Clothes Worn Out until Many are Stark Naked: Letter Received by Wife of One of the Men 'A letter, written by one of the 83 White Russian prisoners held at the present time in Nanking, and late of Chang Chung-chang's Shantung Army, has found its way into Shanghai, addressed to the prison-ey's wife, and its contents written in i hasty scrawl tell much in a. few sentences. The devious course necessary in such circumstances accounted for the letter's safe! arrival here. Possibly a friendl; alien or a benevolent minded ce passed on the note towards its destination, and its contents. substantiate the appeal made recently' by the Russian Relief Association for clothes and money for these unfortunate victims of an unkind fate.
In all his life, the man writes, he "has never before believed it, possible to suffer such degradation, Herded together as they are, the. despised prisoners of war, many without a stitch of clothing lying fon the earth or wooden floor with: out covering at night, know the sensation of a dog that has no owner. During the months of their captivity, the scanty clothing in which they stood when the Nationalist Army took them prisoners. has worn out, until now not one of them has more than the barest bodily covering, and many are stark naked. These facts combined wi the uncertainty of waiting for an unknown fate has produced a frame of mind and such suffering aa, the average person can know little' of.
No attempt to' elicit sympathy is to be found in the letter which states simply the condition of the writer who looks towards his wife for whatever assistance she may be able to give. Further, the letter oes on to say that the prisoners are "treated pretty well" and that: they have sufficient rice for food. They had been schooled somewhat for their present circumstances fore, and mention is made by writer of the weeks when he was in Kaifeng, "tired to death" from working from 5 am. to 7 p.m, The Russian Relict Association, which Mr. V. Grosse is chairman, is working on' their behalf at the present time and it is understood that the next few days will bring pourparlers between the Nationalist official and the Jocal- organization. Rumour had it for a time that the Nationalist authorities sian prisoners to Vladivostok wher their fate could easily be imagined, when after the vicissitudes which have befallen them since the Rus sian Revolution, they should come into the hands of the Soviet authorities of Siberia, "It is therefore, the nope of the Relief Association that the 83 men can be brought to Shanghai and sent from here to Harbin, 'The original tion included sending them to Yinkow, which is the port for Newchwang, but it is understood that criticism to this plan was raised on the ground that once in this district and' outside of Nationalist control they might easily join some of the non-Nationalist armies of the north again, The most feasible, plan, therefore, is that they should be sent to Harbin or Moukden where they could find some form occupation. It is pointed out that work would be almost impossible for them to find in Shanghai, mainly fon account of the already ove crowded field and the numbers of wdigent Russians here which cone o the notice of various benevolent societies.
Those negotiating for the release of these prisoners declare that they entertain hopes for arriving at some kind of satisfactory arranges ment with the Nationalist authotities coon. It is their impression further should the prisoners be re-Teased such an act of grace on the Part of the Nationalist officials could not fait to have good results.
Already, following the aspect written by Mr. I. Dolgorouekof on appeared in the "North-China Daily. News" a few kindly disposed per= Sons have sent money and articles of clothing for the prisoners, and it hoped that more will be forthcoming; all such contributions bein accepted at 98 Avenue Edward Vil, the Russian Relief Axtociation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.