The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-04-06
AMERICAN COLLEGE MEN MAX
ING NAME FOR AMERICA IN
BALKANS, SAYS CAROLYN
IAN
(BY UNITED PRESS)

PARIS, March 15.-(By MaiD-A
little band Of College men are making
a name for America in the Balkans to-
day.
This band is composed Of more than
SO young Americans who sailed Tor
France about a year ago to become
ambulance drivers for the American
Ambulance Field Service, under the dl-
rection Of A. Piatt Andrew, Of La
Porte Indiana, and Gloucester, Mass,
former assistant secretary Of the U. S.
treasury.
Two sections Of ambulances in addi-
ton to many others now working on
the western front are with the French
armies in the Monastir region Of recon-
quered southern service.
Carrying wounded, always at night
over wild roads, through rocky noun
tain passes and over mountains is only
legians are dom, according to Ennis
Brown Of Charleston, S. c., who has
has just reached Paris on his way back
to America. Brown joined the ambu-
lance service while a student at Vir-
ginia University. He is the first
American to return since the Amer
cans embarked at Marsellies for Sa-
lonica
''For months since our Allies took
Monastir our ambulances have been
very busy in the Balkans, Brown
told the United Press today
From our headquarters near Monas-
tir we have carried the wounded from
the trenches north OF Monastir; from
KoritZa to the west, where the French
blesses come from the front lines by
mule back over the mountains and
from other points wherever we are di-
rected by the French military authori-
ties. Sometimes it has been necessary
TO use good strong American arm work
to pull even our light American ears
over the difficult roads
the wounded are going through, it IS
sometimes fifteen days before a man
reaches q good comfortable hospital af-
ter he is wounded on the front line
west of Koritza. Our ambulances can
only penetrate as far as Koritza. Here
we take aboard men who have travelled
for days on mule back. We then rush
them as fast as possible toward com
fort in the nearest thing to a mule that
can be found in the Balkans-our little
Detroit made ambulances
Sometimes the American drivers take
their ears almost to the front trenches
north Of Monastir. Usually, however
we can pick up a load in the town it
self.
"All our drivers are armed with re-
volvers now on account Of the Turkish
and Bulgar comitadjis who have no use
for Americans. Several drivers, includ-
ing John Imbrey Of Washington, D. c.
have had adventures with them but
luckily SO far no one has been hurt, -
When Brown left the Balkans seven
cars Of the two sections had been
smashed by shells, four Of them be-
yond repair. Among the members of
his section were: Arthur B1umenthal,
of Wilmington, N. c., famous football
star at Princeton in 1913; Lowering
Hill, New York City, former Harvard
student; Powell Fenton, Philadelphia
Of the University Of Pennsylvania; c..
Baird Of New York city and many
others, mostly Harvard students.
Before Brown went to the Balkans
he had driven an American ambulance
through the big attack at Verdun last
year. The termination of his six
months, enlistment and i'll health caus-
ed him to leave for home. Despite
finding himself On a ship en- route
which was the victim Of a submarine
in the Mediterranean, Brown reached
| Toulon and Paris in safety.