South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-06-05
SKELETONS TELL
PRISON HORRORS
Three Hundred Living Ones
Return TO Italy From
German Camps.

Three hundred skeletons" is the
grewsome title Of an article appear
ing recently IN newspaper pub
lished in Genoa. which has aroused
bitter Indignation throughout Lii
ruria The "2o0 skeletons had arr
rived at Nery from Austrian con-
centration Ga mps. They were so re-
duccd physically that they could re-
tain only eggs and milk Their
weight was at "A point physicians
had believed incredible. but the ay-
erage for the SEQ Vas found 20 be
90 pounds while the lowest weight
as 81 pounds. After telling Of
leir sunerings several Of them
gave their views on what should be
done 20 correct some Of the abuses
OF which they had been the victims.
They complained chiefly OF the
system Of sending prisoners of war
Individual packages Of food The
oldest and most intelligent were in
terrogated. among them sailor
who had been captured with the
Italian hero OF the Adrtatic Nazar-
ia SaUro
Packages Stolen by Enemy.
They said that individual pack
ges did not reach Austria at an, or
went astrsy. n they cot there. with
the result that MANY poor Italian
families thinking they were send
ing food 20 appease the hunger Of
suffering relatives. only helped the
enemy and added TO the distress at
horne
rho COL, H. f-or. e-..,.--t.- .,..,,.,.. o., 4
said the usual thing was 10 see a
wagon load OF packages for prison
ers draw up at camp. I'm a room
marked evidence" the Austrians
keep an index Of ali the Italian
prisoners But the lists are incom-
plete beca use the commander Of the
station may have called for them i'm
order 20 inscribe across their face
the magic word. Unknown which
IS a stroke Of luck for the enemy
whenever the guards run across it,
So 10 happens that only the men
who nave registered themselves. or
who happen 20 be around when the
packages arrive are apt 10 get them
The prisoners az distance. or those
compelled TO dig trenches 20 help
the war against their country are
sure 20 be deprived OF them
Shoes Grabbed by Austrians.
shoes are always abstracte " the
sailor continued. "for the prisoner
finds that his package has been
opened invariably and that maca-
roni rice. sausage and foods of
which the Austrians are extremely
fond are missing Thus the prison
ess see the Austrian officers enjoying
the nutritious food meant for them,
while they are fed on bread made
IF wood pulp flour made from
-hestnuts. ground straw and
sprInklins OF real -four
For the rest. they look upon the
shipment OF rice and paste as little
less than absurd. for hrewood TO
cook with does not exist I'M the Aus
lrian camps All the sequestered
articles which are sent at the price
II tears and blood money on the
part OF our families only go 10
swell the tables of our task-mas-
ters.
Bags Turned Into shirts.
They even make themselves
rough shirts out Of the bags and
'tNtFlhEc Wnlln We cannot nelD nQf
recognize. and then when anyone
asks them about the shipments and
shows Il letter saving such and such
hings have been forwarded the re-
ply is that they have not arrived
1r that they must have been stolen
oy Italian postal employees before
hey left the border
lin December. 1917. there were
10000 packages lying in the ware
houses The Austrians said they
lid not have the wagons necessary
distribute them. The govern
ment thought il would seize them
and help its own subjects Howev-
er il decided TO charge us one
crown for each packages as fee
for distribution. when many of the
packages were not worth as much
"a that Bounuful supplies of wine
have been sent in this way for our
sick in the hospitals. but no Ital-
ian prisoner has ever tasted q
drop"
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