New Britain herald., 1916-12-13
WITH DR. TRAVIS IN
 SERBIAN WAR ZONE
Commonwealth Club Hears De- SCriptiOn Of Conditions in Europe

monwealth club was given an auspi-
 pus opening last evening when Dr. DNtherine A. Travis addressed the 1 members on her experiences in Ser l bia. The meeting was held in the banquet hall of the Y. M. c. A. and was preceded by a dinner which was 1 attended by about a hundred mem- bers.
 Dr. Travis told of the great diff cIaty in obtaining the right to pass
 from one country to another and of
 the many upsets caused by the war.
 She also spoke of the apparently lit
 tie interest taken by the American pres2 in the great conflict.
 Dr. Travis stated that when she
 crossed the frontier just a short time
 3go she picked up a newspaper and
 looked for the one thing that is of RpaIam Ount interest to the Canadians
 bS all that greeted her eye was the
 news of a football game, social events band other things of that kind. After \ a long search she was rewarded by
 finding some war news on the back page.
 In taking up her travels, Dr. Travis stated that she was on board the He's perian of the Greek line which was
 making it's way up the Aegean sea in 1 July of 1916 and her destination was 4 the port of Saloniki. which is located on steep hillside surrounded by an : old wall. The population of the city Is made up for the most part of rep H resentatives of all the races of south- ern Europe. From this city she took ] frain which clearly showed the ef feet of the use of disinfectants and ] the journey to Nish was started. At 4 {1ao +1,o ri1 but upon alighting discovered that
 there was no one there to greet them las their telegram to the American consul had miscaEried
 At this point Dr. Travis took the Y time to tell Of her reason for going to the war zone. Most British subjects PWere more or less restless. she said, ] and she was no exception. but there was way in which she could enter 1.-the service in France. The only course
 ieft> apen and the one which she took
 was of going to Serbia and helping out
 in a baby hospital.
 1 kContinuing her story pr. Travis said
 that it was in the rainy season when
 they arrived in the country which
 made it very dismal. But upon find ing that the consul was not there to Rgreet them they had their effects loaslaed into an OK cart which at it's best Twas a slow moving vehicle. The ami l |mal was a Ditiful sight and could 1 hafdly drag itself along but there was l mo other way out of the situation as
 the best the country could produce | had been sent to the front
 Tn speaking of the town of Nish pr. RTravis said that it's history dated | Bacll to Bible times and was very l much overcroWded. The houses were | made of plaster and were one story i Haffairs with tile roofs. there being no wood used in their construction. About the city there are any num- Der of large squares in the center of (which are fountains and on certain Sdays of the week these squares were used as a market place. After break l fast at the hotel where the party put up they met Dr. Strong of the liar varG unit who offered tbem the use of l his tents. Dr. Travis said that at this time the unit she was in consisted of another woman physician as the eouipment and the nurses were to ar
 I've later.
 City Filled With Wounded. ' The city was filled with wounded FSerbs and there were few hospitals but-all sorts of buildings had been called into use but for the most part they were overrun with vermin. In telling of their difficulty in getting a location for their tents Dr. Travis said 4 that the Serbs never hurried and 1t
 was some time before they were given place in which to settle. But at last a location was given them on the top 1 of a, hill with which the town is sur 1 rounded and the sunsets from this ! place were wonderful.
 9t
 their equipment was poor and they I had to make the best of everything.
 Women brought their babies in on ! their backs and many of them had l to walk half the night before reach ing the hospital. The chief trouble 1 seemed to be starvation, although some skin and other diseases made l their appearance. The babies were lgiven condensed milk as no other was obtainable. But it was only short
 time before the nurses and equip
 ment arrived, which was an unusual
 thing, as they were often held up ! VhSe the war supplies were shipped 8 The sneXt thing on the program was
 obtaining building and after some
 delay a one story affair which was
 constructed of plaster and was very B cold and damp was found. The place
 had served as an old peoples home
 so there was need of caring for the
 feN>a unfortunates who were still left.
 The men were in a filthy condition
 and they were the first to be made
 clean and then the white American
 beds were set up and these proved to
 be a delight to the women of the
 country.
 But things were not to go as smooth
 1y as was to be expected and soon
 not of
 ma2 onslaught in the north. Dr.
 rra.Ys said that in a very short time
 the hospital was closed and they were
 Ordered to go up to the lines. It was