The sun., 1916-09-24
Heroic Work Being Done by
Volunteers in the French
Army Service.
H N0RToN's CORPS
Phillip A. Mills Tells Of q
Night Run-New Home for
American Ambulance.
Special Correspondence 10 TnE sux.

tneu tnet accomplished ~ the American
Volunteer Motor Ambulance Corps serv.
Ing with the French troops at the front.
Remarkable results have already been
achieved by this corps and It's work has
been gratefully Acknowledged on several
occasions ~ the French Government.
Interesting details Of the efforts OF
these Americans who have volunteered
for servics In the French army have
been furnished to THs SrN c%orrespon-
dens by Henry Dixon Mo. r.son, honor
airy s~trcasurer OF the fund. who has Just
returned 20 London from one Of his
regular Visits to the field headquarters
BOT the American Volunteer Corps in the
war, zone in France. The American corps
mas been working recently In the region
OF Verdun and details OF It's work arc
therefore Of moro than timely interest.
Describing his visit Mr.. Morrison said:
9 the occasion Of my last visit the
american corps was located in the
Champagne district and under canvas in
the back gardens Of a small French
village whose chief characteristic
seemed to be mud n shell holes. This
time the corps IL In tho Verdun district
and Wa supposed to be 'en repos' after
. very trying time in and around Yer
dun itself during some Of the fercest
or the hshting.H The corps when 'en
repos' this way,t Is never of duty. II
merely means that II has been moved
back from the fighting line and getting a
little rest. Its duties however, are never
ceasing. inasmuch as there are various
poets up closer to the line where the
French wounded are brought by their
own'men and removed by our motor am
balances regularly.
On the ROAD TO Verduu,
AT each Of these posts two cars and
four men 80 and are on duty for twenty
-Four hours. The army behind the army,
"a you might call all the numerous fac
tors working TO keep the front lire
going. II a most impressive sight. On
all the roads leading to verdun are pro.
SESSIONS OF tho French motor ~iorfies,
men are at work keeping the road con-
SANITY patched. In the fields soldiers
are IN tents or along streams, busy at
the .dauy work Of camp life. Every
patch OF wood seems to be a shelter
FOR some workshop or motor lorry base.
while In and out along the roadways
. the motor cars Of officers or the
square built ambulance cars or slow
moving horse transports.
Our corps had its tents this time in
- va kio UhuA8 U 1H0 .MeuS0
and all around stretched the beautiful
rolling hill country Of the verdun dis.
trct. There were about twenty tents
housing the members of the corps, and
IN the centre the large wagon tent Of
ehe commAndant. Richard Norton. His
cent being h most eommodious. as II
served not only as sleeping quarters but
also a. his office, I bunked in with him.
Normal once work In London begins
about hak past Q and Is over about s.
once work at the big tent began at any
hour of the day or night when messages
would como ordering an ambulance to
DO sent 70 ONO spot where It was
needed. and ended probably at the same
hour the next morning or the next night.
a. the case might be. There were no
hours. We were busy. very busy. at
half past IL or l o'clock at night. and
on n occasion while ] was there we
were busy all through the day and all
through the night
Merton A 0verworked Diplomat.
Richard Morton before the war was
professor OF archaeology at Harvard.
Now he 70 very much overworked
diplomat Right around the clock
visitors. either s!ngly or in groups. would
BE- coming to his tent to get orders. or
ste~o Softsp'e'hlS Ut JUS nave cohNefsa-
ton. a. the case might be. These ON
slant calls upon his time would n
from the man who did the cooking. all
through the corps. chnuffsurs. volunteers.
&C.. with q side dressing Of various
French officials thrown in. The men
coming in to report after being on duty
would b OF one tone OF gray from the
dust-eyelashes. eyebrows. hair. mus
tache. clothes, car. everything gray n
gritty. And every individual required
and received diplomatic handling. Pa
thence and good nature abounded.
"Mr. Norton a been at this work
now since October. 1914, when ne first
saw how desperately In need Of quick
transportation tho French wounded were
and with characteristic energy and
charity got his college friends to Join
him In the formation Of q volunteer
corps. The corps has had some very
exciting experiences and has been In
every big push the French army has
made.
"Quite recently four of our men were
and II. II Hollinshed. having been In a
car which was badly damaged by a shell
at Verdun. They were decorated at the
lnvalides in Paris. The other two menu
bers honored by the French Government
were william p. Clyde. Jr,. and C. J..
Coatsworth- Mr.. Clyde IL one OF the
original members OF tho corps. having
presented his car and driven It continue
ously for eighteen months. He Is a Yale
Of the Clyde Steamship Company. In
presenting him with the Croix dc Guerre
the French Government cited him as
follows:
W William Pancoast Clyde.