Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-22
CAPITAL MAY have
A HOSPITAL WARD
Movement to Maintain One in
American Ambulance at
NeuiIIy, France.
VISITED BY Mr.. BARRETT

VISITED BY Mr.. BARRETT
ct regard the American Ambulance
at Neuilly, France, from what 1 saw OF
II. as one of the most extraordinary
and remarkable undertakings that has
to do with the wounded in the great
war" said John Barrett. director gen.
eral of the Pan-American Union, yes
terday.
Mr.. Barrett was at his office yester-
day for the first time since his return
from France. He arrived at New York
last Monday. going direct to Chicago to
register, and returned to washington
Friday night.
When 1 was shown through the
great hospital by Mr.. and MRS. Laur-
ence " Benet, and saw the various
wards, named after Boston and New
York and. Philadelphia and various
other cities, and supported month after
month by residents of those cities,
naturally looked around for wash
ington ward" Mr.. Barrett said. But
there was no Washington ward
Washington Ward Planned.
When told that Mrs. Benet had re-
Gently written to friends here of plan
to raise $4,000 for Washington ward
and its support for one year, Mr.. Bar
rett heartily Endorsed the project. Mrs.
Benet, who is one of the officers of the
American Ambulance, before her mar
rage was Miss Margaret Cox of this
city, daughter of Thomas CamppeIl
Cox. Her grandfather was Col. Cox, for
of
husband also is Washingtonian, and
is on the board of governors Of the am
bulance.
From the purely neutral ground of
aiding the suffering, it is splendid
plan, and would be wonderful thing
if Washington could do it," he said Il
would like to see this spirit of SYM
pathy on the part OF the National Capt.
tai. I know when / went through the
hospital and saw wards named after
other cites-Boston, New York, Phila-
delphia, Providence, Buffalo, Cleveland,
New Haven, st. Louis Detroit, Chicago
and other cities, together with states,
and wards supported by individual
Americans. 1 was disappointed not to
find a Washington ward.
Appreciated by France.
THE work Of the American ambu-
lance" Mr.. Barrett continued. lis on a
scale of magnitude of usefulness. and
so appreciated by the French people.
that it astounded me. 1 had read all
sorts of things about it, but did not
grasp 1t until / went through it's build
ings and wards, and was told of the
other features of the work which are
so effective and SO practical.
There is no question but that it has
been most powerful factor in devel-
oping the appreciation of the French
people for America The work Of the
ambulance is known all over France,
the wounded go back to the trenches
or to their homes praising the treat
ment they have received They are en-
thusiastic in their expressions of graft
tude.
Physically. you can grasp the Amer
lean ambulance. through its great
buildings. formerly a series of con-
nected buildings erected for a great
boys school, filed with between 1000
and 1900 wounded. On visiting days
you will find the buildings thronged
% with fathers. mothers. friends of the
wounded, from all over France.
Marvellous Surgical Operations.
But there is another side-the won
derful work being done in saving lives
and restoring disfigured men," con-
tinued Mr.. Barrett. They are saving
lives. and performing marvellous surg
so terribly disfigured that they were
hideous monsters. and in the course of
time they were restored,(even made
into good looking men. This work is
attracting the attention of all France
French officers and civilians alike ex-
press their appreciation and gratitude
for the work of the ambulance"
Mr.. Barrett told Of the work Of A.
Piatt Andrews, former treasurer of the
United States. now chief inspector of
hui n
there is hardly an American man or
woman in the whole of France who is
not in some way or other aiding in the
care Of the wounded.
Caring for the Blind.
The American clearing house at Paris,
where funds are handled for relief work
according to the directions of the DON
ors. received praise from Mr.. Barrett.
He was especially impressed with the
unselfish service rendered by THE
Lighthouse, an institution in Paris for
the instruction of blinded soldiers, I'M
der the direction of Miss Wipnifred
Holt Of New York and Miss Esther
Cleveland. daughter of the late Presi-
While Miss Cleveland was in st. Dun
STAINS Hospital in England" Mr.. Bar
rett said. she was particularly beloved
by the blind there. Usually it was their
about. to call Sister. sister, to any one
Of the nurses in attendance But Miss
Cleveland had hardly been in the hos
pita1 a day before the blinded men were
calling for her by name. Sister Cieve-
land! Sister Cleveland"
$1,000 a Year Needed.
Mrs. Benet. IN her letter urging a
Washington ward for the ambulance,
says that II would take $4,000 to name