The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-31
PRISONERS TRANSFERRED BY SWEDEN'S GOOD OFFICES ARE
 PITIFUL SPECIMENS OF HUMANS
Former Fighters Are Wrecks Russians Say They Were Well Treated in Germany -Typhus Adds to Horrors Inflicted By Shells and Bullets of Enemy in Battle
.chaia'
 One of the Fivo

stockholm.s Sweden, May S1.-The great task of exchanging wounded prisoners between Russia. and Ger many through Sweden will be con tinued throughout the summerN The exchange applies only to those pris- oners totally unfit ever to serve again. One glimpse at train load of these miserable war dereIicts leaves no doubt as to their disability. Missing legs. missing arms sightIess eyes, Shattered jaws, twisted spines and there are the g1assy stare, which tells its own story of a burned-out brain these are the evidences the Swedish people see of the war that surrounds them.
 The transfer through Sweden is handled entirely by the Swedish Red Gross, or "Roda Korset," of which Prince Carl, brother of the King, is the actual and active head. The Ger man prisoners are received from the Russians at sHaparanda at the Swe- dish-EinniSh frontier, only a few miles south of the sweep of the Arctic cir cle. In trains specially fitted for their use the rnaimed, and twisted wrecks of men are taken south through the entire distance of Swe- den, a journey of three nights and two days the pace of the train being z Trelleborg, the SoUthernnost part of Sweden, the one-tine soldiers of the FatherIand are placed upon Germa n hospital transports for the short sail across the southern reacn or the Bal tic to the German port of Sassnitz. From there they are taken to Ham burg and held in detention for one month as a guarantee against the i'm portation of any infectious disease. This quarantine period ended, the
 
 life, are returned to their relatives and homes.
 In the case of the Russian prison CTS the operation is just reversed. They are received from the German ships at Treueborg and are taken to the north through the glowing sun shine and the mysterious nights of the Arctic 1atitudes, where soon the days will fade one into another with only a shadow or twilight in between The work has begun this year with one train a week in each direction have a capacity of about 235 soldiers When the work is fully under way the rate of exchange will be about 5000 prisoners a month. the percentage of totally unfit" among the mer must be comparatively small, some Idea may be gained to the total number of prisoners held on both sides of the Russian German battle line
 The first train started north from Treueborg with the burden of 23C physical and mental deficient-a Ehast1y assortment of parts of men B they hobbIed or were carried dowr the gang-pIank of the hospital steam er at Tre11eborg the procession seem ed like veritab1e outpouring from the depths of an Inferno. Its was 4-.=:n to be seen that each man there had come to grips with Death and had fought his way out of that grim clucth e11y at a terrible cost of wound and scar Palid faces and sunken eyes told the story almost as quickly as empty sleeves and folded trouser-legs Down the narrow steamer plank thew game, awkwardly trying to manipu- late the unfamiliar crutches- A right leg was missing here. left there, and