Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-13
AMERICAN SURGEON IS
HELD PRISONER OF WAR
Dr. Edward Ryan, I'm Charge of Ser
bfnn Hospital, Wounded and
Captured by Germans.
HAUL DOWN STARS AND STRIPES
Graphic Story Brought TO New York
by DIR. w. ID. Sharpe, of Canada.
Many Others Return on Liner
Cymric From War Zone
Especial to The Times Dispatch.


! NEW YORK, December I2.--Dr. Ed
ward Ryan. The famous American sur
geon. who, since the war started. vs.
been in charge of the Serbian hospital
! in Belgrade. is wounded and II pris-
! ohcr OF the Germans. according TO pr.
! w. ID. sharpe, OF Brampton. Ontario.
I)r. Sharpe arrived to-day aboard the
White Star Liner Cy,nric.
I)r. Sharpe said that when the Ger
mans took Belgrade they hauled down
the American flag over the Serbian
hospital and raised the German colors,
rcmarkin2: I'VE don't want the .imcri-
! can dag in Belgrade"
After the city had been entered b..
tn" Germans" said Or. Sharpe, II sent
m! commisSionairc to find out what had
happened to Dr. Ryan. The commits
/ Sionairc returned and told me Dr.. RYAN
WAS "A prisoner. lie had been wounded
, while going about the city collecting
the injured III his automobile. Ny
comnisSionaire told me that the Aus
| TRAN soldiers tore down the American
! f!ag at The orders of their German
comme ndcrs. They then hoisted the
German flag"
TELLS TRAGIC STORY
j Of SERBIAN RETREAT
| The tragic story of the Serbian ma
! tons retreat before the invaders,
without food. was told by DIR. Sharpe.
| The Germans entered Belgrade on
| October a.. he said Three days of
terrific street fighting followed. Dur
ing this time 10000 shells were fired
! by the Germans from SOC guns Then
| the exodus began.
| Three million people old men NO.
men and children. retreated before the
! Serbian army. There was absolutely
no food In Serbia. There is none now
left Belgrade on the evening Of
october = The road for fifteen miles
outside the city was choicd with refu-
gees. We left in Il bowling rain. 1t
was the most frightful scene have
ever witnessed. But even in this dcS-
perate circumstance there we're slight
| touches Of humor. Here and there AN
aged man was urging a pig along
while others held canaries in their
hands. or carried few worthless
! household chattels."
GRAPHIC DETAILS OF
REGIMENTS DEFEAT
The story OF the humiliation OF a
| French regiment during the trench
| hghtins along the River Aisnc WAS
told by DR.. ASthur II. Burling, of San
! Mateo. Cal, also Il Cymric passenger.
Dr. Burling was one Of the sixty sur
rivors of this engagement. Tee regi-
ment went into the fight 5000 strong.
| He was severely wounded in the legs
i and shoulder during the fight. He told
the story in graphic detail.
| II was attached to q regiment of the
| foreign legion" he said Il was first
Il surgeon, but later got "a commission
as captain. We were stationed before
Missy. one OF the points along the
Aisne.
| Il got mine during a nf,cen-yard
| dash for trench abandoned by the
Germans. 1t was a German trap. but
we did not know it. Our regiment
went across the south side of the .\isue
on pontoons. We saw a burning farm
house and made for it. from this
! point we saw the abandoned trench
fifteen yards away. We made dash
and took possession of it.
Then the Germans gave il to US
! good We hung on waiting for French
and British reserves, but they did not
come. We we're in that Inferno for
. three days The Germans raked us
with an enfilading fire. but could
| not eracuate the position, as that
would have been worse
MEXICAN AVIATOR
HOME ON FJRLOCGH
The last | knew ! was being drag
! ged away by Cameron Highlander
! l woke up in 4 hospital at Havre.
| Before / became unconscious 1t
| seemed as though all sorts of things,
including acroplanes. airships and
motor busscs, were dropping things on
! US.
] Il was later takcn over TO Plymouth
! where was nurscd by my wife"
! Mrs. Buring accompanied the SUR
Econ.
u. H. SIMS, an American aviator,
! who has been with the British naval
| air squadron since the sixth day OF
the war. arrived on furlouSh. Sims
f, has been attached to the Belgian
forces. lie was slightly wounded 4
short time ago After visit TO his
home at Selma, Ala, he will return to
ihc front.
The Cymric brought S2.5oo,Ooo in
, gold She also had on board ATS
bags of British Christmas mail.
The gold is for the payments of
munitions in This country. and Is CON