Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-07-22
100000 'LOST"
WAR PRISONERS
Dr.. Nansen Reports Many Have
Been Away From Home for
Six Years.
TRANSPORTATION IS PROBLEM
Technically Free, Chief Concern of
Captives Is How to Get Out of ST.
beria-Boshevih Aiding in
Their Return.

Their Return.
LOndOn-The lost tribe of Israel NAV
have it's counterpart in the 100000 or
more Germans, Polish, Czecho- SlOvak,
Roumanian and Jugo-Slav prisoners in
Siberia, together with a like number
Of Russians in Germany. Eighteen
months after the signing of peace they
are still 'lost" DR.. Fridtjof Nansen,
the Norwegian explorer and One-time
minister to the court Of st. James, is
in London, after having undertaken an
investigation Of the condition Of lost
prisoners at the request Of the League
Doctor Nansen found have been away
from their homes for six years.
Krassin, the representative of the
soviet government, now in London,
will be asked to obtain assurance from
that government relative to the repa-
triation of the exiles.
"How many prisoners. there are still
to be returned" said Doctor Nansen,
''no one can tell, for they undoubtedly
include many who have been written
off as missing or dead Probably there
are 100000 to 10000 in Russia and
Siberia-including Germans, Austri-
ans, Hungarians, Poles, Czecho-Slo-
vaks, Runanians and Jugo-Slavs-
and, roughly, the same number of Rus
slams in Germany. Of the former
there are some thousands in Turkes-
tan, and to extricate them is the hard
est problem of all.
Transportation Chief Difficulty.
MANY of the prisoners in Siberia
are trying to get home on their own
accOunt-for they are technically free
the transport difficulty is the only i'm
misunderstanding, working now and
then to earn a little money, getting
on a few miles by train where they
can.
"The trouble with the men in ST.
IBERIA was that they did not know
which direction to take. They saw
the Czecho-Slovaks going toward Vlad-
ivostok, and heard that some of them
had got home that way, so others tried
to follow their example. Some of
those furthest east are concentrating
around VladivOStOk-the Germans
have got number of their own men
out that way in Japanese ships-but
conditions there are much disturbed
and instructions have been sent by
the soviet government to all prisoners
already west of Irkutsk to make their
way westward to Moscow as best they
can"
The Vladivostok prisoners, Doctor
hansen explained, it is hoped to re-
patriate in French and American
should be done at once, so as to get
them through the Red sea before the
hot season.
"What is the attitude Of the soviet
government in the matter?" Doctor
Nansen was asked.
Bolsheviki Aiding Return.
'They are really behaving extreme
ly WE'LL" he answered. "They are ex-
tremely anxious to send home the
prisoners they still hold, and despite
their difficulties of transport they are
sending trains of prisoners regularly
from Moscow, through Petrograd to
Narva, on the Esthonian frontier
where an exchange of prisoners from
Germany and Germans and others
from Russia takes place.
"There is an old fortress there, used
as a depot and disinfecting station,
but it is found that at present train
load day means more than the ship
ping available can clear, so one train
every two days is the rule at present.
The bolsheviki are prepared to double
this service when required"
"And how have the men been treat
ed?" he was asked.
every much better than I expected"
was the reply. "They have, of course,
had hard time, but most of them say
they have no reason to complain, as
they get as much food as the ordinary
population Of the district they were in.
I met several patches who came
through to Berlin, and was favorably
struck with their appearance.
''The essential need now is shipping
and money"
Doctor Nansen's report has been
submitted to the League of Nations.
It follows the line of the interview.