The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-04-14
Miss L, M. Johnson, Who Served In
Hospital Somewhere In France
Describes Awfulness OF
War Of Today.
TO TONNES
Most Wonderful Fighters ana tne
GritIest Of Men, She Says
Red Cross lis Not Re-
spected as Neutral.

something of the horrors OF pres
emit day warfare was depicted IN inc
idescription of base hospital; TIE
kind of wounds treated In such nos
pitfalls: the fortitude Of the sutferlns
soldiers, given this morning by MISS
IL. M. Johnson, a Red cross hurse'
who has seen service somewhere IA
France" and who is here as Inc
Eguest OF Mrs. c. r. Arn1entrout. MISS
Johnson spoke this morning TO al.
audience in the Y. w. G. A. auditor
finn. and this afternoon to keohuk
| chapter D. A. r.. She speaks agaui
| tonight to the public at the Y. w. u
| A. auditorium.
Without the least need for superia
Hives. Miss Johnson told why she
was sure Sherman had put it mildly
when he remarked that war is nell.
Seventeen year old boys In me
trenches are victims OF gas attach
by the enemy They are brought tc
the hospital with just six weeks 10
live. and in that short space or tlme,
youth has changed to extreme on"
age. "Those boys OF seventeen too
Young to be in the trenches, are TURN
ed to men Of ninety, Miss Johnson
said, before they die"
Cream Of Scottish Troops.
She told how the Scottish BLACK
Watch troops were brought TO inc
hospital, every one OF them win
head wounds. She told of the heroic
sergeant who discovered the reason
for the delay in charging was thai
| his officers were all killed, and she
told of the necessity for setting apart
an entire hospital for the men VINO
have lost their minds in the horrors
of the everlasting firing, and shock.
! There were no convenlences TO-
the hospital when first established.
The buildings were 12O by 80 feet,
and each building was ward. me
hospital was composed OF thirty
| five such units Later the American
CORDS of over one hundred had some
of the comforts of life installed in the
hospital which was one reason why
they were able to take care OF bo,OCo
wounded men in six months.
The men are always brought to the
hospital at night, because the trench
warfare is night warfare.
The first time the American corps
saw service, sixty men were brought
in at midnight. This almost over
whelmed the little band. but they
speedily adjusted themselves and
thought nothing of taking care Of SEQ
wounded from midnight until 500
O'Clock, when the hospital would be
cleared for the next drive.
No Respect Shown Red Cross.
'This is the first war" Miss John
son said. where the Red Cross has
NO respect shown it," She described
a Zeppelin raid over the hospital Ill
the attempt to blow up the railroad
leading from the trenches twenty-five
miles ahead Her description car
ried every horror Of this night terror
vividly into the minds OF everyone
who heard her. How a sound like
thunder made them look cut. and
there was that terrible specter above
them. Then the rain of bombs, the
dash for safety and finally the blow
ing Of hole in the earth fifty feet
across.
"The British Tommy is the most
wonderful fighter one could imagine,
Miss Johnson says. THE officers
with them are wonderful. They all
bear pain with the greatest fortitude.
Brought in on stretchers, we ask them
if they can roll on to their beds. Their
reply, with smile, is yes sister,
and they do, yet on examination, we
find many of them have broken bones,
yet they do not let a groan escape
them, and never have l heard them
curse the enemy. They come in. some
Of them with trophies, how proud they
are of them, and yet, for our bits Of
kindness and mercy shown them, they
gladly present them to us. Thank
you. sister, is our reward for every
thing we do for them
Awful Condition Of Wounded.
Something of the awful condition o.
the wounded men can be imagined
from the fact that they lie from
twenty-five to forty-eight hours in
mud and water The least scratch in.
fects and arms and legs are lost from
slight wounds. The men are brought
in and their clothing cut off of them
They are bathed, put into clean
pajamas and wounds dressed They
are taken then by train to the chan
mel, and thence across to Blighty, a.
they call their beloved England. Miss
Johnson urged on the women today
the need for supplies, bandaging, and
the like.
To the orderly who served with her
she paid glowing tribute. A young
medical student. he was. He helped
to carry the men in, helped to carry
them out Cut away their clothing
helped with the bandaging. Assisted
in serving the meals, and gathered
up the old clQthing, literally alive
with vermin, gathered up the ole
| cow thof