Bisbee daily review., 1918-12-01
OF WAR PRISONERSI IS
 WELL UNDER WAY
Trainload of Americans Have Reached Switzerland; Mix ed Train of Allied Prisoners Brought to Metz

-NON- 29 (By the Associated Press) ).-One hundred and fifty-six American off cers and non-commissioned officers. the first prisoners of war in Germany to be released through Switzerland were repatriated today. The majority had been captured about five months ago. although some had been only five weeks in German prison camps A large number of men were aVia tors.
 The men rode on a special train, three cars of which were filled with French and British former prisoners.
 Interest, however,, Sentered in the Americans, since they were the first group to be released.
 The repatriated men left Bavaria this morning and crossed Lake Con- stance. They were met at Zurich by enthusiastic crowds of Swiss and Americans, some of whom sat up ali night to be sure of places from which they could see the former prisoners of war.
 The welcome at Berne surpassed almost anything of this kind ever seen in Switzerland since before the war began.
 Pleasant A. Stovall, the American minister, and Mrs. Stovall, the entire American legation, members of the Red Cross, the diplomatic corps. other allied nationals here, and high Swiss military and civil authorities lined up at the rainway station as the train pulled in nearly seven hours late. A Swiss band furnished a musical vel come, while on all sides were Swiss and American flags entwined. The crowd tanning the platform and ev' cry available inch of the station broke into tremendous cheering. which was replied to by the American officers on the train with viva la Suisse.
 The train was halted for hours. dur ing which the Americans were showered with delicacies, such as they had been unable to obtain during their imprisonment. Though the men were supposed to remain on board the train, the rules were relaxed suffici- ently to allow them to descend to greet those gathered to welcome them. Minister Stovall held an i'm promptu reception, shaking hands with many of the men
 The minister frankly broke down when of his native Georgians ap- peared.
 The women of the American colony were on hand in full force. decorated uniformly with American flags fasten- ed to a white background bearing the names of their home states. They distributed every conceivable luxury and necessity such as Overcoats, bags containing a full toilet kit, writing paper, pencils and other things, which the men lacked.
 The quiet of the Berne station, where ordinarily one hears nothing more exciting than a locomotive whi- tie resounded for an hour with shouts and cheers, the Americans improvis- ing "thanks-meeting" especially for the Swiss Red Cross, which all agreed had done wonderful work until the American Red Cross took over the task of sending food packages. The ". N. c. A. likewise came in for tre- mendous enthusiasm, while the sleepy little city was stirred by recurrent
  United States? It's all right" The Americans were overjoyed par ticularly at seeing their countrywomen again. Some of them seemed on the verge of a breakdown while talking
 to those women gathered on the plat form. The officers responded to the gifts of distributing souvenirs" which they had been able to bring along, l chiefly German iron money pieces and, with a touch of humor. samples of German bread-sour-smellin heavily | crusted dark brownish hunks. The Americans related that they had been originally confined in a va riety of German prison camps, but had been gradually concentrated more and more to the south, so all were in | Bavaria when the release orders came. Some said that their German captors had admitted a week before the armis- (Continued on Page Three)