The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1918-10-08
SWitzerIand's Good Offices Bring
Exchange of BeIIigerent
Legions.
AID RENDERED TO MANY
Almost 100000 Letters Were DeIiv.
cred to Captives Up to June l.
Many Americans Are informed
in Swiss Republic.

NJ
ton and good offices of Switzerland.
says the. Bund, the mouthpiece of the
swiss government, in plea for a more
generous and reciprocal treatment by
the belligerents.
After the war had begun Switzer-
land organized an International bureau
OF information for prisoners of war.
with it's seat at Geneva. This bureau
forwarded information to the relatives
OF prisoners of war and shipped food
and delicacies to the prisoners them
selves.
As early as October, 1914, Switzer-
lahd suggested to the belligerents the
exchange of prisoners severely wound
ed. The pope became interested in
this matter and supported the efforts
of Switzerland. In February, 1915, an
agreement was reached regarding the
conditions of exchange. Switzerland
placed the hospital trains of it's own
army at the disposal of the belliger-
ents for the transportation of the
wounded.
The agreement was first entered into
by France and Germany. Later Aus
tria and Italy accepted the same terms.
Early in 1916 the Swiss federal coun-
Gil, aided by the pope, succeeded in
bringing about an agreement permit
| ting the internment of severely wound
ed and sick prisoners of war; civil as
well as military, within Switzerland.
The Swiss undertook to manage this
vast work of charity. The Swiss sur
geon general of the army was in direct
charge of caring for the suffering sol.
diers.
Agreement Is Reached.
Later the Swiss federal council, aid
ed by the International Red Cross at
Geneva, succeeded in inducing the bel
| ligerents to again respect the interna-
| tional agreement regarding hospital
| and sanitary field workers.
| International law demands the i'm
mediate discharge of members of sani-
| tary detachments when taken prisoner.
| This law was disregarded by belliger-
| ents, but SwitZerland's entreaties and
| admonitions put stop to the practice
and led to the liberation of these pris-
| Oners.
Finally the agreement to exchange
| the permanently disabled was reached
| in March of last year. Efforts of the
| Swiss federal council led to the ac-
! ceptance of this agreement by France,
Germany and Belgium. 1t meant the
repatriation of all prisoners of war
! permanently disabled to an extent
which would preclude their ever join
| ing the army again. Also tuberculosis
| prisoners, those clinically cured as well
as those still needing treatment, were
to be repatriated.
Following this the scope of the re-
| patriation program was vastly extend
ed when France, Germany and Bel
GUM agreed to exchange all prisoners
| of war forty-eight years of age and
older who had been interned more than
eighteen months. This applied to pri-
! Yates and noncommissioned officers
! only. Commissioned officers were to
| be informed in Switzerland.
| And lastly another agreement was
brought about by the efforts of the
| Swiss government. 1t still further ex-
| tended the scope of the exchange con-
ditions. All civil prisoners were to be
freed.
Many Return to Homes.
The freeing and exchanging of these
prisoners has been in progress for some
| time. Long trains filled with these for
mer soldiers are passing through
Switzerland every day in both direc.
lions, taking these unfortunate victims
back to their old homes.
Up to the middle of last month more
! than 100000 prisoners of war had
| passed through Switzerland on their
way to liberty. Some of these soldiers
were in most pitiable state. The peo-
pie of Switzerland played the part of
the good Samaritan by feeding. cloth
ing and consoling these poor sufferers.
In addition Switzerland has been the
connecting link in mail communication
between belligerent countries. Up to
| the first of June Switzerland without
charge transported 19,796,0O0 letters
and cards to prisoners of war, 1900
parcels weighing no more than two
| pounds, 414,679,00O letters and cards
in transit, 19,526,0OO small parcels in
transit, 6,364,OO0 parcels containing
bread sent to Germany and Austria,
7S,S16.OO0 parcels weighing up to ten
pounds and 9,4S9,O00 money orders
transmitting an aggregate amount Of
$35,O0O,O00.
Since the beginning of 1916 Switzer-
land has been harboring continuously
from 10000 to 10000 informed prison
ers of war needing medical treatment
and hospital care. Lately their num-
Der has never been less than 10000.
All these interned prisoners were Wis
tied by their relatives, adding 10000
people on the average to the number
Of consumers, or about 1 per cent Of
the domestic population.
NJ