extremely high, and there seemed no doubt that the German government in its treatment of 
 
Russian prisoners violated all international conventions and is responsible for the death of 
 
thousands of Russians.
 
                             Those Russian prisoners who were eventually distributed in small groups on 
 
farms to help with the harvest and other farm work quickly gained the sympathy of the local 
 
population. People were tremendously struck with their extraordinary ability to learn German. 
 
Many spoke it better after two months than other prisoners after two years.
 
     A great change has come about in the treatment of Russian prisoners dating from the 
 
initial Russian successes in December 1941. This is due in no small measure to the influence of 
 
the returning German soldiers who generally have a high admiration of their Russian opponents. 
 
My report refers to a characteristic incident which took place in the summer of 1943 at 
 
Karlsruhe, where a group of Russian and French prisoners were engaged in cleaning a street 
 
following a bombardment. A group of German soldiers from the East Front, disobeying all 
 
orders, went up