The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-26
REPATRIATION OF
GREEKS COMPLETED

In spite of hostile gestures by the
BuiFars the repa ration of Greeks
forCihy removed from their homes in
Eastern Macedonia by the BulEars has
been virtually completed The world
may never know how many men,
wcmen and children lost their lives
through the dcportations but that tens
of thousands died is certain Reports
just received al national headquarters
of the American Red Cross say hat
the Buigars claim less than so 900
! Greek civilians were interued In Bull
Caria but tho Greeks place the num-
/ her at more than 100, o0a the differ
encc in the figures doubtless represent
ing the deaths Of Greeks from starva-
tton. exposure and general bad treat
ment
The dispatch with which the repa-
1 triation was handled was due In large
part 10 the strong representations
! made TO the allied control which
. brought pressure 10 bear on the Bul-
cariln authorities, while the co-opera-
E ton OF The British, French and Greek
missions that went to Sofia after
the arTuistice was signed was lso en-
listed. The hostility OF the Bulgars
+ led them into refusing the permit for
Red Cross workers to enter BuI~ar a.
despite authority from General
q EsI'erey. the allied eernmand or in
chief hut This was overcome as were
BulEar efforts to prevent tho establish
s7ent Of cantecns for the returning
Greeks.
orc Of the hrst problems In the
] repatriation work was locating the
imprisoned Creeks IN the remote parts
Of Bulgaria. The Greek Red Cross
rendered invaluable aid IN This phe-e
81 the work. tho American Red Cross
mission to Greece attending to the
evacuat ion. At KaraFa'sh TIE rui-
Ears denied there were any Greek rc-
.urces but more than 1890 were found
! within a two hour walk from the
railroad station, About ! Q, 900 Creek,
were taken out If the pohrud3a and
from the Verna ana PIe4ua con cor
ceuirat.cn camrs.
The condition Of the rescued Csreri-s
was such that IN spite of all that could
be do~e for them many died before
reaching their native land At all ~
the food and clothing stations .stab-
iished by the Red Gross ono of tho
many tasks the American rlen ard
women hal TO perform was t. dig
I graves for Greeks who died of sfarya-
tion and disease. All he while nurse
hathed and fed the children of the
refugees ard cared for the sick, while
"ther workers. by pure American BLUR
secured The release Of Gree, unfairly
, Imprisoned. demanded permits for the
transport OF cattle owned by the re-
furees and clothed the unfortueatea.
all during the limited time that fho
refugees trains stopped for fuci or
more passengers.
An idea of the extent IT the work
undertaken by tho Red Cross mission
may he gained from the fact that
on one day 1876 carloads OF refugee
! containing 7.1h0 persons were pro-
vided with 1880 rations On an
other occasion at Tynovo- Siemen L.
son refugees were given ratinns. tho
sick given emergency attention. GHE
were clothed. 1857 garments wcr"
'istr buted. 3 refugees were buried
and the train started for DedeaEntch
All within five hours.
Although The REPATRIATION work is
considered about finished IT js claim
a by the Greeks that thousands Of
their people are still hald Ivy TIE Bul-
ears. They assert that the Eulgara
have added an or to the names of
thousands of Greek children to deceive
Greek investigators and prevent the
return of these children TO Their
homes n is also claimed by the
Greeks that Of 2S. 600 Greek soldiers
y
died. The Bulgarian minister of war.
fiaptchew, makes the amazing asser-
lion that only f,345 armed Greeks
were taken md that exactly that
number were returned to their own
country
Although the repatriation problem
rs disappearing there still remains a
vast amount of WORK for the mission
70 Greece. In common with the rest
OF the Nea~ East Greece is very short
OF medical supplies and equipment
NJ all kinds Hospital patients lie on
boards upon which the only bedding
is thin b nket and because OF tn"
negts ct OF native authorities to recoF-
nize the menace OF flies as germ car
riers there Is q dangerous plague ~
flies n rs these conditions that the
mission ia now seeking 10 overcome.