The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-01
Field Service Man Writes To-
pekan of Experiences.
He Tells of First Thrilling Trip
to the Front.
HOW FRENCH PUNISH men
They Send UnruIy to Work in
No Mans Land.
Former Priest Now Line Lieu
tenant in Service.


of the French government to transfer
to the United States army an Amerl-
can institution, or rather service
which has been a part of the French
forces since shortly after the begin
ming of the war Numerous articles
have appeared in various magazines
telling OF particular incidents in re-
gard to the work of the American
field service, and its great record OF
extreme efficiency in transporting the
wounded from dressing stations near
the front to the base hospitals IN the
rear.
Donald NJ Call of New York City is
member of the American field ser
vice, Section 80, and his account OF
some of his adventures is interesting
and sheds considerable light on condl-
lions that will be encountered IN
France by the American expedltlonary
forces. Writing to w. w. watson OF
the State Journal advertising starr.
Call gives an account OF the start OF
his section from the front. I'VE spent
an entire day loading up and getting
the cars in shape. We left the next
morning shortly after o'clock. Just
before we left Inspector General
Piatt Andrew, founder and head OF
the field service, came around ana
with a pleasant smile reached up over
the dash and shook hands with each
man and babe him goodbye and good
luck, There are twenty-four cars and
one canton, or truck, in our section.
Our French lieutenant is a funny lit
tie fellow, knee high to a grasshopper
and with big red mustache. He used
to be a curate or priest before the
war"
In another letter Call speaks of the
kind of punishment that is accorded
French soldiers who are insubordi-
nate. Our last 'cuisiner' "a silly lit
tie chap who preferred singing grand
MD IL nA n
cooking-insulted our dear little
French lieutenant who rushed off for
the guard. They took him, with
much theatrical effect to the guard
fenced to four days repairing barbed
wire entanglements in No Mans
Land. From all 1 gather that is just
as good as a death sentence-altho it
sounds as tho one had a chance to es-
cape.
The Territorial Fighters.
I'VE are now attached to the 37th
division of the 5th army. 1t is a most
interesting division, being made up OF
two regiments each of Zouaves and
African Territorials, mostly Algier-
ian and Moroccan troops. The types
are varied and interesting; some of
them are black but not many. They
are noted fighters and they are so
wild and daring that they do nothing
but the dirty work-that is they con-
fine their activities to attacking. The
Zouaves. especially are a blood thirsty
lot and when they go over the top
with a knife in their teeth the Ger
mans simply turn on their heels and
beat it. The queer part of it is that
they love it. They are wild with joy
when they hear that the next morn
ing they are to go over and can
hardly wait till daybreak."
another part of the letter mentions
peculiar decoration that has been
accorded section 80. Much to our
surprise the general of the division
dropped in on US today to watch
baseball game. The general an
nounced to our chief of section that
our section was to be given the right
to wear the Red Fez' of the division.
That is the funny little hat of red
felt that the men wear on fatigue or
camp duty We will be the only
Americans in France to have this
right and so feel pleased and hon
ored over the unique decoration"
The American ambulance field ServT
ice in France was founded at the very
outset of the war by A. Piatt Andrew,
now inspector general of the Ameri-
can field service. Its personnel was
and continued to be entirely American,
the force being recruited from among
college students of the United States
and from Americans who were in
France at the outbreak of the war.
At first the ambulance service was
kept up thru the medium of ten Ford
Owing to the insufficient size of the
cars they were principally engaged in
transporting wounded far to the rear.
In April, 1915, thru the efforts Of In
spector General Andrew, the French
authorities made a place for one sec
ton at the front A squad of ten cars
was sent to the Vosges where they
made such a record for daring and
efficiency that the French command
erS asked that an additional ten cars
I1a ant a CnnnIPtn
section might be formed AS soon as
this was done the section was sent to
a sector in Alsace where they con-
tinueu their work with such daring
that the attention of the entire French
army was attracted to this small
group OF Americans. By the end of
April, 1915, the American ambulance
comprised three complete sections
stationed. one at Dunkirk, one in Lor-
raine and one in the Vosges By the
time the United States entered the
war the service had grown enormous
ly until it was composed of eighteen
sections with nearly 700 ambulances
and over 700 volunteers.
Drivers Distinctions.
Shortly after the American declara-
ton of war, the French army authori-
ties appealed to Inspector General An
drew to extend the scope of the ser
vice to transport or cannon driving,
that is the transport of munitions to
the front The American commander
concurred and it was the Cornell uni
versity section of the American field
service which was the first organiza-
ton of American troops to march
thru Paris with the Stars and Stripes
at their head. and it was this little
group of forty-five men that received
the first outpouring of French rejoice
ing over our entrance into the war.
For the information of those not in
formed as to the relative status of an
ambulance driver and a transport driv-
er this explanation: An ambulance
driver is supposed to be neutral, altho
II has not been apparent in the pres
tnt struggle, and transport driver
nj, ffaol