The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-12-01
by CYRIL BROWN,
Correspondents of New York Times.

SassnItz.--I have experienced much
| on many fronts, but never so poignant
ly the pure essence of tragedy as
when the dead awaken"--the moment
| when hopelessly war-damaged prison
| ers are metamorphosed by the illus0ry
/ hope of new existence from dumb
brutes, deadened by long captivity and
/ physical misfortune, into men again /;
| when they touch home soil, IL they are
| Germans or Austrians, or leave the en-
emy's shores forever If they are Rus
| SLAMS.
Generally once, frequently three
| times week, this dramatic episode
| Is played on the strand OF the Baltic
| AT the pleasant summer resort of Sass
| nitz, on the emerald island of Ruegen,
| FIVE hours sail from the Swedish port
Of Trelleborg. when the good ship of
mercy, the Swedish Red Cross hospital
ship Ae0lus, old seadog Captain Brand
commanding, brings its pltiful freight
| of exchanged prisoners from Russia
| and loads o similar return cargo. Ow-
+! ing to the general Russian offensive,
| which so taxed the Russian strategic
railways that no rolling stock could be
spared for the shipment of prisoners
| to Sweden. this humane exchange had
been suspended for several months,
but was able TO witness its resump-
ton.
TO get the complete picture you must
begin with tour of this little, old
fashioned. staid seaside town. The
summer girl has gone home to Berlin
and the provinces. The stony strand
is deserted of happy children and
anxious grown-ups. (Deleted by CEN
sor.) The vendors of amber souvenirs
IN speciality of Sassnitz-of picture
postals, memorial shells and edibles
are boarding up their booths. Save
for a few belated holidaying stragglers,
the modest seaside hotels are dead
yet your trained nose detects an I'M
lnlstakable mir of expectancy about
town. For this Is exchange-p prisoner
day, an event In the life of this fortu-
nate far-off community, where other
wise the waves of war cause hardly
faint ripple. Native beauties-young
girls and others of more matronly
topography dressed In white, are hur-
rying strandward bearing punches of
early fall flowers and of oak leaves,
with which to decorate the returning
heroes,
An AlI-Tuberculosis Shipment.
The Times correspondent meanwhile
visits the local music hall, where the
Russian prisoners to be exchanged are
bedded, having had a thorough en-
forced rest preparatory to standing the
short but rough Baltic crossing to Swe-
den. find more Russians in the Vik-
tOria hotel and other hotels-about $50
of them-all victims of tuberculosis.
This arouses curiosity, but proves no
coincidence. They have been carefully
picked from the prison camps of Aus
tria and Germany for an all-tubercu-
losls hipment-sensible segregation
rather than TO have sprinkling of
white-plague sufferers injecting
mixed shipment of crlpples. These
poor wretches lie hacking and cough
Ing, many obviously in advanced stages
of the disease. In cots on the floor and
stage of the music hall, their faces
are impressive. hopeless. Captivity
has turned gray the unkempt hair and
boards of many; but there are also
broken youths. some mere boys. The
bulk of them have been shipped from
Austrian camps, as the Russians have
(deleted by the censor) more Austro-
Hungarian than German prisoners and
consequently exchange more Austro-
Hungarians than Germans.
The Austrians are sending home
their prisoners In good shape as to
equipment. A new pair of black leath-
er boots stands at the foot of each cot.
and beside them lies new convict suit
Of dark brown material, with round
cap to match. The equipment fur
nished to returning Russian prisoners
was formerly not so good, learned:
there is obviously laudable desire to
Improve, however. The Russians are
already having foretaste of liberty
touch OF neutrality, at least--in the
shape Of pretty little Red Cross
nurse, Miss Marie Oestlin, who has
1
been In America in fact, had nurse
hood conferred on her by the Illinois
Training school OF Chicago. Miss Oest-
lin, who has much to say in praise of
American humanitarianism, notably of
the splendid work done by American
Red Cross surgeons and nurses during
the war, has been continuously on duty
In Sassnitz since August 1915, minis
tertng to Russian exchange prisoners,
and wears part Of her material reward
In the form OF Austrian and German
Red Cross medals on her starched
Swedish uniform.
In private room in the victoria
hotel meet and try to talk with
handful of Russian officers, the only
nonconsumptfves in the shipment. but
make little Roadway. as one is Cos
Jack captain. who does not speak Rus
sian, and oil are impervious to Broad
way German. bad French, and alleged