New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-01
Some Criticise, but All
Services Are Under a
Terrific Strain.
SAY GERMANS FIRE
ON RED CROSS FLAG
Need of Warm Clothing Is Now
Foreseen, and Million Women
Are Ready to Help.

Paris, Sept 30.-With sharp
change of weather, the French people
suddenly realized the need not only Of
! improvement In the care Of the sick
and wounded, but Of ample supplies of
warm clothing for their soldiers.
Georges Clemenceau, the ex-Premier,
has been conducting a Characteristic
campaign on this subject in his news
paper, "L'Homme Libre"
Last night we were informed that
"L'Homme Libre" had been suspended
for eight days because its editor had
refused TO suppress certain passages In
An article on army medical services
which had been condemned by the
general commanding at Toulouse. We
shall probably hear more of this incl
dent, for the tiger is not likely to take
such punishment calmly.
Meanwhile there are many voices,
rot complaining, but making repre-
sensations, for there can be no COM
planning spirit where every one recog-
nizes the efforts that have been and
are being made to cope with unpTe-
cedented difficulties. Undoubtedly the
energies of ali official stats, doctors,
nurses, stretcher-bearers, transport and
hospital accommodation, have been
strained TO the utmost. The govern
ment pleads that there have been oc-
casions when not only the wounded
have been picked up under fire on the
! field, but that those under treatment
in the field hospitals have had to be
removed because they were fired upon
/ by German artillery.
! There are ITO French hospital trains,
capable OF carrying 100000 wounded,
but evidently very few Of these could
be concentrated upon any given battle
/ field, however great the need. 1t is
said that field hospitals containing 300
men have had to be suddenly evacu-
Rted because the Germans would not
| respect the Red Cross. Apart from
/ that, however, the immense numbers Of
men gathered within such an area as
! that to the north of the Aisne and the
continuity OF the lighting must inevita-
/ bly, result in a strain upon hospital ser
! vices altogether beyond anything eX-
! periencC6 in preceding wars. Hence
the sad scenes, of which there have
been so many, when the wounded SOL
der must be content with q pile Of
straw in q horse truck or slow-going
train and the charity of villagers at
the wayside stations which it passes.
Impatient people ask why civilian
and even amateur assistance is not en-
listed more freely. They do not under
stand how difficult it Is to combine
military and civilian services, and how
difficult it is to organize help which in
the nature of the case cannot be sub
mitted to the full rigor Of official rules.
Indeed, il is exactly the faculty of
powerful organization, one of the rare
human faculties, that is most strained
by the unreasonable demand like that
of to-day.
Thousands and tens Of thousands Of
women and men are devotinR them
selves calamity to softeuing the blows
of war. Every effort Is being made to
coordinate the work Of the two gov
eminent departments, the Health Ser
vice and the Assistance Publique, and
the societies, constituting the French
Red Cross and other philanthropic
groups, but to secure that efficiency at
every point from Immediately behind
the lighting line to a sanatorium on
the Spanish frontier, where good sur
gical aid, medical supplies, food and
competent nursing are always avail
able, is a gigantic If not an impossible
/ task.
The provision of warm clothing to
protect the soldiers against the Geld
ard wet months that are coming should
| be easier, for q million women and
| girls who are left at home will be only
| too glad to knit vests, socks, mufiers
and gloves, and to make shirts, too, if
they can get the flannels.