New Britain herald., 1917-11-12
With MIR. ATKINS
in MESOPOTAMIA
Tommy Finds Life in Near East
Series Of HardShipS

Explaining in detail the hardships
undergone by the British under the
scorching sun in Mesopotamia,
Charles H. Hudson, who recently re-
turned to this country after spending
eight months with the English troops
on their drive to Bagdad, gave an in
teresting lecture at the Y. M. G. A.
yesterday afternoon.
Mr.. Hudson spent five years as
missionary In India. The work that
pitfalls in Bombay, the speaker said,
is remarkable. Men, totally incapa-
citated by the war, are brought
there and, after receiving the best of
attention and expert medical treat
ment, are soon able to resume tight
ing. The buildings are splendid1y
equipped. The Y. M. G. A. at Bonn
bay is an institution worthy of con-
siderable notice. The workers are
courteous and always ready to render
service.
The secretaries of the y M. G. A.
are frequently called upon, he said,
to write letters home informing anx-
ious parents Of the whereabouts of
their beloved. They also try.to locate
friends and relatives Of the wounded
and dead
How the war has affected many
happy families was\ described by the
speaker. One widow, the proud
mother Of ~ boys, gladly gave them
oil to her country. 1t was the pain
full duty Of Mr.. Hudson to help pre-
pare the last son for his homeward
Journey to his waiting mother. He
was unfit for further service The
| eleven other sons had been buried on
| the battle-scarred front after gallant
| ~ fighting to down the Huns.
In one instance, a six-day battle be-
| tween the British troops and the
| Turks ensued. The horrors of the
fight were indescribable. The slain
soldiers could be seen lying about in
| heaps. In order to bury the dead, a
| six-hour armistice was necessary.
! Graves were dug alongside the
trenches and the men were laid at
| rest.
| An exciting incident, when his
| camp was burned to the ground, was
related by Mr.. Hudson. One dark
night two Arabs were perceived by
the sentry swimming across the river
| which adjoined the camp. Both men
| carft011hlknives in their mouths. Chal-
| lenR1mr the Arabs, the sentry called
| upon them to halt. When they failed
| to stop, he shot one, wounding him In
the leg. The other escaped The next
hight attempting to; rescue their com
rade, who had been placed under
| guard, the Arabs set fire to the camp
| While the attention Of the troops was
! diverted in trying to extinguish the
blaze, an attempt was made to save
the Arab. This proved to be unsuc-
oAssful. The whole Of the 7. M. G. A.
| equipment was destroyed. ~
j The hardships that are undergone
| by the secretaries was told of by Mr.
| Hudson At one time so per cent. of
! the men doing Y. NJ. c. A. work were
| taken seriously i'll with poisoning and
had to return to India.
How the Y. M. c. A. furnishes the
only means of entertainment and
| amusement for the soldiers was re-
| lated. Shows are given and sermons
| delivered. How the morale of the
soldiers is kept up and how the men
are made to live better lives was ex-
| planned.
The confusion Of the British troops
in Mesopotania. was evident on many
occasions said the speaker. Time and
again large detachment of soldiers
| arrived in camp tired and hungry
| from fighting and no provision had