The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-28
RUSSIAN PRISONERS :
RETURNED TO HOMES

Washington, Juno 2s.--Many thou
sands OF Russian prisoners have been
returned to their homes from German |
prison camps. and with the signing I
OF the peace treaty, and the opening |
Of additional routes for the work It Y |
expected that the last OF the 300, 600 |
Russian soldiers will be>repatriated by
midsummer. A report to this effect |
was received today at American Red !
Cross headquarters from the Red /
Cross commission, which for the
flast four months has had entire
charge of the work of providing food. |
clothing and medical supplies for the
prisoners.
| Up to the first OF June more than
$4,000 Of the prisoners has been start |
ed on their homeward journey byi
way OF Lithuania- In few weeks
the interallied commission expects to
see other points along the German
| border. as well as the Danube river
and the Baltic sea routes to speed up
the repatriation. In connection with
! the work the American Red Cross has
established q supply depot at Marien-
burg, near Danzig, the former being
one of the most medieval OF the many
such towns in Germany. Into this
eleventh-century town with Its frown-
ing brick castle. dungeon, golden
crusted public of1eials. and all the
solemn ceremony of the feudal age.
two Red Cross captains, a group of
extremely modern American dough-
/. boys, oliver and several carloads
I of food and supplies entered several
months ago. Since that time the
| American contingent has been busy
explaining that it was not an Ameri-
| can invasion, but a Red Cross expedi-
| ton for the relief OF the Russian pris-
oners.
! At Marienburg, rations sufficient to
keep returning prisoners supplied FOR
twelve days are forwarded by train
to the point where the men begin
their journey on foot AS result
of an agreement between the German
forces and the Bolsheviki officials the
| Russian prisoners are allowed TO pass
through the Bolsheviki lines to Pod
| brodse where they take train for
Dunaberg. point from which north
ern and southern Russia may be
| reached.
| Accompanying the Red Cross re-
| port was the following description
of the scene attending the repatriation
of the first lot of Russian prisoners:
| Five miles outside Koschedary. the
| last German outpost east OF the town,
the train came to halt in little
CtGdTlnS. Two iNuSSAAAAS
swarmed from the cars, shouldered
their ration sacks, and fell into line
beside the track. 1t was dramatic
moment with picturesque setting.
Gathered at the side of the road were
American, British, French and Italian
officers of the interallied commission
/ and an American Red Cross official.
A Russian lieutenant stepped from
the ranks, and in French, thanked
the entente on behalf of his comrades
for what its representative had done
| for the Russian prisoners.
His words were punctured by the
faint rumbling of Bolshevist artillery,
far back in the hills. His brief speech
ended the lieutenant resumed his
place, and the Russians gave three
hearty cheers for the entente. AT
command they stepped off four
ah east, coming to salute as they
passed the allied officers. AS the last
man went by military formality was
| forgotten, hats were waved and cheers
| rang out. So they marched away,
down the road, through the pines
and over the hill. a white flag at
their head and on either farE
| sprinkling of German guards. who
4 were to accompany them for the frst
few kilometers OF their long journey"