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

A new and ~treacherous enemy has
joined our foes. but | am glad to be
able to tell you that German-Bulgari-
sen are advancing VIGOROUSLY In the
Dobrudja. In telephone conversation
with his majesty the kaiser last night,
his majesty ordered me to tell you
that II decisive victory had been won
over the Itoumanhin and Russian
armies" This announcement of Rou-
manian defeat moved the cripples and
consumptives to IA 'pathetlcally weak
'I%iurrah," which strengthened as the
aged prince called for three cheers for
Kaiser Wilhelm and Kaiser Franz Jo-
sepl.
Then they were allowed to come
ashore. With the neatness of Il long
practiced military evolution, German
ambulance men swarmed up the gang
plank. and two and W. they led, more
often carried, the released prisoners
off the ship, set them on their feet and
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 and
German newspapers were distributed
among them; punches of oak leaves
were fastened on them by enthusiastic
women; they We're dined and wined
and beered to the limit, and enjoyed the
process hugely, but they We're 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 los
sible regarding the missing.
Then, one at Il time, the exchanged
German prisoners were led out of the
dining roO to Il nearby dressing room
and there stripped of their worn uni
forms, which We're 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 n 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-lIungarians, 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 it.
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-
garlans to quarantine stations on the
Gcrman-Austrian border, where they
will be detained for an observation
period of II 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 Il field Of
Il thousand dead will fill you with such
horror and ~repugnance to the whole
I,,.;,arr 40 thi, ,.riSnnnr chin film
And just as moving as the return of
the Austro-Germuns was the depar-
turc of the Russian exchange prisoners
early this morning.
The local stages that had carried
summer guests between the station and
the hotels, these coughing consuinp-
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.
They were free men, but they didn't
look it. They dropped in steamer chairs
and on the benches that paralleled the
steamer rails like n lot of very wet
CIllthtIlS. lItN loohtu plohNh III pody
and spirit, but this appearance was in
part deceptive. Swedish nurses circu-
lated among them and gave each Rus
sian n paper bag containing a first
breakfast-a white roll sausage sand
wich. The released prisoners bright
ened up and proceeded to take a new
interest in life.
Swedes Feed the Russians.
Even before the Aeolus sailed. imme-
diately after the first, a second break
fast was served to the Russians by the
hnrd-hcaded Swedes, who went on the
sensible theory that the best cure for
melancholy is a full stomach. Swedish
Red Cross nurses now distributed
plates heaped with boiled sausages and
potatoes. with a knife, fork and spoon,
to each Russian prisoner, to the great
puzzlement of not a few of them. One
Russian, whom | watched carefully,
tucked the knife In his boot top and
sat on the plated fork and spoon. then
comfortably ate boiled potatoes and
tore up the sausage with his fingers.
One of the young Swedish girls gave
him his first instruction In the manipu-
lation of polite table hardware, and as
long as she watched him he made n
noble effort to carve the sausage with
his knife; the moment she left he re-
lapsed into the primitive again.
The members Of this consumptive
crew were obviously going home but to
die. Yet as the hospital ship slowly
headed into the Baltic they too saw
some bright mirage of a new existence.