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GOMPERS’ VISIT TO AMERICAN WOUNDEDSAMUEL GOMPERS, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR, VISITS AMERICANWOUNDED WITH AMERICAN RED CROSS VISITORS AT MILITARY HOSPITAL NEAR LONDON. 1* ★A NOTE.-—Mr. Compart and the A * membert of the American Labor A it Mission, now in England, paid a it •A vitit toon after their arrival there A A to an American bate hospital near A it London, being accompanied by A A Lieut. Coi. F. A. Washburn of the A A U. S. Army Medical Corps and by A A Major William Endicott, Comm la* A A sioner for the American Red Cross A A Ifl Great Britalh. AA AAAAAAAAAAAAAA'AAA'AAWritten by SAMUEL GOMPERS, President of the American Federationof Labor.AIHAVE just shaken bandswith several hundred wounded Americans from the western front Inevery case 1 thanked the boys for what they had done and gave them a few words of encouragement and hope foi*the future. I told them that the American people are behind them with all they possess, “Surethey are,” was the inevitable commentmade, with a broad smile that you couldn’t mistake for anything but American.A more cheerful lot of wounded men It would be hard to find. It is really marvellous, this American spiritIt was my first contact with wounded Americans. It was my first visit to a hospital in the war zone. 1 planned it before leaving the United States. The first thing I decided to do after arriving in England was to visit a crowd of our boys fresh from the fighting line, hear their stories, see how they were getting on and give them some words ot cheer. Thanks to the American Red Cross. 1 had the good fortune to have this wish gratified three days after my arrival in England. ^ We drove out from the heart of London In United States army cars. Our American chauffeurs made good progress through the crowded streets. Londoners are well self-disclpllnecL Our route took os over Waterloo Bridgeto the south aide of London, then through the southeastern part of the metropolis, where I recognized many landmarks of my boyhood days. The day before I had visited Ford street, Spttalflelds. and the house there where I first saw the light 68 years ago.We ran through Beckham road and passed the handsome building of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, which 1 knew was there from correspondence back in Washington with Its officers, but which I now saw for the first time.Once out of London we travelled over the hills of Kent and saw some ofthe prettiest of the English countryside,, Hartford Hospital, now used exclusively by Americans, is on the top of a hill and commands an unequalled view of the country for many miles. We approached it from the picturesque village which lies at the base of the hill. A fair was in progress there, and the place was alive with people.Major E. BL Fiske, the commanding officer of the hospital, welcomed us with open arms. He comes from Brooklyn, and I had met him in New York. He was surrounded by groups of the most cheerful crowd of wounded men imaginable. 1 recognized some of them at once. One of them* John Del-monte, was a neighbor of our family in New JTork. 1 was able to give himfirst-hand information that all waswell at home, and he was very glad.Well, I walked about there amongthe men, banding them cigarettes,American fiags and comfort bags made by the women of America to be disposed of to our boys wherever they may be. It was a great experience and touched me very deeply. Every little while I could feel a lump1 come up in my throat I just couldn’t help ItAmericans I met from almost every state in the Union. And never before was I so proud to meet my countrymen. Our visit waa quite unannounced, and the boys were surprised and pleased.The Red Cross had sent out with usa motor-car full of things, which we distributed. The cigarettes were from two shipments sent over here by the people of Providence, E. I, and by the Rotary Club of Honolulu, Hawaii, and each package bad a little card by which the men could acknowledge the gift It was a pleasure for me to hand these gifts to the men. They came from America, and I thought of every one aa a link between these soldiers and the mothers, wives and sweethearts of America.If the Red Cross did nothing more than to distribute these things it would be worth while, I am a member of the Red Cross in America, Just like so many millions of other Americans. In the last drive I helped to raise some of that giant fund, and I expect to raise my voice for it again in the next drive. I shall be able to speak firsthand of its work for our men.While I was talking with the convalescents out on the lawn a pretty big crowd began to gather, and some* body asked for a speech. I Just could not refuse and gave them a personal message from the folks at home, t told them how grateful everybody was to them for the sacrifice they had already made and for the further sacrifices I knew they were prepared to make for the Ideals of America. X gave them a mental picture of Che situation at home since they left,—how everybody was working for the war, backing up the army and navy with everything necessary to bring victory. After we had shaken hands all round once more 1 went through several wards and found the same cheerful spirit Id all. The boys all said they were getting along fine. They wanted to know the latest home news, and X gave them all I could in the short tlmo I bad.The visit was a great privilege for me. No matter how many of our hospitals 1 shall see in my visits to France and Italy, the Impressions of my first meeting with them at Hartford will never die ouL
Newspaper Details
Orange County Times Press
Middletown, New York, US
Fri, Oct 18, 1918
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 28 Sep 2019
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