17 MARCH 1917, Page 22

The Ruhleben Prisoners Release Committee, at Pen Corner House, Kingeway,

has issued an informing pamphlet on the conditions pre- vailing at Ruhleben, the negotiations at various times for the release of civilian prisoners, and the case for a general exchange. We have, as the pamphlet shows, repeatedly advocated a general exchange of civilian prisoners without counting heads, but the Government, according to Lord Newton's latest speech, will not agree to this. In November, 1914, Germany offered a man-for-man exchange and we refused it, retracting the refusal three weeks later only to find that the offer was then withdrawn. The Ruhleben prisoners are still suffering for that mistake.