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Show BED CROSS WORKERS jud m mm f Supply Transportation to j Interned Persons After ! Their Release. I HAD MUCH DIFFICULTY Tremendous Task Undertaken Under-taken by Committee at First Seemed Hopeless. (Correspondence of the Associated Press.) BERNE, Swltzerlar-d. Feb. 5. According Accord-ing to data supplied by the International Red Cross committee, which has charge of the information bureau for Interned civil persons, about 2000 French who had been interned In Germany have been repatriated through the services of the bureau. In these cases the Red Cross committee supplied free transportation through Switzerland. In addition, about 980 French citizens who were able to pay their railroad fares wore assisted by the committee in securing their release In Germany. The bureau has been largely responsible responsi-ble for the reciprocal exchange of Interned In-terned civil persons held In France, Ger- 1 many and Austro-Hungary. In addition to repatriating French citizens, it has also assisted such Germans and Austro-Hun-garians as have been released by the French government. By December 16 the number of Germans who had been aided by the bureau to reach their homes exceeded ex-ceeded 6000. Austro-Hungarians In whose behalf the bureau had been active numbered num-bered moro than 1600. These large numbers num-bers of refugees were handled by means of special trains. For 101& Germans and Austro-Hungarlans the committee provided pro-vided hospital accommodations and for ; 23S Germans and seventy Austrians It secured se-cured permanent residence Switzerland. Switzer-land. Much Difficulty. The bureau was organized during the middle of September. For several weeks neither the German nor the French government gov-ernment heeded its requests that the civil prisoners of war held in the two countries be given their liberty. On October Oc-tober 20 its efforts led to the announcement announce-ment that both governments would liberate lib-erate the women and children held by them and such males as had not reached the age of 17 or had passed the age of 60 on September 20, 1914. Shortly after-' ward the first transports from both countries coun-tries began to arrive. As the result of further negotiations, the French and German governments agreed on November 25 to include in the class of exchangeable Interned men between be-tween the ages of 45 and 60 who apparently ap-parently were no longer fit for military service. Austria-Hungary and France agreed on October 13 on an exchange of all women and children and males who had not yet reached the ape of 17 or had passed fit. Later It was also decided to exchange the military unfit on the basis already agreed upon with Germany. In addition to assisting the civil prisoners pris-oners of war on the return to their homes, the bureau taken care of the correspondence correspond-ence of those who have not been liberated as yet, generally males of military aqe and fitness. It alHo interests itself In the complaints made by these. Secures Information. The bureau, moreover, has charged itself with the following: Securing information infor-mation concerning neutrals living In any of the belligerent states; Interesting Itself to the extent possible under existing conditions con-ditions in the civil prisoners of war held in England, Russia, Servia and the other belligerent countries and their colonlH; watching the treatment of males of military mili-tary age and fitness who have been detained de-tained in any of the countries at war, and reporting on nil cases of hostago. The bureau also undertakes securing data, on the whereabouts and condition of neutrals who, for various reasons, have not been able to communicate with their families and friends. So far the committee has not been able to do much for the civil prlsonerw of wnr held in Great Britain and the British colonies, Russia and Servia. Turkey hns recently signified Its intention of joining join-ing France and Germany in accepting the voluntary services of the bureau. The expenses of the committee are met In part by the members, by subscription:) In Switzerland and by contributions mado by the Swiss government In the form of free railroad transportation and free postal pos-tal service- Virtually all the clerical and Red Crops work In connection with the mission is done by unpaid volunteers, who in many cases are obliged even to pay their traveling expenses in Franco nnd Germany. So fa r the bureau hns failed to secure even free postage privileges privi-leges from the countries whoso subject it benefits. Professor "r. Krnest Rothlisborger i the chief of the bureau In Berne. Erluord Audeoud, a prominent citizen of Geneva. Is principally responsible for the exchange arrangements, and President Hoffman of the Swiss republic has done everything possible to assist the organization. |