The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-18

They remained two weeks In prison at
Irkutsk and were fed on 8 kopeks a
day, but extras were available at the
prison cantcen for those who had money.
! have the word Of a thoroughly re-
spons.ble American witness that on the
ground floor Of the old Russian bar
racks at Nikolsk he saw I'VE East Prus-
sian peasants. 81 and 81 years OF age,
who had been taken In "a Cossack raid
at the outbreak Of the war and shipped
TO Siberia in slow stages. One OF them
mad gone crazy.
Material is not lacking for the accu-
rate description Of numerous hcartrend-
ing cases In which the greater part of
the suffering could have been avoided
had adequate provision been made for
the care OF the victims Of war.
Lack OF organization and system airl
indifference to human welfare where
the lower classes and bothersoine. un-
welcome foreigners are concerned. rather
IMAM premeditated cruelty. seem TO be
the real explanation OF the situation.
As the movement of civil prisoners to
SIBERIA was practically completed by the
hrst of the year. most of them have
been in permanent stations from ten to
fourteen months. though many were sent
from place to place In the beginning
How many rave succumbcd to exposure
or died Of disease probably never will
he known.
The same confusion and exposure In
transportation and lack of provision and
accommodation at destination which
were described In connection with Ia.
civilians apply with almost equal force
I" the military prisoners. though 1t Is
true that the authorities enieavor TO ac-
cord the latter the treatment prescribed
by the laws OF nations.
Gross Neglect CHARGED.
The hrst prison trains reaching Siberia
were made up Of all sorts OF cars al
riously thrown together with little regard
for system or the slightest degree of com
Tort. Consideration Of the length Of the
journey. weather conditions and the
problem of food and shelter were grossly
neglected. The men. and frequently the
officers. were shipped in unheated box
cars and sometimes in open freight and
cattle cars. Great numbers arrived al
destinations In clothes hardened with ice
and with hands. feet. ears or noses
frozen. more dead than alive from cx
posure and lack OF food The Govern
inont allows eac military prisoner
twenty-five kopeks for food. procurable
NJ tho stations. which is cheap along
the railroad. and ] am told the Russian
soldiers get on quite we'll with this sun
but owing TO acknowledgement 1t not in
frequently happened the stops were SC
far between OF Of such short duration
that food WAS not o~btaiuablc.
The following case was sworn to h,
three A~ustrians. A transport Of con
valescents was to be shipped 10 eastern
Siberia from a prison hospital in a plac,
4. Of tNsg n. a.. ,N.., 4.
their departure these men were told bv
subordinate official tina, they were TO e,
TO Ire court ward In front Of the hospita
and wait there until their uniforms wcI,
returned t. them. The men accordincl,
WV, ou' W ne HaIu' Mhere 'ne! sto",
lie thermometer r, Clustering 10 degree
heioN zero Ceuticrade before their uni
forms were given to them.
The above illustration SHOWS the gen
ora rnrsn,r,Iucs Of IN, Russian nr
horit,cs to uuartcr prisoners " war b,
s,hcri, ana ib,y also make clear IN.
.r,.l.,o, ,b,, ,,c,,rs h,,voor Tho or,I.-
~ tho h,,bcr onici,is and tho c~>ecu,io,
~ Two orders he suhordIra,es
A. ,he ,ina Of my twin ac,nss = he,i
nil, s,,,ior, nod h,ou .s,ahlishod an,
.nnod "a, ,:.,w,u and Austrian sol
,,o,s at soyo, nl,,,s ir ,L, v1,diyost,
,,d p,i,,,,r dts,,ic,v Tbcy. vc,, a
,i,t,,or.r ,, ia. >,,,,r rivc, IN
. A. >t,,i.L p,i,o,d It's
To-. ,ur,.a -, ,,.ou,, ,.ry,
,'"' 'rt,,H' ,rnv n,r,
'.". ''''"."'N
N,'"''It ta'''"" ~, ',h, an
,,"'' n",. oon
<i"'dr..N" 49,, a'' ,a,, .',a
Ir"'n ~'>"N",>N I"N'.""',
Gown on "a "r'','" t'l'I''' .>.,'n, .
IN" man nhe ""aS',nE ''V".r W." =
aH'u' ""'"''' '"' n'Nuo,"
l""lhH o"s'riP'"n ~ c''i,'.."' 49,
ing al certain ~ these 'l"'rS j. ~
first ham information. ! ie'er !" Iva
har"'sk. N'NolsN ana i"'S"o''"e
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