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AmericanOW are the wounded American boysbeing- treated who have eoroe to English.hospitals after fighting the Huns inFrance? That was a..question whichCaptain Herbert S. Johnson, pastor ofo£ the Warren Avenue Baptist church, Boston, now on field service with the 'American Bed Cross in England, says he was asked to reply, to before lie left America.• ^‘Fortunately,” he said, “I am now; able toanswer ft in respect of hundreds of men who are in the American Bed Cross hospitals in Great Britain.“The first duty assigned to me in London was to visit the American base hospital at Hartford. I saw scores of the hoys. Most of them came direct from the battle which raced around the _h. ahill ELemmei in France. One lad had fifteen separate wounds from shrapnel. Some of the boys had lost their legs. Some had been gassed. Many had broken legs and arms, smashed by machine gun bullets. One had a bullet wound in each cheek.“Were they downhearted? No!“Some of them were talking and laughing. Some were reading. Some were playing games. Many were smoking cigarettes. Some were nibbling chocolate^ It was the most cheerful hospital which I have ever soen~~and I have spent my life visiting hospitals. In fact, it was this atmosphere of good cheer winch impressed me more than anything else in this hospital of Hartford. And why not? The beds were clean, the food was excellent and'abundant, the surgical and medical attendants were as good as can be found in the best hospitals at home. And there were American women to talk to them, women who had come out from London in the Red Cross cars, bearing packages of candies, little baskets offruit, and a dozen and one other things that the boys had asked them to purchase in London.^ “Besides there was the constant personal oversight of the Bed Cross men under Captain Brown, himself a big hearted American from Kalamazoo, Mich., who spends every hour of the twenty-four in the hospital at Hartford with ‘his men.’“As I left the hospital I asked the boys if there was anything which they wanted- One of them said:“ ‘Tell the folks at home that we won the battle of Kemmell* That was their only request.“I have just Visited the American base hospital at Tottenham, near London, in one of the wards I saw a merry crowd of people around a soldier’s cot. There were several nurses and a dozen of the wounded men.“The center of attraction was a small yellow haired youth from Brooklyn, not more than 22 years of age, whose teg had been amputated justabove the knee a few days before. He had arranged his bandaged stump in such a manner that the teg had the appearance of a big baby doll. He was moving the stump back and forth as I arrived, and gave me an exhibition of fox trotting by his rag baby. He assured rac with great glee that one of the doctors had agreed to paint a face on the amputated leg. He expected that his doll baby would make a great sensation when equipped with blue eyes and pink nose and red lips.“I mention-this incident because it illustrates as web as anything I have seen the dauntless spirit of our American boys. It is the spirit which enables them to see the silver lining in every dark cloud. It is the irrepressible spirit of America which is now the inspiration of our war-all irs.“What is being done for our soldiers in the long days of convalenscence in the hospitals in France and England ? Let me tell you exactly what happened in this hospital at Tottenham. The boys came into the hospital theater wearing their bandages. I have never seen so many bandaged men together before. There were bandaged legs, and bandaged arms, and bandaged shoulders and bandaged heads and bandaged eyes. Evidently these men were tired of bandages and wanted a little fun. They got it!“Some cf the Bed Cross people had gone through the best variety theaters of London and brought together therpick of the talent of the town for the benefit of our American soldiers. Three was a really wonderful tenor, several comedians, a 'pretty young American girl who played the violin, and danced divinely to her own music. There were several singers of humorous or eatehy songs; there'was as good a contortion-ever seen, and a conjuror who pulled egg after egg from a single egg just to show the men how to increase their rations without additional expense.“I was told that it would cost several thousand dollars to give such an entertainment under ordinary eircumstances. Some of these performers are receiving $500 a week here in London. They gave their services joyfully to the Bed Cross to please our boys. *“And how these boys enjoyed it all! Theygrinned, then laughed, then yelled, then whistled car-piercing sounds through their teeth. I saw one youth whose leg had been newly amputated moving his stump up and down with rapidfire jerks. He had so far forgotten his troubles and wounds that he was trying to stamp his applause oij the floor with-a leg that was not there.*** # #Mr. Charles JSf. Schwab, the director general of the great shipbuilding hustle, greatly ingratiated himself when he was here with the men in the Red Cross hospitals with his breezy yams. So popular was he that he was known among them and even addressed as “Charlie,” sure sign of what he meant to them.One of his stories related to “Jack, the Cowboy,” who met some English friends ia America. AVhen they went away they said to him, “Mind you, come and see ns when you come to England.” Jack didn’t expect to go to England then, but it happened that some years later he went over with Buffalo BilLSo he went to call on his great English friends and they asked him to dinner. He was given a noble duchess of the realm to take in, and Jack didn’t' feel too happy about it. However, he. landed her safely at the table, and then he thought he ought to say something. He didn’t quite know what, so he turned to the duchess and said: “Madam, I don’t know what one ought to say to a duchess, but, damned if you don’t look good to me.”This story was received with a roar of laughter, and when it had subsided a little, Air. Schwab said, “Boys, I’m like Jack. I don’t quite know what to say to you, but damned if you don’t look good to me.”XT, S. OWHS 477,262 HORSES AND MOLES.When the armistice was signed the United States army possessed, as remounts, 113,725 cavalry horses, 186,348 draft horses, 144,611 draft mules and 17,298 pack and riding mules, a total of 477,262 animals.Scientists state that a flofwertngplant abstractsfrom the soil 200 times -its own weight in water during its life* «
Newspaper Details
Avalanche
Lubbock, Texas, US
Thu, Jan 02, 1919
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 28 Sep 2019
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