Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-15
Letters Telling Of Trip
OF First U. s. Expedition
To France Received Here

France from England:
The trip up the river in the warm
May sunlight will always remain in
my memory as one Of the most beauti-
full trips | ever took. Beautiful hills
on both sides. old castles and chateaux
on their tops, quaint French villages
every mile or two, coming up to the
waters edge, and constant stream
of vessels of all nations passing in
both directions The English captain
OF the hospital ship was tremendously
proud of carrying the first Americans,
and photographed us in every con
ceivable position. He had US put up
our American flags at the bow OF the
ship, and a large flag at the mast. 1t
was surprising how quickly everyone
seemed to grasp the fact, and all the
steamers and boats blew their whistles
and saluted, and people all the way
along came running down to the shore,
shouting and cheering and waving
American flags. When we came to a
village, the news seemed to spread
instantly, and people poured out in to
the streets, mostly women. children
and old men. cheering and shouting
"vive rAmerique,'' to which we shout
ed back "vive Ia France"
June i, 1917.
"Dr. Lower is not going home this
fall, of that am sure. He Is awfully
funny about the whole war and acts
as if the whole responsibility of lick
ing Germany was on his shoulders
As they say over here, my boy, he's
keen as mustard" All that he thinks
of is getting wounded men on their
feet again, not to send them back to
home and friends, but back to the line
to kill Germans, which is, OF course,
the proper spirit, but possibly not the
thought that would come to you first.
81 am going to dinner tonight at
one of the other hospitals, and Incl
dentally to see lot of wounded Ger
man prisoners, officers and men, that
were picked UP after the drive at Mes
sines. As all this has been in the
papers, / think the censor will let II
through. ...
ut is now 4:30 In the afternoon and
l have been working every minute
since o'clock this morning. I am
through for the day, unless, after l get
home this evening, / find new lot In,
and then We work until they are gone
through. Many of the men who come,
wounded after big drive, haven't
slept for two or three days and nights,
and all that they want is to be let
alone to thank the Lord they are in a
bed for the first time in weeks and
months. So unless they are urgent
we let them sleep and eat first"
June %, 1917. :
I'VE are in sound of the big guns,
but they can only be heard when the
wind is right, and 1t Is surprising to
Ire that one can hear them ev9E tina.
d;si ance. ~".ss.- .esr.. ~..~ ~.
"The English have been most kind,
cordial and hospitable. Thace isn't
shadow of a doubt that they are glad
we are in the scrap. because they dre
ted UP with war That doesn't mean
that they aren't going to see II.
through, calmly and thoroughly, but
they don't mind having help.
THE patients here are all English
Tommies and they are without DOUBT
the most wonderful set IF men ] have
ever handled. haven't seen streak
of yellow in any of them They ere
perfectly disciplined and instead OF
complaining you have to pry lhe.r
troubles out Of them.
when you make your morning
rounds and ask them how they ERE
they will answer Champion or in the
pink or not too bad no matter II
they are peppered with WOUNDS and
running high fever.
in my opinion this wonderful he
hayior on the part of the soldiers Il!
| powerful argument Tor universal
military training in the United States.
It would cut down the number OF
young motor car bandits and thieves
and put the sense of discipline and
the fear of God in lot OF young men
of foreign parentage now filling the
police courts. :.-.:
1T is no secret that the Germans
fire on the Red Cross, and that the
recovery OF the wounded men has to
be done at night. After q Dig gain
of ground there is much territory 10
cover and some get missed. For
man to get himself out of that en-
vironment and get food and sleep is
pretty nearly heaven in itself AMI so
they are the most grateful patients
| ever saw"
-: June "a. 1911. !
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