The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-08-29
VERDUN SHOWN IN
MOTION PICTURES
Fascinating Address Given
by Mrs. Willard in
Auditorium
DRESSINGS
COMMITTEES WORK
National Chairman Tells of Visits to
European Hospitals and Battleields
Watched Engagement from Hilltop
at Gorilla.


How France cares for her wounded,
and the work of the National Surgical
Dressings committee with some refer
ences to the American Red Cross were
brought impressivelv before fair sized
audience in the Auditorium last even
ing for the benefit of the Surgical
Dressings committee and the Red
Cross, the members of the audience
paving admissions. An address of
much interest was given by Mrs.
Mary Hatch Willard of New York, who
through the work which she represents
has come in close touch with many per-
sons in Brattleboro and other towns in
Windham county and elsewhere, and mo-
ton pictures eentering around the battle
of Verdun portrayed wildly some of the
effects of the conflict in Europe and IL
Illustrated various steps in the trans
portation and treatment of wounded
Frenc hmen Between the address and
the pictures Miss Alice d. Butterfeld
sang the national hymn of France, Miss
lzetta NJ. Stewart playing the accom-
paniment.
Rev. Richard II. Clapp presented Mrs.
Willard, stating that she was the orig
inator Of the national surgical dress
| ings movement and was now its chair
man.
Mrs. Willard told at the outset of
how the committee happened to be or
| gained Shortly after the war started
She was walking down Fifth avenue in
| New York one day, rejecting upon the
| shortage of gauze, when she stopped
still rs the thought came to her Why
not utilize the old pieces Of linen and
cotton cloth rs was done in the Civil
war! The work was started and the re-
| Spouse was immediate.
Eighteen millions Of dressings have
been sent to Europe, and since the
United States entered the war the Sur
eical Dressings committee has become &
national auxiliary to the Red Cross. II
has four distributing bureaus in Europe
In order to find out whether there wa!
anything that could be done to increase
the effectiveness Of the work Mrs. vii
lard went to Europe, visited the wa
zones and saw the wounded soldiers
She told of incidents in hospitals anC
Of seeing the loading and unloadin.
Of wounded men, and mentioned a
one Of the things which impressed he
the absence Of audible expressions o
pain. The men bear their suffering
bravely, and quietness and tenderness
prevail in the transportation an,
treatment of the injured soldiers.
Ia Cf - I,
E sister of the king of Belgium and o
visiting the queen of Belgium, empha
: sizing the Difference shown her becaus
/, Of their gratitude for the interest an
. assistance Of the American pcopl,
2 whom She represented. Interesting d,
tails were given of visits to battl
t fronts in France and Italy and of watcl
: ing a battle between Italians and An!
TRANS from Hill at Gorilla
Mrs Willard asserted that there wa
an urgent need for constant giving an
doing. as there is continuous deman
: for dressings.
T The moving picture films were pr
! pared by the French government c
= peciallv for the National Surgic;
e. Dressings committee. They Shove
: preparations for battle, the firing of ca
= non, the explosion of shells, men in IL
trenches, Red Cross dog at work, Il
: care of the wounded, physical exercis
of convalescent soldiers and other i
teresting scenes. The program close
= with the singing of the first and la
. stanZas of America.
= Both the address and the pictur
were Fascinating and aroused a ne
n interest in the great field for the ser
ice in meeting the needs of those WI
!, are wounded in helping to support t
q cause for which America is fighting.
J. In the steel mills of western Penns,