The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-12-01
TRADING WRECKS OF men FROM WAR
PRISONS OF GERMANY AND RUSSIA
Correspondent Witnesses Repatriation of Teutons and Departure
of Russians ConsumptWes Selected by Germans From
Various Camps to Avoid Injecting Other
Released Captives.


known to American tourists who have
voyaged to or from Sweden by the
| Trelleborg route. The Aeolus Is round
Ing the long breakwater; at her fore.
masthead she flies the Red Cross flag
and, like all neutral ships that travel
these precarious world-war waters she
has her national colors-yellow cross
ON blue field--painted on her sides.
She also wears full gala flag dress
but the little port Is tagged, so are the
great steamer ferries that transport
whole freight trains between Sweden
and Germany, and tagged, too, is the
German trawler fleet within the break
| water.
The usual agitation that accompa-
MES steamer arrivals the world over
seizes those on shore, including the
two score of white-dressed young girls
and matrons who garrison certain long,
low, gray sheds where flower-bright-
ened tables have been set for 300, in
Guiding also the local landsturm band,
which goes into battle formation be-
side the landing stage; including also
certain German officers replete with a
sense of duty and Importance; includ-
Ing also the inevitable prince who is
to be the orator of the sad, happy oc-
casion, and who, dare say, is think
ing hard of those well-chosen words
he Is about to deliver. A pathetic
touch, 1t seems, that there are no
friends or relatives to welcome those
sorry, broken war tourists. And then
follow few moments which even
hardened war correspondents won't
forget, as the little Swedish hospital
steamer creeps shoreward and moors
at the quay.
1t Is as strange ships company as
you are likely ever to see locked. The
exchange prisoners are massed ON the
fore and after decks, and line the
rail, some eagerly leaning over toward
land and liberty, others too far gone
sunk in apathy from which seemingly
nothing can arouse them. The over
whelming majority are Austro-H unga-
rian soldiers; there is sprinkling of
officers and of Germans.
When they are within fifteen feet
of shore the landsturm band begins
playing the German national anthem,
Hell dir i'm Siegeskranz, which is
likewise God Save the King and my
Country, Tis of Thee those on shore
joining in discordant chorus. 1t is in
teresting to note how the magic of
music stirs the souls of the sorry
prisoner crew; how military discipline
slowly triumphs over physical and
mental suffering. The few Austrian
officers on the deck of the Aeolus are
the first to salute and stand snappily
ut attention, though several are
propped on crutches, together with the
sprinkling of German prisoners whose
iron discipline is the quickest to re-
assert itself. The lame, halt, and blind.
the one-armed, and one-legged, and the
paralyzed, including one h,deously mis-
shapen gargoyle hung between two
crutches-these Germans all react as
one man to the patriotic air and
struggle to straighten up, and some of
them painfully succeed in stiffening
rigidly to parade posture and salute
their flag In regulation fashion, while
the worst damaged, for whom this is
a physical impossibility, salute with
rigid heads, some only with their eyes.
The less damaged Austro- Hungarian
soldiers (deleted by the censor) Joined
their German comrades in misfortune.
and We're moved to spirited enthusiasm
when the Landsturm band next PLAYED
the Austrian national anthem, which
slowly affected even the most seriously
crippled and reused them from their
dead stupor. Austrian caps. one after
the other, were dotted; barred, bowed
heads were thrown back again with
something of pride; these frowzy, shah
by wrecks Of soldiers, (deleted by the
censor), being of softer metal than the
Germans, were many of them moved to
tears by the tune of their national an
them.
They were not allowed to come
ashore at once. There was still some
official ceremonial to be run off. While
women on shore tossed flowers, cigars
and cigarettes to them, which the
physically able eagerly grabbed after
the Swedish national anthem had still
to be played and sung as n deserved
tribute to the good neutral offices that
had made possible this humane ex.
change of prisoners: the prince Of
Putbus. gray-haired and gray-bearded
and wearing the field gray uniform Of
colonel of Prussian Uhlans, blazing
with orders, there as the kaiser's ner.
sonal representative, and owning half
the Island of Ruegen, on which the nris-
oners were about to land, had still TO
mount an improvised rostrum lowered
with pine branches and deliver his adj.
dress of welcome.
Welcomed by a Prince.
Comrades" he said In that hus,,v
bark peculiar to German officers LONG
accustomed to command, Sin the name
of the kaiser and all Germany I wei.
come you, returning heroes, to home
cnfl k,A 10