East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-11-21
A. R. C. CARE FOR
.WOUNDEDITALIANS
IInvalids Embrace Gifts Of
Tiny American Flags
Given on Train.
(By w. w: Husband. formerly with
the American Hed cross in
Berne.)

! LONDON. Nov 2t.-one of the
most important phases OF the varied
work which the American Red Cross
/ Is doing in Switzerland Is that OF car
! ing for the repatriated italian soldiers
Henroute from Austria to Italy.
We We're very busiiy engaged in
Switzerland last spring in organlzine
relief for American prisoners in Ger
/ many when there came the sudden In
flux of invalid Italian repatriates, sent
from Austria under a new exchange
I agreement. ARRANGEMENTS We're
were promptly made for taking mp
this work under com blnation between
4 the American, French and italian Red
HI Cross organizations. This has now be-
come one OF the most important fea-
lures of allied relief which we have
undertaken in Switzerland.
MANY Have White Pleague
A considerable part of these italian
repatriates are Tuberculosis. while
others are the pitiful "grandes bless
es,' hopelessy wounded men. The
condition of these men as they arrive
from Austria is often very serious and
the work to be done for them is cor
reSpondently urgent.
Many Of the repatriates die In tran
! sit remember one grup Of tuber-
culous soldiers In which about 80
! deaths occurred between the time they
were gathered to gether In Austria
! and the time they reached the italian
border. There are several deaths in
pra ctically every train. and the condi-
tion Of mahy Of the. other passengers
is deploTable. The American Red
Cross realized the Importance Of this
work and threw its whole energies in
to 1t.
\ Ordinary method OF bringing these
i men out Is as follows; the italian gov
! einment sends train into Austria
through Switzerland to gather UP the
\ men who are to be released under the
exchange agreement. The train cross
es the Swiss border with its Fepatriat
8 ed passengers and arrives at Busch
4 where IT is met by deleeations from
j iallied Red Cross organizations. Under
Tie present arrangement. the Ameri'
4 can Red Cross is furnishing the major
part of the food and clothing required
D for those passengers.
First square Meal
i Many of the repatriates get al
Pusch the first square meal they have
IA had for years, ana ~ - pithahlt ~
know that most of the food which
!, they consume comes from the United
y states through the American Red
Gross
Each train carries $50 men There
are Italian doctors and priests OF
y board The American Representatives
1 60 through each train as Il leaves
q Puchs for Zurich. Among the passen-
gers are always to be found n dozer
\ or more Italians who have been In
America. and even a few who claim
q American citizenship or who have per
haps taken out their first papers
A Every man on the train receives from
The Ped Gross man a package OF
D American olgarets and a small Ameri-
ftcan fIag and the pleasure which,theS
derive from the flag Is hard to over
state The italians who have, lived
! lin America 20 into real ecstacies over
4 the stars and Stripes, and II is not ex'
! ceptional to see an invalid soldier
break into tears as he receives the naa
4 which he embraces and kisses with
\ true italian fevor.
4 At Zurich the American Red Cross
4 representatives leave the train. which
proceeds into italy.