The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-12-01

Joined our foes, but ail s'au
able to tell you that German-bu's't'0
ans under Field Marshal Won MaeAun
CON ore advancing VIGOROUSLY IN Tue
DobrudIa. In telephone conVersa ,l,,.
with his majesty the kaiser last hisn.'
| his majesty ordered me 10 te'i sou
that decisive victory had Deeh "o'
over the Ronmanian and Russlah
armies" This announcement Vi nv
monion defeat moved the cripples anu
consumptiyes to pathetically weah
"Hurrah." which strengthened as tue
oood nrince called for three cheers Tor
Kaiser Wilhelm and Kaiser FRANZ ~
seph.
Then they were allowed to come
ashore. With the neatness OF q long
practiced military evolution, German
ambulance men swarmed up the gang
plank. and two and two they led, more
often carried. the released prisoners
off the ship, set them on their feet anu
led them to be presented to the prince
and his encourage, after which they
were placed In chairs about the tables
in the long dining sheds. Cigars.
cigarettes, picture postal cards ana
German newspapers were distributed
among them; punches of oak leaves
were fastened on them by enthusiastic
women; they were dined ana Wined
and beered to the limit and enjoyed the
process hugely, but they were also re-
quired to do some work. Soldiers OF
the local garrison passed from table TO
table, submitting printed lists and
photographs of missing German sol
diers and officers to them, which they
were asked to examine and, If they
could Identify any of the names or
photographs, give any information pos
sible regarding the missing.
Then, one at time, the exchanged
German prisoners were led out OF the
dining room to a nearby dressing room
and there stripped of their worn uni
forms, which were replaced by brand
new equipment. The pride on their
faces as they limped back looking like
real soldiers again was worth noting,
and more than one looked as If he still
had a lot of fight left in him. 1t was
one of the most remarkable lightning
changes had seen in the course of the
war.
The Landsturm band never stopped
playing during these proceedings, dis
coursing chiefly military marches, with
native dances thrown In for the benefit
of the Austro-H ungarians, the Germans
well knowing and making ample use Of
the tonic effect of brass band music;
and it was worth while watching the
rapid reaction of the liberated prison
ers to 1t.
Returned Prisoners Guaranteed.
Three hours later all were loaded
into waiting hospital trains, the Ger
mans to be transported to a quarantine
hospital in Bremen, the Austro-Hun-
garians to quarantine stations on the
German-Austrian border, where they
will be detained for an observation
period of IL days. Then they will be
allowed to return to their homes.
These occasional little war canoes
bring home to you the seamy side of
the war as no great battle picture can;
you realize what the war means to the
innocent individual, and not field Of
thousand dead will fill you with such
horror and repugnance to the whole
business as this prisoner ship film.
And just as moving as the return of
the Austro-Germans was the depar-
ture of the Russian exchange prisoners
early this morning.
The local stages that had carried
summer guests between the station and
the hotels, these coughing consump-
tives were brought from town down
to the waterfront, where they (deleted
by the censor) were led or carried by
German ambulance men on to the Aeo-
lus and technically Swedish soil
Ihey were free men, but they didn't
look 1t. They dropped in steamer chairs
and on the benches that paralleled the
steamer rails like lot of very wet
chickens. They looked broken in body
and spirit but this appearance was in
part deceptive. Swedish nurses circu.
lated among them and gave each Rus
sian paper bag containing a first
breakfast-a white roll sausage sand
wich. The released prisoners bright
ened up and proceeded to take new
interest in life.
swedes Feed the Russians.
Even before the Aeolus sailed imma.
diately after the first, second braak-
FAST was served to the Russians by tha
hard-headed Swedes, who went on the
sensible theory that the best cure For
melancholy Is full stomach. Swedish
lied Cross nurses now distribnted
plates heaped with boiled sausages and
potatoes, with knife, fork and snoon
TO each Russian prisoner, to the great
puzzlement of not few of them Ono
Russian, whom l watched carefu,lv
tucked the knife in his boot ton and
sat on the plated fork and spoon tben
comfortably ate boiled potatoes md
tore up the sausage with his fingars