Evening star., 1915-03-07
John CalIan 0'laughIin Writes
an Interesting Article
This Month.
ERNEST P. BICKNELL
TELLS OF GERMAN WORK
American Hospital Work in Europe
Has Established Reputation of
United States Surgeons.

After having been an eyewitness of
the operations of the American Red
Cross and it's more than 200 skilled
American surgeons and trained Amer
lean Red Cross nurses in the war area
of Europe, while travelling through the
ravaged area as representative OF the
Santa Claus ship sent by the children
of the United States. John Callan
U'Laughnn contributes a feature arti-
Gle to this months issue of the Amer
ican Red Cross Magazine
other interesting contributions are
Where Wars Harrow Went Deep" by
samuel G. Blythe. dealing with the
tragic fate Of Belgium: when Bel
grade Was Evacuated" by DR.. Edward
". Ryan, and summary of conditions
in Poland by Ernest P. Bicknell, ma
tional director of the American Red
Cross, who is serving as Red Cross
representative on the Rockefeller
Foundation European war relief COM
mission.
Parts of Poland. says Mr.. Bicknell,
have been crossed six times by the
wrote. in January, Mr.. Bicknell said
the cities of Lodz and Sosnowice, with
populations of 100000 and 100000, re-
spectively, ARE much of the time with
Red Cross Work.
Incidentally Mr. Bicknell tells of
the work of the American Red Cross
hospital units in Germany. In this
connection he says, in part:
Our surgeons have done so well that
it is now an accepted custom to send
them the most desperate cases for sur
gical care. Recently DR.. Spearman,
one of ouor surgeons at Gleiwitz. per
formed successfully the removal of
bullet from a mans brain, which is re-
garded as remarkable operation in
every way"
Helen F. Draper. secretary of the
New York Country Red Cross Chapter,
in an article entitled "Humanity's
Clearing House," tells in a very inter-
esring way the story of the Bush Ter
minal. Brooklyn. where the millions of
donations for Red Cross European re-
dispatched. She pays handsome
tribute to Irving T. Bush. whose gen
erosity in giving large and valuable
space for the handling Of Red Cross
him an important factor in the success
of this work.
There is a throbbing little fiction
story in this issue of the magazine by
of the Sixth" which reveals what is
endured by the girl who is left be-
hind.
Good Work Abroad.
TT is to me, and must be to every
American" writes Mr.. O'Laughlin. "a mat
ter of satisfaction that the American Red
Cross units have established for themselves
a high position in each Of the belligerent
counties They have become centers
from which radate good will and friend
ship. The wounded and the diseased who
have been cured at these institutions have
gone forth to serve as missionaries OF
good relations between their own coun-
tries and the United States. There is not
man cared for in Cne of the American
Red Cross hospitals who has failed to
testify to the excellent treatment he re-
ceived. the kindliness of the physicians
and the nurses, and the skill they dis
played in attending to his needs.
The wounded. when first brought to
the hospital, are taken to a ground floor
room. where their heads are shaved in
order to ge, rid Of the vermin. which is
ore of the curses of life in the trenches.
Then they are placed in hot baths, the
first most OF them Eave had in weeks
ard months Waen thoroughly cleaned
they are carried 20 ward. where they
are examined. or directly to the operau-
ing table. in case their wounds call tor
the immediate use of the knife.
Il followed one man from the tirue of
his entra' ce until h. was safely tucked
il red ! shall never forget the ,nissr-
able object slumping in the BARRIERS
chair. and the same object transformed
into man with smiling face when he
lay comfortably upon the cot assigned
to him.
: Many Are Cured.
II feel from what / have seen Of the
American Red Cross work in Europe that
every American. and especially those who
contributed to the American Red Cross
fund. can point with real pride to what has
been. and what is being, accomplished.
Thousands of young fellows who have
been wounded on the battlefields, OF who
have suffered from disease. are today well
and sIrong as a result of the treatment
they received from our units.
The American Red Cross has high
reputation throughout Europe for human
ity, for efficiency. and for neutrality. To
my mind the relief work being done by
the United States should be placed en-
tirely in charge of this organization
Thereby better results could be obtained
than is possible from the individual. and
mere or less haphazard methods which
are tcing pursued