Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-11-18
RUSSIAN PRISONERS
TELL OF HARDSHIPS.

Petrograd. (by maiD.-British Red
Cross Commissioner Ernest Hart, in a
report to Prince Gutenberg, patron OF
all sanitary work in Russia, contrasts
the good appearance and genera!
healthfulness of German prisoners OF
war with the distressful condition OF
Russian war prisoners returning from
Germany, at the time of their exchange
at Torneo on the Swedish frontier.
Commissioner Hart visited Torneo at
the special request of Prince Gutenberg
to witness the transfer, towards the
end of August.
His report follows:
In the large new school house at
Torneo l found 247 invalid or disabled
men austrian n Germany was eX-
cellently accommodated, the wards be-
ing large. airy and scrupulously clean,
the beds very comfortable, with ample
room between each. and the food con-
sisting of nourishing soup with meat,
another dish of meat and wholesome
bread in good quantity.
Il spoke to several prisoners, who
We're grateful for the treatment they
mad received both on the journey from
Petrograd and at the hospital. They
We're cleanly and physically in as good
condition as the injuries they had re-
celved in battle permitted. That is to
say they were Well nourished. Where
their own clothing was deficient or
"olil Jul liey mao received fresh
clothing including a warm overcoat, a
cap and often boots.
Il saw these men sent away across
the border the same evening and the
arrangements for removing them by
wagons, stretchers and boats furnished
With necessary convenience and pro-
tected from the weather left nothing
to be desired on the score of humanity.
L also crossed into Haparanda and in
spected the arrangements of the Swed-
1sh Red Cross under DR.. Nauchkoff,
who spoke very highly of the COM
pleteness and humanity of the treat
ment of the injured prisoners of war
by the Russian authorities. 1t was very
clear that the Swedish authorities did
not hold the same favorable opinion
of the treatment of Russian prisoners
by the Germans. and 1 was Informed
at Haparanda that they We're sent out
OF Germany in a painfully dirty and
neglected condition, often half naked
and half starved.
Il had the opportunity of verifying
these reports the next morning, when
about ESQ Russian prisoners arrived
from Germany. Several of the men
We're wearing the same cotton clothing
given out to them in the hospital, with
worn out slippers On their feet and no
BOOKS. and they had travelled in this
condition from K~oenigsberg, in Ger
MANY. through Sweden and into Rus
SAseA NJ dl IleO. Manly " lllo
men We're like scare crows so ragged
and filthy was their condition, and one
Was clothed in the uniform of a dead
French prisoner of war. They were
thin and weak and said that they had
been half starved during the imprison-
ment. They produced samples of the
bread that was given them, it being
extremely hard and mouldy n mixed
with potatoes and even particles of
straw. They said little or no meat
was given them in the thin soup served
cut to them daily. In addition they
had been subjected to sever punish
ment for alleged breaches Of discipline
despite their MANNED and disabled con-
dition, the punishment including their
being compelled to stand on barrels
Tor hours at a time. or being tied to
posts with their arms above their
heads. They were also frequently
struck by their German guards with
the butts of their rifles or the flat OF
their swords.
One of the worst features Of the
condition of the returned Russian
prisoners was the number Of cases Of
tuberculosis. These numbered some so
out of the $50 men returned and l was
told that the usual number was about
20 per cent. The cases Of tuberculosis
among German and Austrian prisoners
on the other hand. We're only 5 to 6 per
cent out of the total of 1880 already
exchanged. Some of the returned Rus
sian prisoners had lost their feet while
in prison in Germany, from frost bites
due to exposure. There have Deer no
such cases among the German and
Austrian prisoners in Russia, and 1
have had the opportunity of seeing and
conserving with these prisoners in
Moscow and other parts of Russia
which l have visited during my
Journeys in Poland, Galicia, Mid-Russia
and the Caucasus