Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-05-28
Only Totally Unfit War
Debris Will BE Allowed
to Go to Homes.
GERMAN AND RUSSIAN
Transfer Is Made Through
Sweden; Is Handled
Through Red Cross.

Germany through sweden VIII be con
tinued throughout the summer. Tn,
exchange applies only to those prison
ers totally unfit ever to serve again
one glimpse at a trainload Of thcs,
miserable war dercliCts leaves n,
doubt as to their disability MISSING
legs. missing arms, sightless eyes
battered jaws. twisted spines and here
and there the glasy stare. which tell:
its own story OF hurned-out- brain
these are the evidences the Swedish
people see Of the war that surround!
them.
Rcd Cross at Helm.
The transfer through Sweden Il
handled by the Swedish Red Cross, OF
"Roda Korsct." of which Prince carl
brother of the king. is the actua
and active head The German prison
ers are received from the Russians
at Haparanda at the Swedish-Fin
nsh frontier. only few miles soutl
Of the sweep of the Arctic circle. II
trains specially fitted for their use tho
manned and twisted wrecks Of mer
are taken south through the entir,
distance of Sweden. Il Journey of three
nights and two days. the pace of the
train being timed for the utmost OF
comfort. At Trelleborg, the souther-
most part Of Sweden, the One-tim,
soldiers of the fatherland are PLACED
upon German hospital transports foi
the short sail across the southern
reach Of the Baltic to the German
port of Sassnitz. From there they are
taken to Hamburg and held in deten
ton for one month as guarantee
against the importation of any infec'
tious disease. This quarantine perioC
ended, the men. most of them depend
ents for life, are returned to thcil
relatives and homes.
5000 Month.
In the case Of the Russian prison
ers the operation is lust reversed
They are received from the German
ships at Trclleborg and are taken t'
the north through the glowing sun
shine and the mysterious nights o
the Arctic latitudes. where soon t.
days will fade one INTO the other will
only a shadow of twilight in between
The work has begun this year witt
one train a week in each direction
This month the number will be in
creased to three in each direction
The trains consists of l6 cars an'
have a capacity of about 235 soldiers
When the work is fully under way th'
rate of exchange will be about 3,OO'
prisoners month. As the per cent
age of totally unfit" among the mer
must be comparatively small, som'
idea may be gained as to the tota
number of prisoners held on botl
sides of the Russian German battle
line.
Ghastly Procession.
The first train started north from
Trelleborg with the burden Of 23l
physical and mental deficients -
ghastly assortment Of parts of men
As they hobblcd or were carried dOwI
the gnagplank of the hospital steam
er at Trclleborg the procession seemed
like 4 veritable outpourinE from tn
depths of an inferno 1t was plain
to he seen that each man there hat
come to grips with death and ha,
fought his way out of that grin
clutch only at a terrible cost Of woun'
and scar Paid faces and sunkei
eyes told the story almost as quickl
as empty sleeves and folded trouscr
legs Down the narrow steamer planl
they came. awkardly trying to manip
ulate the unfamiliar crutches.
right leg was missing here, lef
there and in some cases perhaps onl
foot was gone.
The debarkation from this strang
ship Of broken men had been unde
way for ten minutes perhaps wheI
there suddenly appeared among III
human fragments at the foot Of tn
gangway a man who had been en-
tirely lost sight of as he made his wa
to shore. Both Of Lis legs were gon
and his head scarcely showed aboV
the gangway rails as he swung tn
remnants of his body along betWec
two stubby little crutches. 1t 500
developed. however. that he was no
alone i'm his misery for there wer
several others like him. 1t SCENE
that .he crutch process would neve
end. for the doctors said the mum
ber of "leg cases" was unusually hig
in this first shipment Of huma
wreckage home to Russia. one q
the leg cases was boy OF 10. Ill
left limb was gone well above tn
knee. but with the deXterity of yout
he had learned to hop along with onl
one crutch and had thrown the othe
away as so much impedimenta.
All Of the Russians said they ha
been well treated in Germany and tina
the German nurses in particular ha
been very kind to them.
Like sympathy.
"But they probably will tell an
other story in Russia" said a Swedis
doctor. mot that they mean to b
malicious or msrepresent matter!
but they are anxious for all the sym
pathy they can get"
Before it was time for the trai
to resume its journey a group Of pris
oners gathered at one end Of the sta
ton and began to sing. Their leado
was one of the blind men. He lifte
his voice in the most plaintive soI
of melody and the others joined /
the chorus. They sang for twent
minutes perhaps. when the cOnduC
tors whistle sent them shufflin
aboard and they were still singing an
waving such hands as they had lef
as the train pulled out.
The great impression left from con
tact with the Russian prisoners Wa
the absence OF all realization of wha
the future meant to them. Ever sine
their disablement they had been kind
ly attended and pT divided for. Thei
wants had been anticipated an