Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-11-12


that at the Christmas season arrange
ments should be made for recruits %
visit their homes, ITO which some
number of them may never pay anoth-
er Christmas visit" 1t suggests that
they should be promised free railway
transportation for the purpose, since
there are men in camp at Aldershot
whose homes are in Cornwall, Wales,
Scotland and Ireland and since the
Government absolutely guarantees the
earnings of the railways during war
time, that there ought to be no diff
Guilty about arranging it.
THE Country Needs Men," the lead
er in the Times of today, enumerates
the terrible losses Germany has
endured without flinching, expressing
doubt whether the reproof of a Ger
man Socialist paper for saying that
the total losses of the Germans
amounted to three-quarters of a mil
lion men was justified. The paper
says that every call for recruits n
England has been met, that the War
Office has had all the recruits with
which 1t was able to deal and that the
difficulties attending early enlistment
have been to a great extent overcome.
concluding its appear the Times says:
Again the call for both men and
officers goes forth and no gentleman
in England, now abed who is able to
bear arms should ignore it. We are
glad to know that there is already a
fresh rush to the recruiting office, but
we still shall need more men, and yet
more, and more again, IL we are to
crush the menace which has too long
brooded over Europe, and to win peace
and happiness for those who win
come after US. England has never
asked for her sons in vain. We do
not think she MIL ask in vain today"
That picture of dead men erect in
the trenches of France, rifles in hand
eyes open, limbs set as if in life. has
/ been obliterated by the London
Lancet. Correspondents at the front
have sent in this story repeatedly,
varying locality and details. Essen
TALLY, however. all accounts have
been the same. Briefly, the victims
have succumbed to a noxious gas
given off by shells and have persisted
as they stood or sat after the manner
of occupants of a castle in fairyland
over which some evil spirit had cast
a spell.
But the Lancet in recent issue
says this cannot be so.
THAT dead bodies can remain in the
upright position without support
from without is, of course, absurd"
says the journal. But it is interest
ing to point out that the favorite
modern explosive is tri-nitrotoluol,
and this gives off incidentally a large
volume of carbon monoxide gas, which
when inspired produces healthy
pink and life-like appearance in the
corpse. Imagination has probably
filled in the picture as to these VIC
tins appearing to retain living pos
ture"
Thousands of Belgian Jews of the
middle class are among the penniless
refugees who have fiocked to England
Many of these are absolutely destitute
and the Jews temporary shelter has
undertaken the work of caring for
them. The London Lodge of The
B'nai Birth has opened refuge in
Wilesden where many are cared for
and hospitality is being found for
them as rapidly as possible. Jewish
homes throughout London have been
opened to the refugees, but the COM
mittees are unable to find sufficient
accommodations for the unfortunates,
many of whom are men and women of
refinement accustomed to much better
living conditions than can be afforded
them In temporary quarters.
The annual oxford and Cambridge
boat race probably will not be held in
1918 since many Of the rowing men
have been called away to the war
1t is reported from Oxford that the
university has postponed all racing
until after the war, and a similar
course has been adopted at Cam
bridge.
II there is no race in 1915, 1t will be
the first year that such has been the
case since 1854.
In the Royal Victoria Hospital at
Netley, England's biggest military
hospital, are four conva1escent cases
or tetanus. This is believed to be
record never before surpassed or even
equaiied. Lockjaw until lately has
oeen one of the. gravest problems
raced by the surgeons at Netley.
On account Of having their wounds
covered with dirt from the trenches
along the Aisne. where the germ of
tetanus is prevalent. many of the
wounded developed the malady. This
~ especially true when the time of
transport of wounded from the battle
'front.' took three weeks. Now that
the injured are reaching here in three
TO four days. the risk of infection is
not SO great and the cases have de-
creased markedly.