The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-17
CONDITION IN NEAR
EAST IS FRIGHTFUL

Athens, Greece, April 16.-FiTe
months after the signing of the armts-
tice the condition of refugees through
out the Near East remains frightful
in spite of all that has been done in
their behalf. Thousands are swaddled
IN filthy rags, without shoes, and all
are exhausted from lack of food, ex-
posture, overwork and abuse. They ar
rive in droves at the American Red
Cross relief stations after having
been without food of any kind for
days. Women walk into the stations
with dead babies In their arms Young
girls driven insane by the treatment
they have received and children who
are but living skeletons are reen on
every hand.
| Greek refugees, who were victims
OF the Bulgarian occupation and de-
portation, arrive at Red Cross stations
in every conceivable conveyance ON
the trains they find room. when the
box cars can hold no more on the
roofs, the trucks and on and under
artillery and field Kitchens on the fiat
cars. In the box cars they stand
shoulder to shoulder. unable to sit or
lie down. surrounded by filth and
misery The sick and starving die in
the cars and are unceremoniousiy re-
moved whenever opportunity offers.
| Arriving at distribution points the
refugees make their way on foot or
in army camions to their old homes.
only to find the habitations they were
| forced to leave levelled to the ground.
And here Is seen one of the most
I pathetic features of the condition of
returning Greek victims OF Bulgar
Ibarbarity-their utterly broken spirit.
They evince little interest in life and
apparently have no ambition for the
future. They accept whatever is done
for them in an apathetlc, listless way
and their dcmeanor OF hopeless dejec
ton scarcely ever varies. 1t Will be
many months before their crops of
tobacco and wheat arc ready to mar
ket anr in the meantime the Greek
government and the American Red
Cross must take care OF them.
The Red Cross expedition into Bull
garia everywhere found the worst pos
sible conditions in the Greek dcten-
ton camps The Greeks called the
trains railway hearses,' a name that
fitted them closely. Although the
terms of the armistice stipulated that
Bulgaria transport all allied subjects
out of the country free of charge,
Sofia issued orders that full fares be
obtained from the almost penniless
refugees for their journey home. In
addition to this the refugees were
damned into box cars at the point OF
Bulgarian bayonets. until absolutely
no more could be squeezed in. At one
point Red Cross workers counted ITO
helpless men, women and ahtldren
standing upright in a car intended for
only forty persons or eight horses.
At Narli Kiu 1856 persons were found
herded miscrably in six box cars.
They had been without fod for three
whole days when the American led
! cross men found them. They threw
themselves upon the loaves OF bread
like animals and then knelt down in
the mud and invoked iod's blessing on
America.
, During the Bulg1r occupation Of
Macedonia more than i0a. geo Greeks,
men, women ana children, were car
req into Bulgaria anC compelled to
10 the hardest manual labor without
proper food, shelter or clothing THIS
resulted in general physical break
downs ard enormous loss OF life An
example OF the terricl., effect &C the
cUtrages prepetrated ~ the Bulgars
was found at Tyrouovo- 81 aren station
when l,475 Greek refugee. nearly all
clothed in but n Sing'c garment made
OF burlap bags. arrived after surviving
two ytars of captiv,Ty in bulgaria.
Originally there were 5000 men. worn
en- and children in this group. hut
more than 4.50o had died through the
treatment they received.
Many concrete examples of how the
Greek population of Macedonia has
been decimated by the Bulgars are
now coming to light. Here are few
cases: The town OF Kioumkioy before
the war had a population of $3.50.
More then 500 of these men and wom-
en- died in Bulgaria from starvation
and disease.
ted f,eTh 30
the Bulgarians from Rodolivos, $50
are known to have died in exile. OF
$50 houses in the town 21o were
wantonly destroyed by the Bulgars
OF $4,000 sheep formerly pastured
near the town none are left and of
1900 cattle only so are left.
From the town of Semalto $50 men
were deported and seventy of these
are known to have died. Only four
houses OF 270 In the town remain
standing
More than $50 inhabitants of vitasta
died OF starvation during the Buigar
occupation.
In the Pangaion district more than
thirty villages were destroyed by the
Bulgars. Kavala, Sores and other
towns lost more than half of their
populations
i Red Cross workers report from
Macedonia that hundreds of returning
Greek refugees have infected eyes and
many have become blind. Thousands
have various forms of rash and pulled
and swollen bodies. due to hamilton,
are comon, the health of many OF the
children being undermined for life.
Pneumonia and consumption are COM
mon among those force dto work in
the bulgarian mines, sometimes for
hours at a time, waist deep in freez-
ing water, and the legs of many have
had to be amputated because OF frozen
feet.
Food and clothing stations have now
been established by the Red Cross at
Sores. kavale Thasos. Demir Hissar
assisted by the British Red Cross.
Drama. Oxilar, xanthi and in the
Pangaion district. Soup and food
kitchens have also been set up at all
these points Hospitals have been
located at Sores, Drama and Kavala.
and at Sores a workshop is in opera