South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-09-27
TAKE CHARGE
OF SOLDIERS
REPATRIATION
League of Nations Cares For
Half Million European
Fighters.

LONDON, Sept. 26.-Through the
egenCyOf the League OF Nations. al
lies. ex-enemics, neutrals, and boil
sheviks have been brought together
in a common effort to repatriate the
prisoners OF the war The world
will be amazed 10 learn that nearly
two years after the armistice half
million Of these prisoners-half-
starved. half-naked, unutterably
miserable-still remain in Germany,
Russia siberia and Turkestan.
For this work the League has
chartered n fleet of ships and o.
btained contributions OS between
s4.000,O0O and s5.00O,0 900 from the
different governments concerned
While the United States as a nation
has not aided this fund. the Ameri-
can Red Cross, with a gift of s 1,000,-
600 is the largest contributor and
the American Y. NJ. G. a. is ST ending
large sums for the comfort Of the
prisoners.
Rapidly Carried out
The actual task OF repatriation is
being rapidly carried out by DR..
Fridtjof Nansen. underline authority
Of the League and in cooperation
with the international committee of
the Red Cross and the German and
Soviet authorities. DR.. Nansen is
convinced that unless all the inter
ested nations give their most i'm
mediate and earnest aid 10 this prob
EN-. thousands of men who have for
years endured the most terrible suf-
tho forthcoming winter. The condi-
fering will meet their death during
tion of the prisoners now being re-
patTiated is almost indescribably
pitiful, for they come out OF their
long confinement not only without
even the essential articles of cloth
ing, but also very often in n desper-
ately bad physical condition.
DR.. Nansen said recently that al
though almost insurmountable diff
culties are being encountered in find
ing shipping. in raising funds in this
moment of financial stringency, and
In caryig the may-sided negotia
tions between allied governments,
former neutralS, eX-enemy govern
ments. and the Soviet authorities,
nevertheless the world owes a tre-
mendOus debt to these half-million
sufferers held prisoners under most
terrible circumstances and that no
effort must be spared 10 return them
10 their homes.
Credits Being Received
Within the past few weeks the
following credits for this work have
been received: Norway. Sweden and
Denmark. 5000 pounds each: Hol-
land $1,000 pounds. with 10000
Ounds additional promised in case
the other nations fulfill their allot-
ment; Switzerland $4,000 pounds and
Great Britain 113, 500 pounds with an
equal additional sum promised in
case the other nations meet their
allotments. France has provisionally
promised $4,000 pounds and Italy
$4,000 pounds.
The sums actually received will
allow the continuance Of the work
until October. If the French and
Italian contributions are received by
then. the work will go on until all
prisoners are repturned TO their
homes. All expenses for repatriatinG
German prisoners are borne by the
German government itself
Preparation Fleet Busy
Most OF the vessels OF the repatria-
tion fleet trOvel between Germany
and Russia in the Baltic. but others
make the long six weeks trip from
Hamburg 20 Nladivostok. In order
10 keeI the expenses at the lowest
possible figure. Cargoes have beer
booked on the longer voyage ships al
the same time that prisoners are be-
ing transported
on the Baltic. the most important
route. fifteen vessels have beer
chartered to ply back and forth be
tween SJettsin, Germany, and Navva
and Riga in Esthonia and Bjorke II
Finland. When the first ship sailed
Ll.lNTINI-En ~ PAEE TLREE l