The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-09

payroils.
mobilizing, showing that she now stands
in as great dread of us as, a few years
ago, we stood of her.
Fight Was Hard One
but not one must believe there were
no difficulties. Tho Turk was ever a
brave man. even though he does not un-
derstand the use OF modern firearms as
well as we do, and in this war the diff
culties of the ground, the climate, the
nature OF the fortihcations and the hard
ships of every kind that had to be
borne by the soldiers made the personal
qualities and sublime devotion of the
resolute besiegers and resolute defenders
more equal than would be the case in a
war between any other two European
countries.
1T has been on both sides utter im1no-
lation of self in the cause of country.
The soldiers and their officers Wed with
each other to give proof of individual ca
pacity for endurance of hardship In the
long, heroic marches and during the
battles. The officers were always in
front, although 1t is customary for conn
mands to be given from the back, and
their soldiers entreated them constantly
who are trained to lead us, fall, who can
replace your" The result is, of course,
that we have lost a great many more
officers in proportion than men, but
the only regret one ever hears is by
some one who would like to have given
his own life instead.
Positive knowledge of tho members
of our family and our personal friends
is very difficult to get. Sometimes news
comes of death days after Is happened;
sometimes we mourn for days only to
find that the loved one has been spar ed
to US.
Hospitals Are Fun
TT is glorious, but we hope we soon
may see an end to 1t, for our hospitals
are full. Here In the house. where we
expected TO receive only 20, we have
now 100, and are constantly obliged to
refuse to receive any others until we get
means Of equipping another house which
has been placed at our disposal.
There is great need for medical aid
In all parts of the country which we
have just taken from the Turks, where
every hygienic requirement is lacking
"All of our nurses who can stand the
journey are being sent off there and more
funds are needed for that work, so you
may imagine the gratitude we all feel
when the papers announce that another
tuOuctiuu QOidIS HAS Dttn SSHI Dy Ln6
American Red Cross, whose efforts wa
Know you are aiding and stimulating.
"How L wish some of the kind people
who send that money could Gee the fat
igue and pain of the poor soldiers when
they come into the hospital give way like
children to contentment in being cared
for until they are strong enough to tell
us about their battles; then their first re-
quest Is to be allowed to go back and
icrhf nc in vCft bn n 1fx4at tt<vS
of all the foreign doctors and nurses who
are here; even the most dreadfully mutt
lated bear their pain with stoicism. The
greater number ask to be operated upon
without anaesthetics. One whose left
arm had been amputated yesterday
told me this morning he gladly would
give the other one If he could achieve
the mission of delivering our brethren
in old Servia from the violence of Turk
ish rule.
Must Live Simply
'In your last letter you expressed a
fear that we We're in danger of suffering
from the lack of ordinary comforts. Ger
.tainly everybody lives more simply than
in times of peace, but so far the governs
ment organization has been so efficieat
that there has been no lack of provisions
ir Belgrade The army, too, has been
admirably administered. 1t is hard to
soldiers who fought the battles or the
statesmen who planned the campaign oe-
fcrt hand so perfectly there has been very
little hitch and positively no disorder in
the war.
THE real suffering for the army will
begin, / fear, when the army is disband-
ca. They literally have given everything
they possessed TO the poor people of the
provinces they have taken from the Turks.
ID ia nd fror
Croatia and Dalmatia-everywhere in
fact, where there are Servians-offerings
pour in for our unfortunate brethren in
old Servia and Macedonia, and indeed,
cur greatest burden is the problem of
how to organize relief work in this new
territory.
''All the doctors and nurses who can be
spared from the hospitals in Belgraoe
and the other centers of war are being
sent TO old Servia and Albania, where
the mirery is beyond belief.
'You know the Turks have never al
lowed any sanitary organization in the
towns inhabited by Christians. Our reg
elar troops In cleaning out the wells
have discovered the bones of all kinds OF
domestic animals at the bottom of them
and those of human bodies, as well! No
wonder that typhus and enteritis have
decimated the population in these parts
and that the infant mortality has been
greater than in Indial
! Need Devoted Women
1--WE are greatly in need of devoted
women who will go into old Servia and
Albania to organize district nursing among
the poor, wretched women who never
have been allowed by the Turks to have
medical attention. Volunteers for this
work already have arrived from England
and Switzerland, but many more will find
work TO do and will have the gratitude
and thankfulness of those poor people
and OF our government.
Are there not in America. of whose phi
ianthropy we are always hearing in Eu-
rope, philanthropists who could be induced
to send at their own expense people to
help us in this work? Just now. when
the enthusiasm for the heroism of our
troops and the victory of our army is
very high, there are many people here
who will leave once. the excitement is
over. What we really need are people
willing TO stay one or two years during
which time the districts which we have
iust taken from the Turks could be re-
organized and local teachers and nurses
trained TO replace them when they go
away.
with the heartfelt thanks of the koia
sestara' the Red Cross Society, as well
rs of your husbands family and friends
for your efforts In Interesting the people
Of your own land in those of your adopt
ed country, and with the love of your
aver-devoted sister. I close my letter,
"AfIRKA Y. GROUITCH."
I,+a-..t;,r Wnu,p Holns