The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-09-13
Major Murphy Tells of Deeds of
Bravery by Americans on
Several Battle Fronts.
MANY GET SPECIAL HONORS
Vast Activities of the Organization Are
Described-Fieid Service Now Has
Forty Sections Actually on
Duty on the French Front.

Paris.-Deeds of heroic courage by
American Red Cross men on several
battle fronts have just been described
here in statement by Maj. GraysOn
p. Murphy, American Red Cross COM
missioner for Europe. He also gives
details of the vast and many-sided ac-
tivitieS the organization has been car
rying on, which now are being multi
piled many times.
Following out it's previously an
nounced project, the commission has
already established relief and rest sta
tons for the troops at points where
they must lie over while in transit from
the base receiving camps to the train
ing camps near the front. Owing to
the demoralized condition Of the
French railways, troops are often
obliged to spend between 4S and u
hours in making a journey that could
ordinarily be accomplished in II hours.
The cars in which they are trans
ported are frequently small French
freight cars, into which 30, more often
40, men are crowded. The result has
been that cases of measles, mumps,
diphtheria and on numerous occasions
more serious diseases have broken out
among the men. To provide against
such an exigency, station dispensaries.
each containing ten beds, doctor and
two nurses, have been opened. Sus-
pected cases or men asking for treat
ment are handled Immediately instead
of awaiting for the arrival Of the train
at it's destination. The patients are
visited each day by some member Of
the Red Cross, who brings them tobac-
co, sweets or something to read, the
purchases being made from the funds
which the United States has so gener-
ously subscribed.
Another activity of the Red Cross
consists in the bringing to France of
about twenty Belgian police dogs,
which will be trained to go out and
look for wounded. The dogs have
been tried out in other armies, notably
the French and Russian, and have
reached a high degree Of proficiency
in their work.
Training the Dogs.
The method of training is to start
in to teach the dog to fetch an object,
usually a mans cap. Then he is taught
to seek out the wearer of the cap, to
return and lead the trainer to the
wearer, supposedly wounded. The dogs
have also been used with great sue
cess in detecting the presence OF
wounded men caught in the enemy's
wire entanglements and unable to es-
cape through weakness.
With the formal transfer of the
American ambulance to the American
army, the ambulance ceases to exist,
in name, as an auxiliary service of
the French army, although it will be
virtually continued as such until such
time as the American army decides it
needs it for it's own uses. The Amer
lean ambulance is not, however, at
the present time under the control of
the Red Cross, although that develop
ment may later occur.
Two of the most recent members
of the ambulance to receive the war
cross and army citations are Basil x.
Neftel Of Larchmont, N. Y, leader of
Section IL of the field service, and
Ora r. McMurray of Madison, Wis,
a graduate of the University Of Wis
consin. Neftel has been over a year
In the service, and has been twice
wounded in the performance Of his
duty.
Five other Americans have won hon.
ors for conspicuous bravery under
shell fire in the Salonica region. All
of them are members of Section 10 of
the American field service, and for the
last nine months have been engaged
in the Balkans, for the most part be-
fore Monastir, where they faced the
double danger Of enemy shells and the