The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-04-24
United Press)

(DnlteQ PreSS)
(By Wilbur s. Forrest, Staff Cores
pondent)
PARIS, April 24-When Americans
return to Paris, after the war, they
will probably have pointed out to them
the former headquarters of the Ameri-
can Ambulance army during the big
war. Today these headquarters are
extremely active and busy
1t is the American Ambulance Field
Service. The Commander in Chief"
directing the work of hundreds of
American youths who drive small
swift American Ambulances on all the
Franch battle fronts is A Piatt An
drew, formerly of La Porte, Ind, late
of Gloucester, Mass, and former AS
sistant secretary of the U. S. Treasury
in Washington.
None of the commanders in chief of
the big armies in the field know more
about their forces every minute of the
day than does the former Hoosier
about his little American army. He
knows, by daily reports, every i'm
portant move made by the hundreds
of cars in the field; how many cars
are in and out of commission; how
many nave DtCn MltChCQ VI
ed by shells; how many cars are en-
route from America and how much
help the American service can give
the French army next week or next
month.
Almost every part of America is
represented somewhere in the rambl-
ing old Eighteenth Century mansion
which houses Andrews headquarters.
Aside from contributions from many
sources, more than seventy American
Universities and colleges have sent
their students to save French life on
the battle fields. Never less than 800
ambulances are engaged in active ser
vice but over 900 have crossed the At
lantic and have been put into com
mission since the war began. Between
seventy and eighty have been destroy
ed. The first car to leave headquar-
tiers for the front is still partly in
commission.
Two big garages and workshops at
tached to the Paris headquarters re-
pair and re-equip the American cars
when the damage is bad. If it is triv-
ial, the work is done by moving repair
shops on the field.
A few hours before the United Press
correspondent called at headquarters
a message had arrived that three cars
had been destroyed by single shell
on the Somme. Within a short time
three newly repaired cars were on
their way to replace the wrecks.
The young American college men
who enlist in America for the ambu
lance service have to date received
81 citations in French army orders
for valor. The decorations include
two military medals and seventy-six
Croix de Guerre Two drives have
been killed by shells, some have died
Of pneumonia and many have been
wounded. Among the latter is Will
liam Barber of Toledo, O., who has
recovered and returned to the front.
The American cars are known in
almost every scene of campaign on the
French front-on the User, Aisne,
Somme, in Chamgagne, at Verdun, ia
the Argonne, Woevre, lorraine, AL
SAGE and in the Balkans.
There is an American atmosphere
about the headquarters of the service
in Paris. Located in Passy, one of the
oldest parts of the city, on the Seine
and within shouting distance of the
famous Eiffel tower, the building is
surrounded by a ten acre park in
which Benjamin Franklin first mode
his tests with the lightning rod. The
structure contains the offices of the
executives of the service in the upper
portion and below typical college dor
mites where the young Americans
rest and sleep while in training for
sterner duty at the front. Notwith
standing the German submarine block
ade more of these young Americans
and more cars arrived here in Febru-
airy than during any other month. The
number of men was 112, from states
as far west as California, and the cars
were 140.
The work of the Ambulance Service
is carried on by American funds. But
all contributions to date have been
small though numerous, it was learn
ed today. To face the big campaign
in which the French army will soon
be involved the Service will need great
help from the American people
1--WE can use all the money, ambu-
lances and men, the folks at home can
send" was the word given to the Uni