Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-03-02

have been prisoners In Germany
for three months, arrived here to-
day. They are DIR. John Davis,
Columbus. Miss; 0rville McKim,
WatertOWB, y. I.g Dr. III. ID. Snid-
er. Norfolk, Va; Richard Labrls-
kIe. EngleWo0d. \. J. The four
men we're practically destitute.
They reached here with only the
clothes they stood in and will, under
the custom OF the sea, be supported
by the British consul untl it Ifs pos
sible to send them home. They owe
their release before the remainder Of
the - Americans who were on the
YarrOwdaIe 10 the fact that as ply
sicians or veterinarians they ranked
as officers and We're confined ia the
officers camp at Karlsruhe. The horse
tenders and sailors, who composed the
bulk Of the American captives, are
still held in quarantine at the pris-
on camp for enlisted men at Dulken.
Treated Wen by Danes.
The four men left the camp al
Karlsruhe on Feb ~ and travelled
direct to WaruemuHde under escort
where after being subjected to the
usual frontier search, they were put
aboard a Danish ferry and left 60 shin
for themselves. The Danish police took
charge OF them on their arrival ia
Denmark provided them with quar-
tiers for the night in a hotel at Gjedser
and gave them the first hearty meal
they had enjoyed since landing in
Germany in December.
The next morning the Danish auth
critics gave them railroad transporta-
ton TO Copenhagen.
Follow Ancient Custom.
Ancient sea practice makes seamen
stranded in O foreign port the guests
OF the consul OF the power under
whose flag the lost ship sailed. Uni
ted States Consul General Winslow
was compelled therefor 10 refer the
passless. paperless and m0neyless
wanderers TO his British colleague
The British consul provided hotel ac-
CommodaJi0Bs pending an lByestiga-
fiou as to the men identity. lie
pointed ont that. as far as any identif
cation was concerned, the four men
might be German spies.
Tell Dramatic Experience.
Few more dramatic tales have been
brought forth by the war than the
story Of adventure, hardship and peril
at sea. short ratiOus on land, and
the new danger from the sky which
was related by these four American
professional men 10 The Associated
Press correspondent Snapped up by
the German raider in mid-oceau. they
cruised around for days while the
commerce destroyer was gathering
further prizes. Then they made the
voyage in the Yarrowdale to Swine
nude, under such conditions that they
expected the ships seams To open and
the vessel TO sink beneath them a any
moment
Suffered Great Hardships.
They lived for more than two
months in prison camps in Germany
ON the meagre prison fare provided
bv the German government without
food parcels which tighten the ooudi-
lions Of existence Of other prisoners
OF war. They passed through four
airpIaue attacks on Karlsruhe during
which bombs intended for the rail-
road station raiued on all sides Of
their camp. To cap the climax. they
were ignorant until the last whether
they were prisoners of war or neu-
trails ia detention. whether their gov
eminent was doing anything 10 obtain
their release, or whether the United
States had not already entered tie
war. To add to their auxieties their
fellow Americans from the Yarrow-
dale. al the time when they left them
at the Neustreiitz camp TO be trans
ferred with other officers from the
captured steamers, were In a state OF
complete restitution They were in
sufficiently clothed, several having
been without shoes or overlooking
during the severe December cold.
and all were weakening under the
effect OF these conditions, although
they were subsequently remedied
when Ambassador Gerard finally sue
ceeded in locating them in the prison
camp at Dulmen. The four men ca
capped the ambassador notice on ac-
L.. 49, n. III