Americus times-recorder., 1915-05-25
FREIBURG NOW
HOSPITAL CITY
rCBy Associated Press J


towns or cities in Germany have chang
ed as materially and noticeably on
account of the war as Frieburg, one
time Mecca of American tourists bent
on visiting the beautiful Black For
est.
From a quiet, peaceful little city,
well equipped with schools, it has be-
come city of hospitals to which
scores of the wounded are brought
daily from the west front, especially
from nearby Alsace. The Red Cross
flag floats over scores of buildings
that once were educational institu-
tions, theatres and amusement re-
sorts.
Children now go to the famous Uni
yersity of Freiburg for their lessons,
because their own school buildings
now are used to house the wounded
German and French soldiers. Fully
a dozen school buildings have been re-
Questioned for hospital work. all of
them being administered by the Ger
man Red Cross in contradistinction to
the regular hospitals of the city. In
addition, every available amusement
hall and theatre is serving the same
purpose. In the auditorium, the gal
lery.and even on the stage of the fam
Gus old "Festhalle" soldiers now lie,
or, convalescing, stroll in the adjoin-
ing garden that was filled, nightly, at
least, with devotees Of Bacchus.
The Red Cross workers in Freiburg
are proud, and justly, of what they
have accomplished, for the present
quarters for wounded soldiers were
set up and ready four days after the
war began, before mobilization even
was complete.
The Turkish-Italian war, one Red
Gross matron explained, taught the
German Red Cross that it must be
ready for emergencies. Consequently
there was on hand a vast number of
gray-painted iron beds, bed linens,
blankets, stretchers, and supplies of
all kinds.
When the war started everyone in
Freiburg turned to and helped. The
scholars in the high schools in one
day succeeded in getting their benches
andsseats out of the way and in stor-
age. In another "a hours they had
cleaned the old buildings from cellar
to garnet and on the third day ha
carried in the hospital apparatus 1t
needed only one additional day to pat
everything in order and stand by for
lie first consignment of wounded.
For zine months the fighting has
never been very remote from Freiburg
and it has consequently been con-
slant hospital center. Street cars run
over AIsaee, gather up loads of the
wounced and bring them back. The
official report of "a great battle, even
though it spells victory for the Ger
man arms. is almost invariably the
precursor of "A big batch of wounded
soldiers, often German though some
times French or English.
Tne chemical laboratories in The
hiPh schools or "gymnasia" have been
found readily adaptable for operating
looms. Most of them have water ia
cilities which are A1valuable, and most
of them are light and airy.
The ordinary recitation rooms are
Bsed for the most part for the sold
iers, and nhe smaller rooms, one-time
Offices of instructors, are available for
officers. Almost the only serious
changes that have been necessary have
been the installation of bath rooms
Freiburg follows the example OF
Lubeck and other German cities in Civ
ing its soldiers a good opportunity to
see the town before leaving either for
the front again or for home. Parties
OF sightseeing soldiers. many of them
crippled, are always to be seen about
the streets Of the beautiful little
Black Forrest city.
1I,;,~. In