Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1916-09-02
All Countries Striving to Improve
Conditions Surrounding
Wounded.
WORK OF AMERICANS LAUDED
Motor Ambulance Service Does inval-
liable Work in Transporting Wound
ed Soldiers-Freneh People
Touched by Volunteer
Work of Americans.

LOnuOn.-Io no one race In this war
belongs exclusively the work of mercy.
france, Russia, England. Germany
and Austria have each striven hard to
improve the conditions surrounding
the wounded in their armies.
In the Ottoman Red Crescent, u Ma
homnedan equivalent of the Red
Cross, even the Turks have a corps of
mercy workers. to render aid to those
injured in battle. But not only the
belligerent nations are occupied iIS the
tield of mercy toward fallen fighters.
America, with all the cheerful optim-
ism which charaCterizes her people,
has worked vigorously 10 alleviate the
sufferngs of the wounded soldiers in
| France.
Distant AbySsinia, too, was one of
the first neutral countries to establish
Il place of sucCor for the injured near
the firing line. Indeed, the Anglo
Ethiopian hospital at Prevent, pro-
vided with funds supplied by the Abys-
sian crown prince, did great service
early in the war. Japan, representing
| the far East, also sent a wonderfully
| equipped ambulance corps which has
| since occupied the Hotel Astoria,
Paris. Dainty women and intellectu-
| al men have given their time and their
services eagerly in the cause Of hui
manity.
The ladies' of the Russian court,
! Self-Sacrihcing in the extreme, have
been trained for hospital work in the
field. They have performed duties at
which men might shudder and they
| have performed them well. St it is in
France and England and in the other
| countries, both IN and out of the war.
| That the majority of the workers have
| been volunteers is to the credit of civ
ilization. Mercy, SO often beaten I'M
der in the actual conflict of the bellig-
erents, has survived gloriously among
| those whose function has been to re-
lieye, where possible. the victims Of
shot and shell.
Automobile Great Help.
Like the aeroplane, the automobile
| is new departure. very important
one, in warfare. Since August, 1914,
it has played many parts. Armored
cars. transport lorries and other vehi-
Giles directly and indirectly contribut-
ing to the success of the different arm
les in the field, have established u
| fresh reputation for the motor indus
try. But it is largely owing to the
motor ambulance that the noble work
Of mercy has been possible.
So far as Great Britain is concerned,
the motor ambulance service owes its
existence and its triumph to Lord
Derby's brother, Hon. Arthur Stanley,
NJ. p, chairman of the British Red
| Cross society, and also to the Royal
| Automobile club. Soon after the out
Stanley, quick to see the possibilities
of the motor ambulance, was given u
permit to send one or two out to the
front by the late Lord Kitchener.
"The actual permit" said Mr.. Stan
ley, was in Lord Kitchener's own
handwriting-on half a sheet of note
paper. Ii is now one of the most
treasured possessions if not the most
treasured, in the archives of the Red
| Cross society.
zone OF the first things l did on re-
ceiving the necessary permission,
continued Mr.. Stanley was to get to-
gether half dozen volunteer motor
lists. all members of the Royal Auto
mobile club, to drive the ambulance
cars which we were sending 10 France.
Our position was curious. The uotor-
ambulance was then practically an I'M
known quantity so far as actual war
fare went, and the military authori-
ties stipulated that our drivers were
not to wear uniform, nor, under any
circumstances, to 20 near the firing
line. There was 10 he no Red Cross
on the cars. Truly, the mission of the
motor ambulance was to he extremely
limited. They were simply TO 90 about
far behind the firing line and pick =.
wounded men who could not be car
ried to the field hospitals; men, for
example who had crawled for safety
into abandoned cottages and barns.
Proves It's Worth.
with the possible exception OF the
American ambulance cars at Neuiiiy
ours were the first motor umbulance-
used in France. But the value Of a
rapid service for the transport Of
wounded soldiers was quickly recos-
nized, and now, of course. wherever
there is fighting there are motor am
balances
Here is a typical instance, as told
BY Mr.. Stanley. how the motor ambu-
lance proved its worth in the early
days Of the war.
Late one evening one Of our ambu-
fances crept up close 20 the firing line
| They met an officer, who turned them
back because. as he said, 1t is So
dark. it is no use going further
"They went back 70 q farmhouse a'll
% hed. ia the middle Of DE night
| acy were awakened by he me Off