“Humanity” writes: The Press Communique issued to-day states that the Mopilla prisoners were sent “in a luggage van similar to that in which such prisoners have been regularly conveyed hitherto, without any ill effect whatsoever.” It would be very interesting in this connection to consider the information conveyed to us by your Calicut correspondent under date 22nd November 1921. In the absence of any more precise details regarding the dimensions of the van, let me take the figures furnished by him. The cubic space that has been allowed according to this report, for 127 (the Government’s figures is 100 only E.D.H.) stalwart, healthy, human beings is found to be 1215 cubic feet (18-9-7½ feet), thus allowing each individual a space of about 9½ cubic feet. The comparison of this space, as liberally allowed by the powers that be, to those unfortunate brethren, with the dimensions of a 3rd class 8 seater compartment of the S.I.R. Boat Mail would help anyone to appreciate the sufferings these poor prisoners would have been subject to and would make one wonder, how even a single individual could have survived even an hour of the journey.
