Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-04
AMERICANS WIN HEART or FRANCE
FOR HOSPITAL AND AVIATION WORK
Lees Of Many Wounded SoUed BIZ Selfsacrfce Skill and
Daring of College Men, Who Are Taking Des-
perate Risks on Battlefield.
Bv ELLEN ADAIR


delphia has contributed several. and they
have accomplished wonderful work. Har'
ward and Princeton Universities each con.
tributed n car, and through Miss X. Hart
OF 1909 Spruce street. Philadelphia. two
Philadelphia ambuIances have been given
We hive 100 cars altogether"
How do these young American men
stand the hardships OF the firing line2'
| asked.
"Mngnihcentlyl said DIR. eros. There
| was such a hard pressure of work toward
Alsace that for 16 days our men never
once had their clothes off, not even re-
moving their shoes, but slept every night
under cars. exposed to heavy fire and
bursting shells. They displayed perfect
courage, although their danger was even
greater than that of the soldiers, since
they were quite unarmed, and II bay
onet charge had taken place as was very
probable, they would not have had the
slightest chance"
These young fellows, principally re-
cruited from Harvard, Yale and Prince
ton, receive no pay beyond franc
day go cents) for incidental expenses,
and, as to food, receive the regular ra-
tions of the French army They join for
a period OF three months, which, of
course, can be extended, and generally is
-hHQ INey pay lUtlT own DHbSHBe dCEObs
the Atlantic and also the cost of their
uniform.
I'm the case OF those unable to pay
their travelling expenses" said Captain
Gros, I'VE assist them from a fund gath
cred In New York for that very purpose.
We have several professors in our sec
tion, including Mr.. A. Piatt Andrew, pro-
fessor of political economy at Harvard
University, who is acting as inspector
of ambulances with u.s."
FRENCH SOLDIERS SUPERB.
you find the French soldiers very
brave?" / asked.
Brave beyond all human understand
ing, said Doctor Gros. "They never COM
plain, and through tho agonizing dress
ings we perform they never utter n
groan. The awful part Is that this liv-
ing in the earth is so unnatural that all
sorts Of peculiar cases and infections oc-
cur and we have many cases Of tetanus
and gas gangrene. The latter Is too ter
rible for words. A fetld gas is produced
and the poor fellows are swelled UP be-
yond all recognition. One case in ward
will render that ward untenable for
weeks. and there Is no chance of recov-
cry unless you apply a certain treatment
very early. We have been able to save
many incipient cases in this way.
IT was particularly interested in the
extension treatment for shattered arms
and legs-in every ward saw men with
their arms stretched straight out on a
stiff board and supported at right angles
to their bodies. One soldier had his band
ages fastened with large clasp modelled
as n military aeroplane, and he proudly
told me that his was the aeroplane
spliHt.'
THE American uniform closely resem-
bles the British, fact" said Captain
Gros, smiling. (which clearly demon
strates that Britain and America we're
never made to be combatants. The Eng
American olive-green. which we still use.
Our American cap differs from the Eng
llsh in its leather vizor.
AMERICA SHOULD FIGHT
I'm my official capacity as an American
officer of the Red Cross service I do not
wish to give any opinion on Americas
attitude in the war" continued Doctor
Gros. but In my private capacity as an
American 1 do think that America should
fight. America sooner or later will have
to go in, and the sooner she does go in
the better for her own dignity.
America should have severed diplo-
matte relations the minute Belgium was
invaded. America had signed The Hague
convention. and like the other nations,
should have protested The question Is
now an even graYer one. For, outside of
made in signing treaty like The Hague
treaty, the destruction of lives of Ameri-
can citizens has occurred to complcate
matters. The shocking affair of the Luz
sitanla is beyond words, and II is the
clear duty of America to protect her clti-
zens abroad Americans are looked upon
as friends and regarded very kindly
here"
This is a fact which was borne in on
me the other evening when 1 attended
a moving-picture show here in Paris.
Toward the end of the performance a
picture was shown of American young
men flying with the French army. This
was called the American fotilla, and
the audience rose to their feet and
cheered till the roof rang again and
againl The demonstration was extreme
ly enthusiastic. and remarks most fat
terlng TO American courage were shouted
by the French. "Ah, these young Amer
sacrificing they are" the audience was
shouting-and they meant It. too,
Doctor Gros informed me that Ameri-
cans make splendid aviators. Some of
these boys who came over here knew
nothing about flying" he said. but sew
eral of them showed such aptitude that
in a few weeks they became experts
flyers, and one OF them, Elliot Cowden,
OF Harvard University. who has been
flying less than three months. is already
able to execute the most difficult feats
in the air.
Mr. William Thaw. Of Pittsburgh, too.
at the age OF 22. has already been cited
for his courage twice. given the order
Of the French Army and has been pro-
NOTED to a lieutenaney"