"Economics of a P.O.W. Camp"

I found this article by Radford very interesting. It seems to make sense that a barter system and trade system would arise in a P.O.W. camp, but I never thought it would go so far as to have a common currency, the cigarette, and that prices for goods would vary so much throughout different huts and camps. Because of the stress, if people smoked more, cigarettes became more scarce, prices went up. This is astounding, such a simple society and the same impulsive buys that we experience every day. Businesses grew in the camp and Radford talks about these businesses and restaurants and how the whole scheme was vulnerable to deflationary waves. This article really captivated me, it gave an economic insight to a P.O.W. camp that I had never thought to explore before. Reading this article was like experiencing what living in a P.O.W. camp was like but through the eyes of a monetary expert. This article also gave insight into what we're learning and discussing about in class, the idea of free trade, local trade and local goods, as well as tariffs and supply and demand.