New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-11-24

royagcd to or from Sweden by the
Trelleborg route. The Aeolus Is round
Ing the long breakwater; mt her fore
masthead she flies the Red Cross flag,
and, like all neutral ships that travel
these precarious world-War waters she
has her national c0lors-yellow cross
on blue ticld-painted on her sides.
She also wears full gala flag dress ;
but the little port is tagged. 50 are the
great StcanICr ferries that transport
whole freight trains between Sweden
and Germany. and tagged, too, is The
German traWler fleet within the break
water.
The usual agitation that accOmpa-
MES steamer arrivals the world over
Seizes those on shore, including the
two score of white-dressed young girls
and matrons who garrison certain long,
low, gray sheds where ilOwer-bright-
cncd tables have been set for 300, in
Guiding also the local landSturm band,
which goes into battle formation be-
side the landing stage; including also
certain German officers replete with Il
sense of duty and importance; includ-
ing also the inevitable prince who is
TO be the orator of the sad, happy Oc-
casion, and who, | dare say, is think
ing hard of those ~well-chosen words
he is about to deliver. A pathetic
touch, it seems, that there are no
friends or relatives to welcome those
sorry, broken war tourists. And then
follow II few moments which even
hardened war correspondents won't
forget, as the little Swedish hospital
steamer creeps shoreward and moor
at the quay.
II is as strange Il ships company as
you are likely ever to see locked. The
exchange prisoners are massed on the
fore and after decks, and line the
rail, some eagerly leaning over toward
land and liberty, others too far gone,
sunk in apathy from which seemingly
nothing can arouse them. The over
Whelming majority are Austro-H unga-
rian soldiers; there is n sprinkling Of
officers and of Germans.
When they are within fifteen feet
of shore the landSturm band begins
playing the German national anthem,
Hell dir i'm Siegeskranz," which is
likewise God Save the King" and MY
Country, "Tis of Thee" those on shore
joining in discordant chorus. 1t is in
tercSting to note how the magic of
music StirS the souls of the sorry
prisoner crew how military discipline
slowly triulnphs over physical and
mental suffering. The few Austrian
officers OF the deck Of the AeOlus are
the first to salute and stand snappily
ut attention. though several are
propped on crutches, together with the
Sprinkling of German prisoners whose
iron discipline is the quickest to re-
the one-armcd, and %one-legged, and the
paralyzcd, including II %hideously mis-
Shapcn ~gargoyle hung between two
crutches-these Germans all react as
II man to the patriotic air and
struggle to Straighten up, and some of
them painfully succeed in stiffening
rigidly to parade posture and salute
their flag in regulation fashion, while
the worst damaged, for whom this Is
Il physical imp~ossibility, salute with
rigid heads, some only with their eyes.
The less damaged Austro- Hungarian
soldiers (deleted by the ~censor) joined
their German comrades in misfortune
and were moved to spirited enthusiasm
when the Landsturm band next played
the Austrian national anthem. which
slowly affected eve the most seriously
crippled and reused them from their
dead stupor. Austrian caps, one after
the other, were dotted; barred. bowed
heads were thrown back again with
something of pride; these frowzy, shah
by wrecks Of soldiers, (deleted by the
CENSOR, being of softer metal than the
Germans. were many Of them moved to
tears by the tune of their national an
them.
They were not allowed to come
ashore at once There IA still some
official ceremonial to be run off. While
women on shore tossed flowers, cigars,
and cigarettes to them, which the
physically able eagerly grabbed after.
the Swedish national anthem had still
to be played and sung as n deserved
tribute to the good neutral offices that.
had made possible this humane ex-
change Of prisoners; the prince of
Putbus, gray-haired and gray-bearded,
and wearing the field gray uniform of
n colonel of Prussian Uhlans. blazing
with orders. there as the kaiser's per-
sonal representative. and owning half
the Island of Ruegen, on which the pris-
oners were about to land, had still to
mount an improvised rOstrum powered
with pine branches and deliver his nd
dress of welcome.
Welcomed by a Prince.
Comrades" he said in that husky
bark peculiar to German officers long
accustomed to command. "in the am
of the kaiser and all Germany l well
come you, returning heroes, to home
soil" The damaged heroes continued
to stand at patient. respectful atten-
ton. "Your term Of languishing in
enemy Imprisonment is happily over;
your fatherland will do all 1t possibly
can to repay your sacrifice by caring
for you.
yet stand our Joined fatheriaads In