The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-06
SECURED RELEASE OF
 NTERNED CIVILIANS
Extensive Work of Inter-
 national Red Cross

Berne. Switzerland, January zO.-tCorre~
 spondence of the Associated Press. .)-Ac-
 cording to data supplied by the Interna- tional Red Cross committee, which has charge of the information bureau for in- termed civil persons, about 20o0 French who had been interned in Germany have
 been repatriated through the services of
 the bureau, In these cases the Red Cross committee supplied free transportation through Switzerland In addition about 9S0 French citizens who were able to pay
 their railroad fares were assisted by the
 committee in securing their release in Germany.
 The bureau has been largely responsible for the reciprocal exchange of interned civil persons held in France Germany and
 Austro- Hungary. In addition to repatrlat- ing French citizens, 1t has also assisted
 such Germans and Austro- Hunga rans as have been released by the French gov ernment. By December 10 the number of i, Germans who had been aided by the bu- reau to reach their homes exceeded 5000.
 Austro- -Hungarians in whose behalf the bureau had been active numbered more than 1900. These large numbers of refu-
 gees were handled by means of special trains For 1Ct5 Germans and Austro-
 Hungarians the committee provided hos
 pital accommodation and for 23S Germans
 and 70 Austrians it secured permanent res idences in Switzerland.
 Organized in September The bureau was organized during the middle of September. For several weeks neither the German nor the French gov ernment needed its requests that the civil prisoners of war held in the two countries be given their liberty. On October 20 It's l..ff 1a1 .x governments would liberate the women and children held by them and such males as had not reached the age of F, or had passed the age of 60, on Septem- Der 20, 1914. Shortly afterward the first | transports from both countries began to arrive.
 AS the result of further negotiations the French and German governments agreed on November 25 to include in the class of exchangeables interned men between the | ages of 40 and 60 who apparently were no 1 longer fit for military service 1 Austria Hungary and France agreed on October 13 on an exchange of all women and children and males who had not yet reached the age of r or had passed 60. Later it was also decided to exchange the military unfit on the basis already agreed upon with Ger many
 In addition to assisting the civil pris- oners of war on the return to their homes. tho bureau takes care of the
 correspondence of those who have not been liberated as yet, generally males
 of military age and fitness It also in- terests itself in the complaints made by these.
 Does Other Things The bureau. moreover, has charged itself with the following: Securing in formation concerning neutrals living in any of the bellgerent states; inter- esting itself to the extent possible un- der existing conditions in the civil prisoners of war held in England, Rus sfa, Servia and the other belligerent countries and their colonies; watching
 the treatment of males of military age and fitness who have been detained in any of the countries at war; and re- porting on all cases of hostage. The bureau also undertakes securing data on the whereabouts and condition of neutrals who for various reasons nave not been able to communicate with their families and friends.
 So far the committee has not been able to do much for the civil prisoners of war held in Great Britain and the British colonies, Russia and Servia Turkey has recently signified Its in- tention of joining France and Germany in accepting the voluntary services of the bureau.
 The expenses of the committee are met in part by the members, by sub scriptions in Switzerland, and by con
 tributions made by the Swiss govern ment in the form of free railroad trans portation and free postal service. Vir- tually all the clerical and Red Cross work in connection with the mission is done by unpaid volunteers, who in many cases are obliged even to pay their travelling expenses in France and Germany. So far the bureau has failed to secure even free postage privileges from the countries whose subjects it benefits.
 Prof Dr. Ernst Roethlisberger is the chief of the bureau in Berne. Eduard Audeound, a prominent citizen of Ge- neva, is principally responsible for the exchange arrangements and President Hoffman of the Swiss republic has done everything possible to assist the or ganization.