The sun., 1918-10-26
$4,000 SERBS Die
IN BULGAR PRISONS
Only 10000 Survive Horrors
Of Open Pens Without
Slightest Shelter.
ALLIES ARE RUSHING AID
Every Effort Being Made to
Save Lives Of Pitiful HUI
man Wrecks.
BY WARD PRICE.

Hull NNttNhCs
ny WARD PRICE.
Special Gable Despotch TO THE sry from "A.
London Times Serutre
Copyright, 1918: all rights rtserred
WITH THE ITALIAN ARMY, Oct. Is.
Beyond doubt one nj the many crimes
that Bulgaria will have TO answer ftr
at the peace conference Is her treat.
msnt Of Serbian prisoners OF war. OF
$4,000 men captured and imprisoned
during the war 1t IL authorita tively est,
mated that less than 10000 SURVIVE,
Allied army authorities are nmElrs
every effort to succor tn surviving y..
tins OF Bulgaria's hatred.
Serbian prisoners OF war in one Of the
camps just outside OK Sofa bear terrible
testimony TO that bitter hatred between
the Bulgar and the Serb, which runs ike
a vlrulent poison through all the Balkan
countries.
In the mood OF resignation, which is
a natural consequence OF their defeat.
the Bulgars are disposed to speaf VIII
moderation OF their Serbian ncigh5c,s
but no one can look upon the ehas,.y
human wrecks who were once the rugg,A
peasant soldiers OF Serbia without rraiq.
ing that nothing between them s
changed.
The Bulgar asserts he fears opprss.
sion by the Serbian race iIonlr.r
that may be. the fact remains Tat tie
Bulgars are callous to the iltreatneu,
| accorded Serbians who were unfortunate
enough to fall into their hands Tint
soon becomes clear to any one who
walks out a mile or SO from the centre
OF Soma.
Herded Like Animals.
There, within sight of the main road
to Radomir. 10 a muddy compound, three
acres in extent. surrounded ny b.rhci
! wire. In this pen are herded 5000 ser
| bans OF all ages. along with 900 Greet
civilians and a smaller body OF Russians
The great majority CT the Scrbians
have lain out in the open day ari night
through the rains OF both summer api
! winter. through all the three years o.
their captivity. They have had uo
blankets or protection Of any Kind at
night. and In efforts 10 keep warm the!
huddled their wretched bodies together
like a herd OF animals.
Their food was one pound OF bla-.,
bread each day, along with some SC
| called soup. was there while tia
putting dozen cars Of corn into
caldron Of hot water.
For drinking and washing water N
their Enclosure there liz just one small
trickle from a small tap. Thirsty men
| men wait two hours or more to &c;
near it, Ten Serbans died the night
| before I was there. and the next mon.
ing the Bulgars put the bodies in cart
and carried them away An hour later
] art raf, h%t, ,i, >.
days bread supply.
| Lack Medical Attention.
Bad as their food Is the Serbian rr e.
oners do not complain. for they know tn.
| average Bulgarian soldier is but !f'e
better rationed. 1t is the beating ud
| shootings to which they are suhjc,. ei
that stirs their anger.
One cannot fnd words strong enough
to condemn the Bulgarian Government
for the brutal lack OF elementary W.
ma nifty IN leaving these wretchcd c-cs.
/ lures utterly without medical attention
OF any kind. Exposed to all weathc-s.
starved and beaten, and forced 10 work
until they collapse. then kicked aside 70
die--thst Is the rule.
When man can no longer stand '-
IL carried TO one Of the vermln infested
huts, where he lies until death ends his
misery. Three bodies lay on the grou'-.
when I reached the camp at 10 ocioc>
In the morning. was taken 10 see III"
little earth hoored hut which with Erlr
irony ID called a hospital
There were Ave Serbians in the mrs
pital when we arrived. -Four vera
merely frames of skin ard bones ton
weak even to turn their heads toward
tho throng, OF prisoners who accom-
panied me as far as the door. The ft,r,
sturdier built, lay stretched on the bare
ground. his eyes glazed, his breath COM
Ing in convulsve spasms
Doesn't any one ever come 70 DO
something for these people," asked
Faces Like Mummie..
Never" was tho emphatic rsr".
Some OF the Serbian and Greek rrisono =
spoke French, and they pointed ont 70
me the Ghas,ly. cmaciated figures ,y'a;
about the compound, with faces rnerA
bones on which a wix Colored skin was
stretched tight Ike those OF Egyptian
mummes. They had been out there n
all the heavy rains of the previous for.
night. Other prisoners took no notice ~
them. Each man had SO much to Cudu's
that he had lost all power Of synra',
The torn and tattered rags on thos" Vho
were still on their feet could have been
no worse.
To look into their faces was y d-e'''
full experience. without cNaEger 1l
there WAS something unearthlr 0hov.
their eyes. One could hardly bear
look OF dumb pleading. tho unyo.rd. '"'
speakable misery their chances bespoke.
These arc the plain facts about Sc.
bian war prisoners, confined wjthN u't
an hours walk OF the Bulgaria " 10
Ministry. What the conditions n"
other camps scattered through ~" rN27-
try do not know, but IT ~ a fa't . a.
II tho Allies had not imposed pea" - ''
Bulgaria these men could not pos PIP
! have lived through the winter
Any one who knows the Balkans
could not expect indulgence from "'N
Balkan nation to its Captives from t9'
other. but It must be counted In Sch :
favor that all the Bulgarian e. ~
seen working on the roads hehlal 10
Serbian front lines were as well ~ ~
the allied troops themselves, and .s''
q them was overworked.
No sooner was tho wrctched O." '.''
OF the Serbian prisoners knowN chan '
British amy authorities took s,'i =. '
all they could for the survivors 70
port Is a most Difficult, problem, h. ..''
tors with medical supplies are aired. .'
Sofa and are doing what tADy '-'
relieve the misery.
Chicago Socialists 10 Face lriHl
) CHICAGO. Oct 25--F'edcral J."f,
. Evans to-day overuled demurrer 81
counsel for Victor L. Berger. ADJ. ,
7 - TTAzv u