El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-10-06
William Allen Whites Tribute Splendid Ambulance Service
France Just federated and Taken Over By the United States

work by Two men OF this section; A
she'll threw a tree IS inches in diam
eter across q road. Unable TO pass
the men went back 10 the 'poste ne
secours' and returned with saw ana
an axe. They cleared the road. al
though It was not their job
Breaking Up Things.
Undoubtedly these men of the vol.
unteer corps will find that the run Of
American manhood is Of the same
kind of stuff as that found IN the
volunteer corps Yet IL happens that
the resignation Of the entire section
from which this letter was written
was handed in this week. Several
other sections will be badly broken by
the liberalization The men VIII 90
into other branches OF the service
The men Of the American Ambulance
Corps almost unanimously feel that
they can serve their country better IN
some other branch Of the service than
in the ambulance corps under army
rules. Probably they are wrong. but
they are honestly mistaken They
have no desire for fame. thew shrink
from no hardships or peril When in
deed they entered the corps they made
the ancient covenant which youth Is
ever making with youths wOrld-old
comrade, danger. yet they are as shy
and loath to speak Of their affairs
they could be IL it was a love affair.
The hero business is irksome TO them.
when German shells were topping
about across roads which the German
Eunners had marked for their target
a great truck filled with high explo-
sives stalled with one wheel over an
embankment-
Cool in Danger.
Two boys on the box OF an Ameri-
can ambulance corps motor car round
ed the corner The car was filled
with wounded. A Cassed horse stood
dying before the bis truck. Z-z-z-u1-
hanEi came German shell 30 feet
away The French drivers or the
truck Of dynamite realizing the dan
ger Of the situation rushed 20 the
American boys who had aliEhted
from the car the first reaction Of
the Frenchmen was a JOY OF fellow
ship in peril They threw their arms
beautifully and affectiouatelv about
the Americans and cried. eve are
brothers in democracy we shall die
together" brothers I'm hell" an
swered the Americans. whose first re-
action was upon their sense OF humor
Not on YOUR life will we die to-
eether- Buck in and lets nov your
damn truck"
Which they all did in the s,as and
shell fire and went on with their
wounded % the hospital and the
Freuchmen continued their more
perilous tourney with the dynamite. I
One OF the Americans was badly
gassed at their job. He NAV neve-
be the man he was again. Gas is a
treacherOus and deadly poison But
he vas on HE car in three dav< again.
doing his days work when he 70
cei-ed his cross OF war from the
French government he affected 70
consider II lightly. being ashamed Of
manner. He was but one o. the s00i
4 ToHchtnE Farewell.
few nights sEo. somewhere in the
devastated area Of France in barn
in which the names Of the stations Of
the German crown prince were stem
cilled on the walls. fin a barn beside
bombed ruin OF a beautiful chateau. /
In barn lighted by four candles 20
young men sat after dinner ready 20 ]
listen to their chief TIE spoke 70
them simply. told them the story Of I
the liberalization. advised aU 70 en-
ter the rev service who felt thew
could serve there "a their countrv-S 3
best advantage thanked them for 1
their loyalty TO the corps. and then I
he said after an embarra ssed nauSe- I
50 now 7 bid you all goodbye Off :
c1ally-thouEh 7 hope not personally" /
he tried 10 smile. They tried 20 ]
grin II was a hard sad leave taking
after three years OF fighting conrad
erie There was a seconds silence. l
Natura Ky American tradition pro-
iiblteo any emotional expression. An I
, oLner painful second passed as 4c
Youths looked down their noses {
Then someone's voice rose and the
barn roared with song II was one
Whlch should not be chanted in the
presence OF Mrs Boffin-a rihald. roy
stertnE song. indeed but one which I
vented the emotions Of 80 Young men
and saved the situation And how the I
song rose as their emotions worked /
orr Then there was more singing OF |
French songs Of a somewhat secular |
character, also not in Mrs Boffin's
hymnaL And 50 as the candles smut
tsrel ana Inc night grew old. corps
No bade farewell 20 its chief /
noisy farewell in which the roar OF !
song covered tears.
II was indeed the end or a brave
ehapter,-(Copyright 1917. by-Wheeler I
Syndicate. Inc)