The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-11-29
THOUSANDS STILL
 HELD IN SIBERIA

Berlin, Nov. 29-when Peter the Great of Russia built a fortress at Narva on the border of what is now Esthonia.. and called it Hunger Fortress" he could not foresee that the day would come when thousands of wretched men and women would there learn for the first time in many months of even years what it means the developments of the last months have brought to pass.
 It is at Narva that the returning prisoners from Siberia-prisoners ot war and also civilians-are cared for until they can be sent to their homes. Narvo means for them the beginning of the end of their sufferings. Not the least of these sufferings is the journey that brings them to this Els thonian city Special through trains'' consisting entirely of box cars-take at the best five weeks from Irkutsk and the trip often stretches out to 45 days Or even more The travellers have no opportunity to wash themselves on the way except as they leave the train near some stream; they cannot wash their cloth ing: they have ne spare stocks. and their food Is barely sufficient to keep body and soul together. And all of them are weak from years of hunger and other privations and many are diseased.
 American Work Voluntary.
 It is the recently organized Fridtjof Nansen Relief that is directing the work. Committees from the Central Powers are assisting, the Russian So- vlet government has thus far work q loyalty with the organization, and America is represented by Y. M. c. A. men. The American work is vol untary, and the expenses areb orne American government shares with the French government the distinc- ton of having refused to have any thing to do with Nansen's scheme. WaShin gton was afraid that the funds would get 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 attended to. Such assurances could not be given. England is helping on the work which is being chiefly sup ported by the Central powers and the neutrais, including especially Scandi- navfa.
 Thousands of Prisoners.
 It is difficult to ascertain the num- Der of prisoners in Siberia. It is hoped that there are not more than 80,000, but this figure is largely guesswork. There are some women and children among these. The pris- oners belong to at least ten different nations, now that their former coun- tries have been split up and divided by the Peace of Versailles. Most Of them will have to spend the coming winter in Russia. The difficulties of moving them through a Siberian win ter over the long route to Narva are very great, and 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 i'll and the Nansen committee sent off last week 76 chests of medicines It sent at the same time 10000 suits of underclothing and more will follow soon.
 Representatives of the Nansen committee neutrals and American Y. M. C. A. men meet the relief them to their destination.
 In Siberia Six Years.
 Paul Anderson of Iowa, Y. M. c. A. representative with the German branch of the Nansen relief, express contribute to this work, which is all ready limited because of funds insaf- fioicnt to do all that ought to be done.
 Nobody need fear that the money will not reach the right hands, he said. The Soviet govrnment has aided ITS in every way lcCessible and ever yo ody connected with the work is doinE his best to see that these unfor- tunate men, women and children, some of whom have been in Siberia six years. have enough to eat and wear this winter and come back to their homes in the spring.