The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-12-14
CApTIVES
MADE: TO WORK
By AUsTRIAhS
Proper Food and Medicines Are
Denied Prisoners.
|ARE TORTURED FOR HOURS

Epidemics Sweep Ranks of Helpless
and Thousands Fail to Survive
Treatment Of Prisoners Is Most In.
humar-Destitution Is Spreading in
Both Austria and Rungary-Sani.
tary Conditions Bad.
About 10000 Italian and Serbian Off.
GERS and men taken prisoners by the
Austrians and permanently disabled
for military service owing to wounds
or illness have been exchanged for an
equal number of Austrian prisoners Of
wcr during this year. Neither Italy
/ nor Austria agreed to the hospitaliza-
ton of prisoners of war in Switzerland,
and their direct exchange has been
most satisfactorily arranged by the
Swiss Red Cross, writes Philip R.
Mackenzie, Rome correspondent Of the
New York Sun.
The treatment Of prisoners Of war
In Austria Is most inhuman. Owing
to food shortage the rations given to
the unfortunate prisoners are hardly
&uficient to keep them alive. Sanitary
4nditions in prison camps are neg
lected. Proper medical attendance is
lacking. Hardly any effort is made to
combat contagious diseases and ept-
denies, with the result that the mortal
ity among the prisoners is appalling.
/ Although insufficiently fed prisoners
/are forced to work and the hard labor
to which they are subjected hastens
their exhaustion to such an extent that
a large proportion Of Italian soldiers
return to Italy in dying condition.
The treatment of Italian prisoners
of war is more cruel, as the Austrians
bitterly hate the Italians and consider
them as traitors because, despite the
Triple Alliance, they are fighting
against and not in favor of the central
empires. Evidence of the cruel treat
:ment of Italian prisoners of war in
Austria is afforded by the reports Of
the officers and men who return to
Italy, whose accounts are specially in
teresting inasmuch as they contain re-
liable particulars about general in
terual conditions in Austria.
n Herded Into Cars.
When the Austrians take Italian SOL
diers prisoners before sending them
to the prison camps behind the front
they deprive them of ell their clothes,
which they exchange for thin cotton
uniform similar to that worn by con-
victs. Italian uniforms and under
wear, if in good condition, are used
. by the Austrian soldiers. The linen
shirts worn by the Italians are torn
\ into strips and used for bandages,
which even If washed are never prop
erly disinfected, since soap cannot be
had. The prisoners are then sent to
different camps in closed railway
trucks badly ventilated and so crowd
ed that for days and sometimes weeks
the unfortunate men can hardly move.
E!Aeir food on the journey consists of
thin vegetable soup distributed every
~ hours, and hunk of hard bread
made of straw and bran. On arrival at
the prison camps the men are lodged in
wooden huts, badly and hastily built,
where they are condemned to freeze in
Winter and roast in summer.
Officers are not deprived Of their uni
forms and they are allowed 81 day to
buy food. Naturally, owing to the pro-
hSbitive prices of the prime necessaries
of life, the officers can afford only
simple and plain diet, but as most Of
them receive money from home, which
they share with thei9 comrades in cap
tvity, they are able to improve their
fare. Each officer gets two sheets and
paper-lined blanket. AS paper is
getting scarce, officers blankets are
no longer lined, with the result that in
winter they are compelled to wear
their o7ercoats in bed.
The soldiers sleep on the floor, with
SAt any bedding except straw or shay
ings, which are never changed. Their
rations consist of a piece of bread made
of ground beans, acorns and straw or
bran aI41 TWO DoWlS Oh VegetaDIe soup
every day. Once a week they get some
meat, generally goats or sleeps meat.
The soldiers are made to work u hours
a day in the fields or else in digging
&&enches, building roads or railways,
Md even in munition factories some
times. They are paid three cents a
day.
Suspended by Wrists.
s If they refuse to work they are pun
&shed, for the first offense with bread
aid water for a week or fortnight,
and for the second offense with the
stake. They are tied to stake from
their wrists, with only their toes touch
ing the ground, and left in this posi-
tion for two hours at time. If they
Saint, a bucket of water is thrown in
their faces, and after a short interval
sfhe ordeal is renewed.
1 When prisoners are i'll the only medi-