New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-11
Nurse Describes Shocking
Conditions in Siberian
Camps
COLD KILLS MANY;
SUFFERING is GREAT
Disease Sweeps Through
Thousands, Unchecked
Food Is Poor

An American Red Cross nurse who
returned recently from Siberia, where
she visited the prisoners camps with
an investigating commission, has pre-
scented a description of conditions as
she found them in the camps.
The nurse has asked that her name
be not published. She said in part:
Thousands Of prisoners OF War In
Russia and Siberia are dying because
they lack the necessities of life. To
allow conditions TO remain as they are
will mean that there will be a very
small per cent Of the prisoners TO re-
turn home at the end of the war.
an Siberia and Russia are million
persons who, through no fault OF their
own, are thrown on tho mercy OF the
enemy. In addition there are about
100000 civilian prisoners living On the
bounty of peasants.
"Since tho exchange Of prisoners
began we had heard stories Of the hor-
rors OF the camps, but even then we
were unprepared for what We saw.
ION a cold day In November We had
our first experience. The governor
general assigned Russian lieutenant
| TO US as a convoy. The first camp we
visited vas three miles from one or
the largest cities in Siberia. II was
| typical inspection tour.
Barracks Not Heated
"As we went from barrack TO bar
rack q few hundred prisoners followed
us. We were the first sisters they had
seen in months. The thermometer IN
the camp buildings registered 10 de-
orees below zero and that was the hrsI
morning fires had been made. Small
comfort TO a cold person 20 know tnao
there is scarcity of fuel IN many
Russian homes because OF lnsuincieh'
rolling stock! u.A,..a
"Tbe barracks were badly Lighted;
Entering the door we stood for severa'
moments before our eyes became nc
/ customed TO the gloom. There wete
no floors; the walls were unpalhteu.
Two tiers of boards, the one five feet
above the other, were the beds. AZ
tontion.' called the soldier IN charge
Of the barracks. The prisoners stood
nm. The taller ones almost PEN
double and the shorter ones WIN heaus
bowed Our good mornings were IN,
tended to be cheerful. They sounded
like laugh at a funeral.
"AIl we talked 10 told the same
story. insufficient food, no opportunity
10 battle or wash, impossible sanitary
"1Wo haven't il as bad "a those IN
the big building, sister Whispered
German soldier. ASK to go there
We did ask to so. Our convoy iaauo
/ excuses. but we we're inslstent. IL was
I a building that had once been used Tor
an exhibition. A temporary structure
hut il housed 400 men. Al hrst u
seemed inky black inside. Inen, "hen
our ewes became accustomed 10 tne
gloom, we saw only sea OF ldoe9'
There was the same sheli-llEe az
rangement. But here were three rows
and with so little room tnat the men
could not all lie down at once toi
rent of coughing was all we heaI n
They told US they took turns IN walA-
ing at night TO keep warm. Every
morning they took away those VINO naa
frozen their hands or feet IN the nlght;
They are the ones who had droppeo
from exhaustion. III. =.
eve saw the only steriliZer IN
Siberia. No need for a prisoner TO
whisper that it was never used. Inc
ashes had been put in the wrong place
Tho bodies Of some men were lying IN
tho same room. The diagnosis had
been doubtful, but it was thought thaI
81
"What we could do for the men
would i'm our country seem as nothing
Our straw ticks were pretty poor, nut
they were heaven compared 10 frozen
qround. We got the well ones, VINO
we're standing around waiting for their
turn 10 become i'll, to work for the SICK.
such wonderful things can be accom-
nlished with only a little encourage
ment. We had medicines, and we had
money TO buy great chunks Of frozen
milk and little better food for them
Chance TO Save Thousands
"Scurvy in very bad form is prev
alent in every camp. This IS due 70 the
diet being wholly deficient OF lfult'
To remedy this condition would be
comparatively simple matter. Drled
/ fruit or canned fruit could be taken 70
Siberia Tor QlStTlbulloH. NC ipOu -
the I'M is practically the same as for
the healthy. Black bread. buckwheat
cereal and soup made OF fish OF. pots-
toes. which have often been frozen
form the major part Of the diet. win
bodies nourished on such food the dis
ease germ Grds little resistance. BY
adding only fruit 10 their rations thou
sands of lives might be saved.
"In every camp there are clever Ger,
man and Austrian doctors and medicai
students. whose work amounts TO al
most nothing. because Of lack Of ma
terial to work with. Hundreds have
smallpox. because no vaccine is o0-
tainable. Diphtheria patients rarely
recover. because there is no antitoXin.
In typhus, an epidemic which Is by no
means uncommon, the mortality rate Is
often 10 per cent.
"Next 10 food. the greatest need IN
the prison camps is clothing and occu-
patton for bands and mind"
pATD TEACEEp Ct Ok A WEEK