for mail addressed to Germany.

Censorship : An embossed Fort Douglas censor impression is located in lower right hand corner. The German censor hand stamp was applied in the Colon foreign mail censorship office. Foreign mail censored in Colon arrived through the Netherlands.

Fort Douglas, Utah received its first prisoners on June 10, 1917 and was closed on April 25,1920. The prisoners initially came from the interned seamen on Guam and Hawaii. Later arrivals were foreign nationals, conscientious objectors and anti-war radicals. At its peak Fort Douglas housed 876 military and civilian prisoners.

Late incoming card , three months before Fort Douglas closed (2/5/1920). Note the addressees prisoner number is annotated on the card (PW 896).

Card (6/19/1918) fr om a Fort Douglass internee asking his friend who took his property... “and the name of the party who got my place…”

Alien Property Custodian Office in the summer of 1917,secured permission from President Wilson to take over most of the holding of alien enemies interned in an army camp. Interned German and Austrian aliens lost much of their property and their business were permanently destroyed by the confiscating powers Alien Property Custodian Office.

Internee Dr. R.I. Weber letter, in a government printed onion skin envelope (10/26/1918). Posted in Washington DC.

Censorship: The letter was sent to the Washington D.C. Chief Censors Office for review. No censor markings applied but mailed in Washington DC.

Internee letter to Sergeant J West at the Presidio barracks in San Francisco (4/30/1919). Posted in New York, NY.

Censorship: The letter was forwarded to the Chief Censors Office for review. On 11/1/1918, the mail censor section of the Chief Censors office moved from Washington DC to New York, to combine resources with the Postal Censorship Committee. After November mail sent to Chief Censors Office was reviewed and mailed in New York.

Camp Sherman, Ohio. In the summer of 1918, Fort McPherson sent 200 prisoners (German Naval personnel) to Camp Sherman. In September 1919, the internees returned to Fort McPherson. The card is addressed to a Fort McPherson and without a cancel was likely pouched back to Fort McPherson.

Camp Jackson, SC. Card from a Fort McPherson prisoner on loan to Camp Jackson, SC, to do base maintenance and farming duties (7/8/1918). The writer kept his Fort McPherson return address.

Censorship: The card was mailed through the Columbia SC, Jackson Branch post office and not censored. Camp Jackson evidently did not have a censors office.

Censorship: Hot Springs straight line censor hand stamp . Australian censor tape.

Prisoners were restricted to, two letters a month and one post card a week. Certain correspondence did not count against the monthly allowance: letters to the Swiss Legation, parcel receipt acknowledgements, officers letter of an official nature, letters to the “Prisoners War Relief Committee”, inquiry letters to express companies and business letters to the Government Alien Property Custodian office.

Letter to the Swiss Legation in Washington, D.C., by the prisoner “Committee of Interned Enemy Aliens”, Division Seamen; War Prison Barracks, #2 (1/31/1919).

The Bureau of Enemy Trade of the War Trade Board controlled all commercial transactions that was in anyway associated with enemy aliens or their businesses. The Board required licenses for all transactions. All internee letters that in anyway discussed financial maters went to the Chief Censor Office, Washington DC, for review (after 11/1/1918 to New York, NY).

Fort Douglas internee letter to the Bureau of Enemy Trade of the War Trade Board (4/1/1919). Posted in New York, NY.

Censorship: Label and hand stamp (No. 26) applied by the Chief Censor Office (now located in New York).

War Department Detention Facilities Correspondence Exempt From Monthly Letter Writing Allowance

Fort McPherson internee Parcel Receipt card (5/20/1919). The three cent stamp over paid the two cent current post card rate. Censorship: Light purple straight line Fort McPherson censor hand stamp located in the middle of the card.

Incoming (10/10/1916) registered cover to Boston for an officer on the interned German merchant ship S.S.Ockenfeis. The writer was one of ten German prisoners from Samoa in the New Zealand, Somes Island internment camp. The two 11/2p official stamps paid the registration fee on normally free prisoner of war mail. Wellington, N.Z. cancel. Only recorded cover from this camp. Censorship: New Zealand military censorship hand stamps on the cover front and back.

11/9/1916 cover from the Amherst, Nova Scotia, Internment Camp to the Caption of the German merchant ship S.S. Prinz Sigismund The S.S. Prinz Sigismund was one of four German merchant ships interned in the Canal zone. The sender was allowed free franking privilege. Amherst, N.S. machine cancel. Censorship: Amherst, N.S., internment camp circular hand stamp.

Fort Oglethorpe to Recife, Brazil (5/8/1918). Postage likely removed by censor. Censorship: Ft Oglethorpe straight line censor stamp. New York circular hand stamp.

Honolulu, Hawaii Interned German Merchant Ship S/S Knezuela cover to the Australian Trail Bay POW Camp. (3/22/1917). No indication of the required five cents postage. Censorship: Australian censor label.

Fort Douglas (pre-printed card) to the Australian, Liverpool New South Wales POW Camp (7/5/17). No indication of postage as required.

Censorship: Embossed two line Fort Douglas censor and box Australian censor. The annotated initials “RSB” may belong to the Liverpool Camp censor.

Censorship: Hot Springs straight line censor hand stamp . Australian censor tape.

Ft McPherson to Japanese Karume, Prison Camp (1/4/1918).The card is short paid 1 cent. Censorship: The card received triple censorship. A straight two line Fort McPherson censor hand stamp. The straight line “CENSORED” hand stamp was applied at the Vancouver, British Columbia censorship station. During WWI much of the mail from and to the Pacific area was censored in Vancouver. The circular censor stamp was applied at the Karume Prison Camp.

Philippines' Baguio Mountain internment camp to Shanghai (10/12/1917). Manilia transit machine cancel on reverse. Required five cents postage not collected. Censorship: Initials on the cover front likely belong to the censor.

“We should be repatriated this week from Charleston, South Carolina via Rotterdam, ...”

Card from a Fort Douglas internee with the correct domestic postage (6/28/1919). The message discusses his impending repatriation by way of Charleston S.C. and Rotterdam, Netherlands. Censorship: Fort Douglas circular censor No. 35 hand stamp.

“We made Rotterdam first, unloaded 60 Germans that we took onboard at Charleston, S.C..”

Card from a crew member on the U.S.S. Powhatan (mailed from Antwerp, Belgium through APO944(7/28/1919). The Powhatan carried German prisoners from Charleston S.C. to Rotterdam. Censorship: None. AEF censorship was discontinued on 7/11/1919.

An incoming letter from Germany, to a merchant marine Chief Engineer, that likely arrived after he had returned to home. The back side of the letter has a 8/7/1919 Chattanooga, TN, Forest Branch receiving cancel. During the summer of 1919, 3700 naval prisoners, merchant officers and seamen, and several hundred interned civilians and their families were repatriated back to their homeland. Censorship: None indicated.

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