The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-12-01
BY CYRIL Brown,
CORRESPONDENT OF New York Times.

Snsguitz.--I have experienced much
on many fronts, but never SO poignant
~ the pure essence OF tragedy as
"when the dead awaken"--the moment
when hopeessly war-damaged prison
ers are nietamorphosed by the illusory
hope OF II new existence from dumb
brutes, deadened by long captivity and
physical misfortune. into men again
when they touch home soil. II they are
Germans OF Austnans, or leave the en-
emy's shores forever II they are Rus
SLAMS.
Generally once. frequently three
times week, this dramatic episode
IL played on the strand OF the Baltic
at the pleasant summer resort OF Sass
nitz, on the emerald island of Ruegen,
Ave hours sail from the Swedish port
of Trelleborg, when the good ship OF
mercy, the Swedish Red Cross hospital
ship Ae0ius, old seadog Captain Brand
commanding, brings Its pItlful freight
Of exchanged prisoners from Russia
and loads similar return cargo. Ow'
ing 10 the general Russian offensive,
which NO taxed tine ftassian strategic
railways that no rolling stock could be-
spared for the shipment Of prisoners
10 Sweden, this humane exchange had
been suspended for several months
but | was able TO witness It's resump'
ton.
70 get the complete plctureyon must
begin with IA tour OF this little, old
fashioned. stald seaside town. The
summer girl has gone home TO Berlin
aud the provinces. The stony strand
is deserted of happy children and
anxious grownups, (Deleted by cen
sor) The vendors ot amber souvenirs
~ speciality OF Snssnitz picture
postnls. memorial shells and edlbles
are boarding up their booths Save
for a few beuted holidaylng stragglers,
the modest seaside hotels nrc dead
yet your trained nose detects an I'M
mlstAkahle mir of expectancy about
town. For this IL exchange prisoner
day, an event 10 the life OF this fortu'
nate far-otr community, where other
wise the waves " war cause hardly II
fnlnt ripple. Native beauties young
girls and others Of more matronly
topography dressed In white are bur
ryIng strnndwnrd bearing lunches OF
carly fall flowers and OF oak leaves
with which TO decorate the returning
heroes.
An All. tuberculosis Shipment
The Times correspondent meanwhile
visits the local music hail. whore the
Russian prisoners to be exchanged are
bedded. having had thorough en-
forced rest preparatory to standing the
short but rough Baltic crossing to Swe
den. find more Russians In the Vik
torIn hotel and other hotels-about 2St
OF ,hcm--ull victims of tuberculosis
This Arouses curiosity. but proves ne
coincidence. They have been carefully
picked from the prison camps OF Aus
tria and Germany for nn all.tuhercu
loSis shipment sensible segregation
rather than 10 have sprinkllng OF
whitc-plaguc sufferers injecting d
mixed shipment of crlpples, These
poor wretchcs lie hacking and cough
ing. many obviously In advanced stages
of the disease, In cots on the floor and
stage ot the music hnll. their faces
ARE impressive, hopeless Captivity
has turned gray the unkempt hair ant
teafds of" urauy !; tat there are .alSt
brcscu youths, some mere boys tn,
bulk of them have been shipped from
Austrian camps, as the Russians hav,
(dclcted by the censor) more Austro
Hungarian than German prisoners ant
consequently exchange more Austro
Hungarians than Germans,
The Austraus are sending HON,
their prisoners In good shape as L
equipment A new pair ot black leath
ct boots stands at the foot ~ each cot
aud beside them lies II new convict sui
~ dark brown material, with Il ruunc
cap 10 match. The equipment fur
nishcd to returning Russian prisoners
was formerly not 50 good, learned
there Is obviously lnudahle desire (,
Improve, however, The Russians ar,
ALREADY having toretaste of liberty
a touch Of neutrality, nj least tin III,
shape If q pretty little Red Cros
nurse, Miss Marie oestlin. who ha
been In America, In fact. had nurse
hood conferred on her by the lllInos
Training school " Chicago Miss oeSt
lin, who has much Ia say Ia praise o
American humanitartanISm notably o
the srlcndid work done by America,
Red Cross surgeons mud nurses durin
the war, has been continuously on dut
IN Sassnitx since August 1918, minis
tering 10 Russian exchange prisoners
and wears part VI her material rewar,
In the form OF Austrian and Germal
Red Cross medals on her starche,
Swedish uniform,
In private room In the vlfsnrt
hotel meet and try to talk with
handful of Russian officers, the ont
nonconsumptIves IN ,hs shipment, hu
make little Roadway as one is a Cos
sack captain, who does not SPEAK Rus
sian, and all are imperyious 10 BROAD
way German, bad French. and sllexe
Spanish.
Town and Harbor ssdeekec.
Voices outside proclaim that IA