Catoctin clarion., 1918-10-03
AID RENDERED TO MANY
Almost 100000 Letters Were DelIw
cred to captives Up to June -
Many Americans Are interned
in Swiss Republic.

tAe DelllgerentS.
After the war had begun Switzer.
land organized an International bureau
of information Tor prisoners of war.
with its seat at Geneva. This bureau
forwarded information to the relatives
OF prisoners Of war and shipped food
and q. .c;,cies to the prisoners them
selves.
AS early as October, 1914, Swltzer.
land 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 its 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.
ell, 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 sani1
tary detachments when taken prisoner.
This law was dsregarded by belliger.
entS, but Switzerand's entreaties and
admonitionS put stop to the practice
and led to the liberation of these prisA
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 &C.
ceptance of disagreement by France,
Germany and Belgium. 1t meant the
repatriation of all prisoners Of war
permanently disabled to an extent
which would preclude their ever john
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
gium 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 interned 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 ba
freed.
Many Return to Homea
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-
tions, 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
were in most ptiable state. The peo-
pie of Switzerland played the part Of
the good Samaritan by feeding, cloth
ing and cOnsollng these poor sufferers.
In addition Switzerland has been the
connecting link in mail communication
between belllgerent countries. Up to
the first of June Switzerland without
charge transported 19,796,OOO letters
and cards to prisoners Of war, 457,OOO
parcels weighing no more than two
pounds, 414,6790O0 letters and cards
in transit, 19,526000 small parcels In
transit, 6,364 900 parcels containing
bread sent to Germany and Austria,
7S,S16,OOO parcels weighing up to ten
pounds and 9,4S9,000 money orders
transmitting an aggregate amount OF
$50 OO00 600.
Since the beginning of 1916 Switzer-
land has been harboring continuously
from 10000 to 10000 interned prison
ers of war needing medical treatment