The Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1918-1919, 1919-05-01
FREES 100000
WAR PRISONERS
SWitzerland's Good Offices Brine
Exchange Of BeIIigerent
legions.
AID RENDERED TO MANY
Almost 100000 Letters Were peliv.
cred to captives Up to June -
Many Americans Are informed
In Swiss Republic.


In Swiss Republic.
berne.-More than 100000 prisoners,
victims Of the war, were EXCHANGED and
returned to their home lands up to the
middle of last month by the interven.
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 wnr.
With Its seat at Geneva. This bureau
forwarded information to the relatives
OF prisoners of war and shipped food
and delicacies to the prisoners them.
selves. x,
AS early as October, 1914, Switzer.
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,y 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 helliger.
ents for the transportation Of tho
wounded. g.
The agreement was first entered into
by France and Germany. Later Aus.
tria and Italy accepted the sameterms.
Early In 1916 the Swiss federat. coun.
Gil. aided by the pope. succeeded in
bringing about an agreement permit
ting the internment Of severelyswound.
ed and sick prisoners Of war, tcivil 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 10 Reached.
Later the Swiss federal council; aid
ed by the international Red Cross at
Geneva. succeeded in inducing tie 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. Efortsof the
Swiss federal council led to the &C.
ceptance of this agreement by France,
Germany and Belgium. It 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 we'll
as those still needing treatment, were
to be repatriatcd.
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 ;nterned 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. It still further ex-
tended the scope Of the exchange con-
ditions. All civil prisoners were to be
freed.
Many Return to HomeaL
The freeing and exchanging Of these
prisoners has been in progress for some
time. Long trains dlled 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 a 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