The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-12-19
DYING CAPTIvES
MADE TO WORK
BY AUSTRIANS
Proper Food and Medicines Are
Denied Prisoners.
ARE TORTURED FOR HOURS

| treatment OF Prisoners Is Most In
human-DestItution Is Spreading |,
Both Austria and Hunaary-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
war 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
sufficient to keep them alive. Sanitary
conditions in prison camps are neg
lected. Proper medical attendance is
lacking. Hardly any effort Is made to
|
denies, with the result that the mortal
lty 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
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
ternal conditions in Austria.
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 all 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.
Their food on the journey consists Of
thin vegetable soup distributed every
"a hours, and a 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
0uy food. Naturally, owing to the pro-
libitive prices of the prime necessaries
IF life, the officers can afford only a |
simple and plain diet, but as most Of |
hem receive money from home, which |
hey share with their comrades in cap
.ivity, they are able to improve their
are. Each officer gets two sheets and
4 paper-lined blanket. AS paper is
getting scarce, officers blankets are
10 longer lined, with the result that in
winter they are compelled to wear
heir OVercOatS in bed.
The soldiers sleep on the floor, with
tut any bedding except straw or shay
ngs, which are never changed. Their
ations consist of a piece of bread made
# ground beans, acorns and straw or
ran and two bowls of vegetable soup
very day. Once a week they get some
neat, generally goats or sleeps meat.
The soldiers are made to work II hours
day in the fields or else in digging
renches, building roads or railways,
md even in munition factories some
ines. They are paid three cents q
lay.
Suspended by Wrists.
If they refuse to work they are pun
shed, for the first offense with bread
nd water for week or a fortnight,
nd for the second offense with the
take. They are tied to stake from
heir wrists, with only their toes touch
ng the ground and left in this posi-
ion for two hours at a time. If they
amt, bucket of water is thrown in
heir faces, and after a short interval
he ordeal is renewed.
When prisoners are i'll the only medi-
inc they are really given is castor oil.
q case of epidemics hardly any effort
5 made to prevent infection, and last
ear at Mauthausen 5000 Serbian pris-
ners died of typhus in few weeks
.ccording to the report of an Italian
ledical officer who was confined at
reidstadt, in upper Austria, 5000 Rou-
lanians were starved to death.