Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-19
DEEDSO Of HERO|SM
BY RED CROSS MEN
Americans Show Rare Courage
Under Trying Circumstances
on Battle Front.
REPORT BY MAJOR MURPHY
Gives Details of Vast, Many
Sided Activities Carried On
by Organization.
REPORT BY MAJOR MURPHY
BY ROBERT PREV.


on several battle fronts have just been
described here In Il statement by Major
Grayson p Murphy. American Red
Cross Commissioner for Europe He
also gives details OF the vast and many
sided activities the organization has
been carrying on. which now are being
multiplied many times.
Following out is 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 dcmoralized condition of the French
railways. troops arc often Obliged to
spend between forty-eight and seventy
two hours In making u journey that
could ordinarily be accomplished in
twelve hours.
The cars IN which they are trans
ported are frequently small French
freight cars. into which thirty. more
often forty. men are crowded. The re-
suit has been that cases Of measles.
mumps. diphtheria and on numerous
occasions more serious diseases have
broken out among the men. To pro-
vide against such an exiEency station
dispensaries, each containing ten beds.
doctor and two nurses. have been
opened. Suspected cases or men asking
for treatment are handled immcdia tely
instead OF awaiting for the arrival OF
the train at its destination. The patti
ents are visited each day by some mem
Der OF the Red Cross. who brings them
tobacco. sweets or something to read.
the purchases being made from the
funds which the United States has so
generously subscribed
BELGIAN POLICE DOGS
TO LOOK FOR WOUNDED
Another activity Of the Red Cross
consists I'm ,le 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 I'm other armies. notably the
French and Russian AMI have reached
high degree Of proficiency In their
work.
The method Of training is to start
in to teach the dog to fetch an object,
usually a mans cap. Then he IL
taught to seek cut the wearer OF tho
cap. TO return ard lead the trainer to
the wearer. supposedly wounded The
dogs have also Icon used with great
success in detecting the presence of
wounded men caught in the cnemy's
wire entansloments and unable to cs-
cape through weakness.
With the formal transfer OF the
American ambulance to the American
army. the ambula ncc ceases to exist
In name. as an auxiliary service OF
the French army. although il will be
virtually continued as such until such
time as the American army decides il
needs 1t for It's own uses The Ameri-
can ambulance is not. however, at the
present time under the control of the
Red Cross. although that development
may later occur.
TWO OF the most recent members of
the ambulance to receive the War Cross
AND army citations are Basil X. Neftel
or Larchmont. y. y. leader of section
seventeen 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
honors for conspicuous bravery under
shell hre In the Salonica region All
OF them are members of section ten
or the American field service, and for
tho last nine months have been en-
gagged in the Balkans. for the most
part before Monastir. where thcy faced
tho double danger of enemy shells and
the yirulent fevors that periodically
make their appearance In the low
lands OF Macedonia during the summer
months
WAR CROSS AWARDED
TO SEVERAL AMERICANS
For both bravery and distinguished
conduct" their citations read, IAN abb
solute disregard of the personal risks
to which they exposed themselves and
their spontaneous action in bringing
in the wounded from the most ad /.
vanced positions" the War Cross has
been awarded to each of the follow
ing: w. D. Swan, Of Boston: James
Harley. Of Knoxville. Tenn; Frank
Fftzsimmons. Of New York; Kimberley
Stuart OF Saginaw, Mich, and John
Elliston, OF Los Angeles. Cal
In addition to the Croix de Guerre
or War Cross, Elliston was singled
out for special distinction, being
awarded tho cross with palms, which
means an act Of unusual bravery. Dur.
ing local engagement around Mon.
astir In which the French were en-.
deavoring to take a strongly held
trench that formed the advanced eIe.
ment of a Bulgarian salient, the troops
advanced to the attack about in the
morning, before the sun had made an,
activity almost intoierable.
BY s O'clock the blue-coated poiIus
had swarmed over the Bulgarian en-.
trenchments, bayonetting or bombing
any OF the enemy who remained tc
offer resistance. The enemy counter.
attack was slow in organizing, and
the "poilus"A began the tiresome work
Of consolidating the position. Almost
at high noon the violence In the enemy.
shell fre presaEed the coming counter.
attack. Fifteen minutes later the Bull.
CARS came over the top Of their second
line Of defense and hurled themselve,
on the small band of French.
CONTINUED on Ninth Page.S ~ !.