Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-10-29
NOBLE AMERICAN
WOMEN HELPING
WARS VICTIMS
Those Who Live in Europe Are
Sacrificing Everything for
the Cause Of Humanity.
MANY ENLIST IN RED CROSS
Others Have Turned over Their Cas-
ties and City Homes for Hospitals
- Wealthy Ladies' Washing
Dishes - Anna Goulds
Broad Charity.


does not exist in Europe today. There
are no balls, no dinners, no splendid
receptions. The women who led in
the pleasure of other days have most
of them donned nurses cap and
gown or even accepted mental task
In order to alleviate the distress OF
poor and wounded. In this work the
American women who have married
foreigners or who for some other rea-
son find themselves residents Of Eu.
rope have been notably prominent.
They have done more than work them
selves-they have proved themselves
leaders.
In recounting the faithful lives Of
service American women are leading
today 1t is hard to know where to be-
gin, for the work goes on In every
capital London, Paris. Vienna. Berlin;
and in no way Is the unfortunate char
acter of the great conflict better Illus
trated than by the presence on both
sides Of these noble American women.
some laboring for the Germans and
the Austrians and others to be seen
at their posts of duty on the side of
the allies.
Famous estates owned by Americans
In Europe have been placed at the serv.
ice OF the combatants Countess 10.
names Won Siersdorff, the former Miss
Knowlton Of Brooklyn turned over her
castle in Silesia to the kaiserin for
the use Of the Red Cross. Then she
herself went to Berlin and entered
the ranks Of hospital nurse corps
there. Her husband is In the German
army. In happier times they once
spent $4,000 to entertain the kaiser
at single days shooting on the es,
tate now given for the use Of the Ger.
man wounded.
Another German Red Cross nurse
Is the beautiful duchess Of Croy, who
was Nancy Leishman. The duke is a
lieutenant in the guard corps and his
German castles and estates are re.
ceiving wounded soldiers. while his
Hungarian chateau has been offered
to the Archduke Frederick, Austrian
commander in chief. for a hospital.
American Women In Berlin.
The women of the American colony
In Berlin are working like beavers
The American church is now a hospi
tai. while the American Woman's club
has offered for use its beautiful build
ing also. The American women are
attending Red Cross lectures and have
gone SO far as to offer to receive
wounded men in their own homes
should there be an overflow from the
hospitals.
In Budapest the Countess Laszlo
Szechenyi. once Gladys Vanderbilt
and the Countess Sigray, nee DAILY.
are leading In Red Cross work while
their husbands are at the front. Count
Russians, Instead of living in Ritz
hotel. his present quarters are the
military prison In Odessa.
The palace Of the Countess Szech.
enyi is one Of the most magnificent In
Hungary. But II was ruthlessly re.
modelled for barracks in the course
of mobilization and now II has
changed its character again, sheltering
several hundred victims of Russian
bullets. The countess herself clad in
the modest garments of the nurse.
goes about among the beds cheering
the guests war has brought her.
Curiously enough. the countess
cousin, the duchess OF Marlborough,
who was Consuelo Vanderbilt. Is do
ing much to help the Hungariahs' foes.
She is the most active spirit in Lon,
don relief work Besides making Sun.
derland house, her London home, q
center OF activities. she has been in.
fluential In directing the work of other
Anglo Americans. 1t was largely
through her that Paris Singer was led
to give his palatial country house near
Torguay for the wounded men under
the care of the American Red Cross.
What tho Astors Are Doing.
Waldorf Aston, Jr.. Is also very &C.
tive. In the course of letter to
friend in Richmond. Va, Mrs Aston,
who was Miss Mamie Langhorne OF
Virginia, writes
1--WE have come here (Yelverton,
South Devon) and taken this little
house, nine miles from Plymouth. 1t
is just on the moor. We took 1t so
that the children could get moorland
air and we could work In Plymouth
most OF the day.
1--WE have had 100 Of the wounded
at Plymouth for the last fortnight.
They were wounded at Mons those
first three days A great many of
them saw the horrors of German bru-
tally and the stories they tell are al
most unbelievable, only they tell them
quite simply and told them to me the
first day they arrived before they had
seen or heard of a newspaper. One
Door creature was absolutely shat
tered, he said, not from fear Of the
war or guns, but at seeing two Bel
gian women with both hands cut off.
II know that the Germans are do
ing what they can In America to deny
these things. but ! have got it from
the men hemselves-plain. unedu-
Gated soldiers great many of them.
The Coldstream guards regiment was
nearly wiped out because the men re.
fused to fire on the Belgian women
and children whom the Germans had
put In front Of their guna at Mons.