The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-26
Freiburg Has
Changed Greatly
Since War Began

Freiburg, Baden, May Pew
towns or cities in Germany have
changed as materially and noticeably
on account of the war as Freiburg,
bent on visiting the beautiful Black
Forest.
From quiet, peaceful little city,
well equipped with schools, it has
become a city of hospitals to which
scores of the wounded are brought
daily from the west front, esecially
from nearby Alsace. The Red Cross
flag floats over scores of buildings
that once were educational institu-
tions, theaters and amusement re-
sorts.
Children now go to the famous
University of Freiburg for their les
sons, because their own school build
ings now are used to house the,
wounded German and French SOL
diers. Fully dozen school buildings
have been requisitioned for hospital
work, all of them being administered
by the German Red Cross in contra
distinction to the regular hospitals
of the city. In addition, every avail
able amusement hall and theater is
serving the same purpose. In the
auditorium, the gallery and even on
the stage of the famous old Fest
halle" soldiers now lie, or, GONZALES
cling, stroll in the adjoining garden
tie Black Forest city.
that formerly 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
Cross 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 linen,
blankets, stretchers and supplies Of
all kinds.
When the war started everyone in
Freiburg turned to and helped. The
scholars in the high school in one
day succeeded in getting their bench
es and seats out of the way and in
storage. In another twenty-four
hours they had cleaned the old build
ings from cellar to garnet and on the
third day had carried in the hospital
apparatus. 1t needed only one addi-
tional day to put everything in order
and stand by for the first consign-
ment of wounded.
For nine months the fighting has
never been very remote from Fret
burg, and it has consequently been a
constant hospital center. Street cars
run over into Alsace, gather up loads
of wounded and bring them back.
The official report of great battle,
even though it spells victory for the
German arms, is almost invariably
the precursor of big batch of
wounded soldiers, often German
though sometimes French or English.
The chemical laboratories in the
high schools or "gymnasia" have
been found readily adaptable for OPP
Grating rooms. Most of them have
water facilities which are invaluable,
and most of them are light and airy.
| The ordinary recitation rooms are
used for the most part for the SOL
diers, and the smaller rooms, one
time offices of instructors, are avail
able for officers. Almost the only Sc
rious changes that have been neces-
sary have been the installation of
bath rooms.
| Freiburg follows the example of
Lubbock and other German cities in
giving it's soldiers good opportunity
to see the town before leaving, either
for the front again or fir home. Par
ties of sightseeing soldiers, many of
thing as one leaves, is the great Red
Cross banner, flying over building af-
about the streets of the beautiful lit
them crippled, are always to be seen
The first thing one sees in ap.
ter building, suggesting instantly the
citle of "City of Hospitals"