The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-09-24
HISTORIC MUNICH
IS VAST HOSPITAL.
Bavarian Capital Now Practical
ly Turned Over To Care OF
,-@.a Wounded Soldiers

e. MUNICH, Germany. September s.
Correspondence OF the Associated
Press )-AmeIican tourists who have
visited tho tBavaran capital and who
have worshipped at the artistic shrines
in the famous National Mus um, proba.
bly, would be shocked to find the for
mer quarters of old masters now trans
formed into huge orthopcdic depart
ment for treating crippled limbs, and
TO see almost naked soldiers bathing Ia
the fountains of the wonderful garde"s
and taking sun baths and gymnastie
exercises on the lawns.
The National Museum, however, is
not the only Munich building to have
undergone great changes. The magnif.
cent new custom house is now hos.
pital. In the rooms where formerly
baggage and freight were inspected
hundreds of wounded soldiers now lie
on cots. In the office Of the collector
of customs surgeons sleep, and in the
transfer department there are rows
upon rows of medieants.
Customs House Hospital e.
The availability of the customs house
as a hospital, and especially as a sort
of transfer station for wounded sol.
diers, was apparent almost as soon al
| the wounded began to come back from
the battlefelds. Trains run right tG
one side Of the huge buildings, and sol
diers not only can be unloaded from
them as easily as baggage but may also
parts of Bavaria with minimum
| 81 N-n,,hIa
for other hospitals in Munich. -,
The amount of customs ins"e tior
that is now necessary in Munich is ap
| proximately nil SO that it was essen
tally simple matter to transform the
character Of the buildings. None il
the whole city has so perfectly fitted
the requirements of hospital, for IL
addition to the splendid facilities fol
| taking patients right of HOSPITAL train!
the rooms are large and airy, and sew
eral Of them are well lighted to serve
as operating rooms.
Soldiers Vocational Schools.
Munich, like a dozen other German
cities, has turned its largest industrial
pied soldiers. The building has a ca
| OI SEVERAL AM
all the necessary appliances for teach
ing soldiers new trades or for tea"hins
them how to continue their old trade
notwithstanding impaired FACULTIES.
The vocational school consists really
Of three departments. In the first
wounded soldiers are, so far as it il
1 possible, cured. At least, o~en wound
are closed, and they are given the reg
ular hospital treatment until 1t is defu
itely established that a stiffened Lei
never will become timber, or a crusheC
or smashed arm. better.
When his physical status has heel
definitely established the soldier move
on to the vocational or industrial de
| partment, where his capabilities anC
inclinations are studied. Then he goe
into the bindery, or the print sNo", IT,
carpentry department or the school o
mechanical arts. If, for Instance, hi
arms and hands are unimpoired he ma
learn stenography, typewriting ant
bookkeeping.
! Meanwhile is Interested
The third department meantime be
comes interested in him, and, before h,
is ready to leave the Institution secure
for him a position in which he ma
earn at least a portion of the wage tina
he was capable of before going int
the war.
Munich, as the capital and larges
city in Bavaria, has quite naturally tn
largest percentage of 'B6varian wound
ed to care for. With every resource
financial, social and economical-sh,
set out at the start of the war to Sc
to it that no German city should sur
pass her in the excellence Of the car
accorded the wounded.