South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-09

when 1 first crossed. and returning a
week later another 200 yards had
been added. At this rate the war
should be we'll advanced before the
work is completed. as the channel is
40 miles wide on this route.
Even with all such safeguards
against the elusive submarine. the
channel passengers who have been
under a tension and do not deny it,
heave a great sigh OF relief when
BOul. gne is reached with safety.
think 7 should feel more at ease on
a trans Atlantic ship, even a British
one than on a channel steamer. Los
ing ground as she is ut this writing
one might expect most any kind of
desperate deed of the German war
lords
Human Wrcckage of War
We were at Boulogne several hours
on the down trip. II is here that the
British hospital trains concentrate
with their lugubriOus consignments for
the hospitals of England. wnere the
men with serious wounds are sent
for more careful treatment The
scenes at BoulOgne are sickening
While / was there no less than three
hospital trains were drawn up at the
Nord quai. From these an endless
stream of stretcher bearers carried pale
ana NdSltu lOlliS 10 the HOsplldl SlllUs
| the procession continued all the time
we were there. and probably for
many hours after. And after that
there would be other trains to look
after and so on, day after day. until
the end of the war which. as kitCh-
ener said. would continue for three
years at least"
The individual case is pitiful enough.
but think of the staggering total. If
mi iC n q = n
enough to think of such countless
numbers. / say the individual case
I is pitiful enough; the spectacle of
even one Of these poor wretches leaves
| lasting impression. From the side
/ door Of the specially constructed car
riage is gently lowered a man, Gov
cred with blankets save for his face,
which is blotched and bloated and
SCARED beyond any semblance to
human face another is brought out,
with the bandaged stump of an arm
| sticking straight up; comes a third
with the head. all save the mouth
swathed in white; fourth, eyes
closed and sunken, has the sckly
| pallor of death his thin hands are
| folded across his chest; to me he APP
peared already in the arms of death.
And so on. Scenes like this will con-
tinue until the end of the war. But
for all their suffering. ] did not hear
a single grOan. This is what | cannot
understand Even at the hospitals in
Paris (there are over a thousand
there. inclusive of auXiliaries) l heard
only one cry of pain; it was a shrek
and did not sound like a man.
We were glad to leave BOuiOgne
| was distinctly nauseated. one can
become accust omed TO such things only
after long association. ! do not think
I could ever cebOme accustomed to
them.
France a Military Camp
Normally a beautiful and peaceful
appearing country, the whole north of
France is now turned into one vast
military camp. Every hillside along
the way for miles is dotted with the
white tents OF the British; now and
then one passes through a neat or
DERBY sheet metal village, with its
pOstofice Y. NJ. {. A, store, and other
municipal" buildings These villages
are inha bitated entirly by soldiers
Construction gangs and army motor
trucks and horse-d drawn vehicles are
seen everywhere; these camps are a
hive of industry. Not SO the farms
along the way however, for they are
silent and have an unkempt and
seedy look The men Of the family
are at the front.
AS the train moves slowly through
| these military camps, the TOmmies
assem- BILE along the track to catch
newspapers and cigarets thrown from
the windows by the passengers. l had
only a couple of papers with me. but
wish / had brought more, for the
soldier boys we're so eager and CRATE
full. From the next compartment to
me an English woman tossed a big
\ package containing cigarets, canned
goods. fruit and other little comforts
il struck a corner of a tie and the
contents scattered all along the right
/ of away. but not an item was lost,
/ for the TOmmies were upon them in
| a jiffy, like a flock OF chickens after
corn.
| Progress was slow on the NOrd rail
way, at times, and a fellow passenger
said the reason for this was that tenn
poTary track had been laid at stragetic
points, so that it could be hastily
| taken up in case of a second invasion
of the Germans. The theory sounded
/ fairly good, but / am inclined TO be-
/ lieVe my informant was talking
through his hat, which was a green
| velour, and hence capable of trans
muting his conservation into extra
ordinary statement He also asserted
that all the ridges were temporary, on
the knock down and ship tO-any- ad-
dress east Of the Rockies prepaid or
der, and il is time we did pass over
them with extreme caution. over
| the Disc. however, we really did cross
| over a temporary bridge. as the Ger
mans had blown up (some months
! befOre) the old one Its Jagged and
! jumbled remains could be seen on our
left.