The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-07
GREAT HOTELS ONCE,
GRIM HOSPITALS NOW
Meurice, Where Kings Stayed.
and Ritz Ready to Re-
ceive Wounded.
IN CHARGE OF RED CROSS
Wives and Daughters Of Those
at Front Work There-Rcd-
ferns Atrlicr Gone.

| LONDON. Aug. 25.-The Daily Express
prints the following from it, Paris cor
respondent:
81 went over the 'Hopitai Meurice'
this afternoon. Not 80 long ago II was
the Hotel Meurice. where Kings and diplo-
mats and statesmen made holiday and
rented its luxurious suites.
This afternoon the main entrance was
closed and over the door hung tho red
cross on the white ground which trans
forms II into tho 'Hopital Meurice.'
There Is no charge for beds now and the
doors OF the rooms are open ready to
receive its dolorous and tragic visitors.
| There IL no ringing OF bells or calling OF
visitors names or their room numbers by
buttoned boys bearing visiting cards on
silver trays
"A man sitting on n chai' -, ding the
last edition OF the fnformdt..d stopped
nosing for news and looked up at mo
with the faded smile Of one who is pleased
to see visitor At last I told him
wanted TO see the hospital arrangements
and he took me up stairs TO the first floor,
where suddenly I tumbled into activity.
The wives and daughters and rela-
tions OF the officers and commissioned
Officers who are now hghting at the front
were In the hotel busy with needle and
which this grim war will bring them. All
women OF France are working through
all the hours OF the day. doing their
share In the home business Of warfare
they have banded themselves into soci-
eties. and those who are not doing hospital
work are helping tho relief Of the misery
OF the poor. You will see minister's
wives, women Of the middle class and
'mondaines' and famous actresses working
side by side.
The first floor OF the Hopital
Meurice' Is q hospital do luxe. The
carpets have Of course. been taken away.
and only the oilcloth left IN the rooms
where wealthy visitors stayed a month
ago and looked out on the Tuileries Gar
dens In happy holiday mood that was
shattered 10 pieces on the first day OF
mobilization Gone. too for the most
part are the beautiful furniture and the
rich curtains I'm each room; instead. we
have simple bare rooms and the windows
wide TO the day. Iron and practicable
hospital beds, duly numbered are I'm every
room. but not even these beds with the
medical diaries. as yet empty, pinned at
the head could destroy entirely the hotel
atmosphere. Each room has its little
ormulu clock built In the wall and all
the other luxuries of hotel life.
Here is the suite that the King OF
spain always used when he came TO
Pars-there ore beds In each OF tho
placed on the tables a hairbrush and a
toothbrush for each bed A sitting
room. forming part OF suite let as A
rule to some American millionaire. IL
now arranged Tor the reception OF the
wounded close by another room IL turned
INTO an Isolation ward. and the kitchen
is ready for the cooking Of milk and soup
and invalids' food. No need TO ring
twice for the wd!ter. for the soft footed
nurses w!ll be In and out of the wards
an the time All Is ready in the
'Hopitdl Meurice
You may go over the Ritz and see
the same thing-large silent halls with
never visitor except the women worker,
and the doctors preparing FOR their york
ana beautiful bedrooms turned into wards
Tor wounded. The Continental that
great hote! whose corridors are in normal
times as busy as a beehive. is another
auxiliary hospital, and one BY one the
large luxurious pleasure palaces of Paris
In which millions OF francs are spent each
season are Offering their empty rooms 10
the Red Cross
i met Mr. Redfern this afternoon with
Red Cross band on his arm. for he ia
one OF the active workers There is Moth
ing else TO do AT present. Come and see
my atelicrs,' he said So went IN to the
gray salon In the Rue de Rivoi where
month ago the buyers from all the
world came TO look at the proud manne-
gums strutting in the peacock glory of
Redfern creations. No manneuuins or
buyers there to-day. Not a dress to be
seen--counters and glass cases empty. and
those padded figures that once wore fine
dresses stood bare in their headless melan-
choly.
Upstairs in the workshop they were
working The sewing machines whrred
and hummed their song OF stitches, and
the workgrs bent over the work they
were doing oddly silent. as II they were
thinking OF some one they loved very
much who had said good-hy to them at
the Care de rEst on the fatal first day of
August They were not making dresses
now for the modIstes OF the world. they
were stitching shirts ALL to one PATTERN
thousands and thousands OF shirts are to
he made. shirts 70 be worn IN the hos
pital.
"'There's no business said Mr.. Red
fern cheerfully, so were doing this to
keep the girls going They've nearly all
got some one at the front fighting for
France"