Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-08-11
RETURNING HOME OF
WOUNDED SOLDIERS
CROWDS CHEER AS BRAVE MEN
ARE BROUGHT HOME BROKEN
n" IN BODY.
new War LOAN Has Been SUBSCRIBED

new war LOAN HAS Been SUBSCRIBED
English are Suspicious Of All For
eianors Because Of German Spy "
Activities.
Special Correspondence.
BY Edith F. Norton.
49, London, England.
My husband had just returned from
"a visit to the city office OF relg-
lous organization whose honorary sec
retary knew many OF our friends
throughout Great Britain. did you
inquire about Mr.. Mclaughlin of Bel
rast,"I l asked. YES ne replied,
ms two sons were both killed"
Then he went On to mention many
others OF our friends, who had lost
members OF their families, in this
deadly war. One man, an acQuaint-
ance of ours in Glasgow, has just
mad two sons reported wounded, and
a third friend, Sir Joseph Maclay,
Bart, of Glasgow, has one of his fine
tall sons, who, enlisted early in the
war, reported missing, which is al
most the hardest thing there is 10
Dear, for the waiting ones at home.
We nave just had a letter from Sir
Joseph, in answer to- one we wrote
him concerning his son, and quote
from it to show the brave spirit that
hopes against hope. His son was
fighting in the Dardanelles, and has
been reported missing for some time.
He writes, 1T is very good OF you to
write, and Lady Maclay and / greatly
appreciate your kind words. We
nave not given up hope. There Is
just a chance our boy may yet be
found in the hands Of the Turks,
who are reported to be kind to pris-
oners.'' We tremble as we ask con-
cerning any OF our friends or ac-
quaintances over here. We are SO
sure of hearing bad news concerning
them. T. - - - 4
The stream of wounded men from
across the channel pours into London
steadily, through the different sta
tions. We are quite close to the,
Charing Cross station. and quite
often go down to see the arrival OF.
a new lot of wounded soldiers back
from the front. The crowd that
waits to greet them to me Is almost
as interesting to see as the, soldiers
themselves. There is little cheering
as troops march through the streets
of London, and none at all, OF neces-
sity, when they depart for the front,
when that takes place until. they are
actually on a transport bound lot
France, for they may have set out
on what they thought was march
as q part of their days ss drill, and
presto-they are put on train, ana
conveyed to some obscure port, and
from there embark for, some other
obscure destination in France; such
is the mystery that shrouds the de-:
parture of troops Tor be; front sS-ssE.: Ia 1
But when they are brought n back,
wounded and broken in body, some
as l have seen them, rendered bllnd
and deaf =, by the nervous shock OF
battle, others with memory gone,.
tnen the. crowd turns out, waving
and cheering to greet the returning
heroes, and think it must warm the
hearts of the poor fellows-this greet
ing, and make them realize their. sacri-
flee is not unappreciated. Tonight !
stood for an hour inside the rope,
across one portion OF the
great station, adjoining the entrance
to the tracks, where the Red Cross
trains had just come in. For Il
half hour previous, the Red Cross
and motors, had collect
ed in, q long line at one side OF the
station. was pressed close against
the rope, and surrounded by q mot
ley crowd, typically London, and
largely Scockney, but to q man. they
loved Tommy" and We're there 70
make him feel and realize 1t. A tai
policeman guarded the gates, and
when they. swung open and the f1rst
Red Cross motor swept through,
what a cheer went up. Those whose
wounds were not SO severe, were
driven through, first, and they smiled
and waved their thanks for the DEM
onstration, and one wounded chap
shouted, This Way to Berlin" All,
er the slightly wounded and the con-
valescents, came ambulance after am
bulance, carrying its quota of the
desperately wounded. Sometimes as
they passed, one would raise MS
head if not too weak, or wave
bandaged hand in response to the
cheers, and one, from his stretcher
inside tho ambulance, waved his rect.
Many of the onlookers threw flow
ers and cigarettes in to the soldiers
as their motors passed., And TINS
demonstration is sometimes rep peated
several times daily, as the Red Cross
trains are arriving very frequently
now.
This afternoon we went by special
permission to visit a group OF con-
valescent soldiers, giving them tesla
ments and having personal word
with them, afterward getting = their
pictures, with their testaments In
their hands. 1t touched me to see
the disposition the soldiers made OF
the little books given them, several
tucked them away beneath the
splints binding shattered arm,
shattered by shrapnel, and one
whose sleeve was empty and pinned
against his breast, had tucked his lit
tie testament into the empty sleeve,
AS l saw it, thought, surely 1t is
the only thing that could fill such a
place adequately. Each man was
glad and proud to- tell us OF his
wound and how it had been received:
One man showed me a frlghtful
shrapnel wound leaving scar COW.
ering the whole side of his head and
forehead, another with his arm near.
ly torn to pieces by shrapnel, and;
now held in place by splints, said
in answer to my query as to how he
was getting on, "its been this, way
now, miss, for ten weeks, and may
have to come Off yet" They were
all CHEEKY and full of fun, and evi-
IDENTIFY well pleased with the part
they had played in life, and well
they might be.
Saturday, from my hotel window,
II watched thousands of women
marching past, with flags and ban
ners, on their way led by Mrs. Pank-
hurst, to meet Lloyd George, and
from him, to demand their share OF
work in connection with the furnish
ding of war munitions. A delegation
ffmet him and presented their request
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