Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-04
SIBERIA STILL
HOLDS GREAT
PRISON HORDE
Releasing Work Proceeds
Slowly Under Unsettled and
Unpleasant Conditions.
RELIEF CENTER

BERLIN, Dec. A.-When Peter the
Great Of Russia built a fortress at EarTa
on the border o. what is now EsthoEia,
and called it Hunger Fortress" he could
not foresee that the day would coms
when thousands of wretched men and
women would there learn for the first
time in many months or even years what
It means not to be hungry. Yet that 10
what the developments Of the last months
have brought to pass.
1t IS ut Narva that the returning prise
oDers from Siberia-prisoncrs of war and
also cIvilians-are cared for until they
can be sent to their homes. Narva means
{ r them the beginning Of the end OK
their sufferings. Not the least Of these
spffeFings is the journey that brings
them to this EsthOnian city. Special
through trains'-consisting entirely Of
boxcars-take at the best five weeks
from Irkutsk, and the trip often stretches
out to forty-five days or even more.
The travellers have no opportunity 70
wash themselves on the way, except ns
they leave the train near some streams
they cannot wash their clothing, they
have no spare stocks, and their food ID
barely sufficient TO keep body and soul
together And all Of them are weak
from years Of hunger and other priva~
lions and many are diseased
AMERICAN AID
VOLUNTEERED
It is the recently organized Fridtjog
Nansen Relief that is directing the work.
Committees from the central powers ara
assisting, the Russian soviet government
has thus far worked Loyalty with the
organization, and America is represented
by Y. N. c. 4 men The American WORK
is voluntary, and the expenses are borns
tty bA for ia An0APfs
can Government shares with the French
government the distinction Of having
refused to have anything TO do with
Nansen's scheme.
Washington was afraid that the funds
would set into the wrong hands"
France demanded. as a condition pre-
cedent TO helping. that assurances be
given that all French prisoners would
be moved before anybody else was at
tended to. Such assurances could not
be given. England is helping on the
work. which is being chiefly supported
by the central powers and the neutral4,
including especially Scandinavia.
HOPE NOT MORE
THAN 10000.
1t is difficult to ascertain the numbes
Of prisoners in Siberia 1t is hoped that
there are not more than $1,000, but this
figure is largely guesswork. There are
some women and children among these.
The prisoners belong TO at least ten dir
ferent nations, now that their former
countries have been split up and divided
by the peace OF Versailles. Most Of them
Will have TO spend the coming whites
IN Russia. The difficulties OF moving
them through a Siberian winter over the
long route TO Narva are very great, ana
thousands Of them are so weak from
typhoid. dysentery and other prison.
camp diseases. that the long journey
would mean their death. There are
enough physicians IN the camps to care
for all the III, and the hansen commit
tee sent OF last week seventy-six chests
Of medicine. 1t sent at the same time
10 600 suits Of underclothing and more
will follow soon.
Representatives OF the hansen commit
tee-neutrals and American Y. N. c. L.
men-meet the relief trains at Moscow
and accompany them to their desttna.
ton.
SOME HAVE BEEN
IN SIBERIA SIX YEARS,
Paul Anderson Of Iowa. Y. N. c. A.
representative with the German branch
Of the hansen relief, expressed the hope
that Americans might contribute to thiS
work, which IS already limited because
Of funds insufficient to do all that oughs
TO be done.
Nobody need fear that the money
viii not reach the right hands he said.
The soviet government has aided US
in every way possible, and everybody
connected with the work IS doing his
best to see that these unfortunate men.
women and children, some Of whom hava
been in Siberia six years, have enough
to eat and wear this winter and CONS
back to their homes in the sDrinrn