Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-11
STORIES OF THE WAR
Prisonsrs Escape Iass China.

Correspondence of The Associated Press):
 Hundreds of Italian and Czeehs who were prisoners Of war in Russia, having been captured from the Aus ,trian Army by the Russian General Alexis A. BrussiipR, during advances of 1e1e and 1917, have escaped from the prison camps in Siberia and fed across the Russian frontier to China Some naFe already made their Wfty across to Japan. Hundreds have perished from cold or hunger while under the rigors of the Siberian winter. Most of the refugees were only half clad and had little food.
 Four hundred of them have found shelter in vIAAivoat0k but even there have suffered great distress as there has been little food or housing to spare for them. Groups of these re- ugees are scattered in all the towns between Harbin and Picking. The resources of the Italian Legation here have been severely taxed in the effort to provide food and clothing for these former war prisoners.
 They came from the Austrian provinces bordering on Italy and be- cause of their loyalty to Italy, were seflt te fight the Russians but sur rendered by thousands ait the first op- rertunity, swelling the totals of Russs9s ,ca;strres to figures which were tlae wonder of the world at that time,
 During 1916 and 1917 Italy sent com missiens to Russia to identify such war priAnnurs as were unnistakably Italian and many were sent back to join the Italian. armies. Then came the Russian reyplution which put an end to the work. With ensuing re- taxation of vigilance and general dis organization of Russia many of those who have survived the prison camps escaped
 Through efforts of Baron Allioti the Italian Minister in Peking, feeding stations are being provided at Harnin I Mnkden and other points enroute Efforts are being made tp assemble
 the struggling groups at some point | in Japan and in PAkins with the idea
 of later transporting them back tc Italy probably by the way of America I Little Gardens in France. Two hundred and fifty thousand little gardeners from the public
 schools of France produced crops worth s1 ,0o0, 900 in 1s17, the first year of the school garden campaign. Ar Ii Lof the 5,000,0o0 school children 1T
 France in the movement this year 1T an effort to multiply the result oi 1917 by twenty.
 There were school gardens in sev, fenty of the eighty y-eight department: of France. Most of the land planted by the children had not been Hndel cultivation for years. The object O this movement is not only to help 1T tproductionN but to develop in childTel I a taste for gardening and fsrmins
 with a view to the after war recuper-
 aticr.
 Escape Frem a German Prison casrp I A night escape from the German i prison camp at Darmstad being st1o at repeatedly as he ran. dangereu trip sthrough a hostile country unti he reached the banks of the RhiIie an icy swim for an hour agains strong tide, finally reaching the Swis
 shore near haffhausen, were som of the experiences that Maurice Mule
 had to undergo before he finally ar rived in Paris and applied to tn American Red Cross for assistanee Il Emile Desroehes, a friend who va | with him when he slipped out of tn prison camp and diyed into the Rhine 4 began singing the "Marseiiiaise" il ! Q6HdilES. H8 WtIH PBWGII0t btf4f2ES II made for Switzerland and liberty
 A German patrol fired in the direction whence the sound of the singing wa
 coming. Whether struck by the Ger man bullets or carried away by tn
 treaeherous tide, Deeroches has no been seen since.
 In November. 1914, Maurice, whI
 was then fifteen years of age. and hi brother Georges, aged twelve, wer
 bundled into a train that was ieayini
 0stend for Germany and taken t
 DaTmstadt just up the river aeros from Schahhausen where they weri put to #ork at hard labor. lnsufn cisnt nonrisilrpeRt soon made tn, younger boy physically unfit and las , October he was in such an efnaeiatet
 condition that it aroused the pity O even the Germans and he was sent el to France.
 T Last evening as Muller sat in iron Of substantial meal supplied by thi Red Gross, smoking American ciga i. rsttes from American Red Cros stores, he said to hLs younger brothe ) twho has been in Paris for some time
 This beats the dog meat potatoe and rutabaga they used to serve us q EEarnstadt"
 AtRed Cross representative is help
 ips to ind work for them. Il
 woman is also noble work.