The evening times., 1899-09-07
OUR TROOPS AT YOKOHAMA.
How Returning Volunteers Are Car
ed for by the American Colony.

How Returning Volunteers Are Car
ed for by the American Colony.
The New York Evening Post" prints
private letter dated at Yokohama, August
10. containing the following:
Walking about | saw few Of our vol
unteers, so concluded that the Grant.
homeward bound transport, was in. After
one or two business calls l went TO see the
girls. and found they had gone down to the
soldiers headquarters, No 16 Yokohama
new thing since went 10 the mountains.
and as the girls were hard at work was
soon at il, and for two days have worked
like mailer and there was plenty TO do.
Some thrse or four weeks ago a couple
of transports and the hospital ship Relief
came in, and the men who were able walked
around, or got cheated BY rjksbaw" men.
Those who were i'll had to stay aboard
Some ladies sent few magazines out, some
men bought the boys drink or two, took
five up to Tokyo, and so on. but there was no
systematic relief given, and that some was
needed was only too apparent A meeting
was called. at which the ladies took hold.
with an advisory committee OF men, who
took up subscriptions and Will get more a
other boats come in. They have leased
| quite a large building On the Bund. taken
a vacant lot next to it. and put up large
tent, smaller hospital tent. water closets
! tall but the water); a lille distance away
| have leased a boathouse, where baths.
towels ETC. are free and made arrange
msnts with bicycle psop!e for reasonable
| charges: also the principal shOpkespers
| agree TO treat the boys well, and their
| cards. maps. etc. are at a table in the
! building.
The information department is presided
| over by two or three ladies. Another de-
partment is for reception and entertainment
! tworking up trips out of town., and this
| committee has enlisted the japanese Uni
versity students in Tokyo 10 act as guides
the bows are glad TO do il for the fun and
! TO practice English, and are doing good
| work. The great committees are the re-
freshment and the hospital. All day long
delicious sandwiches, cakes, pies. cheese.
and all sorts of cold drinks. non alcoholic,
| of course, are given away. The rush Is
| from II TO l. The hospital has six or eight
cots and twenty or more long chairs with
some lovely women in charge. Except
from II TO /, have spent my time there
because | could help a little From II 10
l. l helped the refreshment committee car
rying drink only. because Miss - said
| | knew more of that than anything else.
| had my guide attached to the inforna
tion department the first day. and he was
OF SO UuCn use lldl sOlIt Olit Slsc sent phS
the second day, and mine went down TO the
-ailroad station to buy tickets. get special
cars. etc He did fine work. MIR. -
sent his 'basha' (carriage) which took
sixteen sick men for a drive on the blufl
and down through Japtown each day
The women of the American colony turned
out en- masse and did magnificent work
The men did theirs too, but. OF course, il
was only those with nothing TO do who
| al, ,Ia - tl,sa-o ars
not many Americans living here Of thai
class
Another transport is expected on Thurs
day. Blood and money can't keep it VI
always. not even when helped by American
| patriotism and at home people don't know
what that word means, as 1t is understood
| here The home bound transports have
got to come up here-all OF them-for they
must return by the northern great circle
sailing in order to get the men out Of tbs
heat as quickly as possible. Yokohama il
where they must coal and make repairs
as it is almost halfway home, and, at an,
rate the last port. The men should COM
ashore for rest of the two days lone L
three that the boats stay. 1t is unreazon
> able that this little community of Ameri
: cans should bear the whole load, whicl
they will do as long as they can and neve
say a word; what ought to be done is 70
the War Department to Immediately esta0
lsh post. a temporary reception hosp.ta
with two or three post surgeons and fey
nurses. taking this principal expense OF
the Yokohama people. They will do tn
rest right royalty.
5 .Magnifcently have the men behaved
i OF this last. !, 500 l have not heard of
5 single case of real bad conduct. OF III
two transports here three or four week
ago some 5000 men. during the Frenc
celebration, / think only twenty a da
were even intoxicated, and no arrests o
trouble A week ago the Californian
went through and gave a little trouble
= and there were some arrests The boy
who left today were from Idaho, Mort
. Dakota, and one or two other States, roug
J, clothes, but men. or pretty bad wrecks c
u what once were men.
Il hope some way will be found to pok
d the War Department up to its duty, or
e that is impossible some of the soldier re
g lief societies could do no more justifiabl
d work. It is the War Departments business
d just as it is the Navy Departments. The
o (the Navy Department. have one of III
finest hospitals in the best location On tn
bluff of Yokohama, with two splendid SUI
geons in charge, and have had 1t for years.