Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-09-04

Correspondent Allowed to Visit 6aSe
Hospital at the Front and Interview
the Men-PIenty of Chicken to Eat,
and Red Cross Nurses Give Same
Care to One as to Another.
"Would you like to see the kitchen|
inquired the officer commanding the
British base hospital, some distance
back of the line Of fire in France. Here
we specially prepare the food for 1900
men day."
Inside there was broad expanse of
tables between the stoves and ovens
and part of this level surface was COW
cred by hundreds Of little tin pans in
which lay appetizing sections of brown,
roasted chicken. But the royal medi-
cal corps officer was talking Of some
thing else. II want to show you how
we save all the fat scraps, boil them
and pack the grease in barrels we send
to England to make ammunition"
writes e. Percy Noel in the New York
Globe. }s
"All these delicious looking fowl, SO
nice and brown" asked, "are for the
British wounded, Of course. You GER
tainly do not give that sort of food to
the Germans you have here?"
ooh, yes J" he returned lightly. There
is no discrimination. The Germans get
the same food and the same treatment
as our own men," And he continued
the explanation of the barrels Of fat,
how many week, it's use, its economy
and all that. But I was fascinated by
the thought-chicken for the German 4
prisoners!
There are several hundred German
wounded here. Would you like to see
some of the wards?" queried the OIL
Ger.
Hospital Perfectly Clean.
1t was the typical ward of British
base hospital-immaculatel clean from
the floor to the bed coverlets; air,
fresh and pure; few flowers artis-
tically arranged. and reposeful quiet.
I spoke to the British Red Cross sis
ter nursing.
SISTER I said. ''how do you like
looking after Germans?"
Now, she might have answered,
"They are human beings, like our own
boys, and my work In life IS to care
for sick and wounded" and 80 On.
But she did not. What she said was.
'They are very well disciplined" And
by that l knew that she admired the
way these men behaved when in and
out Of the operating room. when dress
ings We're changed, as well as through
the long, long days while wounds heal
ed-these men who had killed her
brothers.
do you-do you speak German to
them?"
"Yes 1t is necessary if we are to
get them we'll"
One pale faced German soldier lay
reading German book, a leg suspend
ed in special splint. He had been
years in New York and talked English
almost perfectly. r
"How are they treating you here?"
demanded. i,
very Well"
"Good nursing?"
.rhey saved my life Gangrene.
Three days before was picked up"
land the food. now that you are
getting stronger?"
Good"
"Chicken?"
"Yes, sir" q;
did you think that you'd find SO
much kindness on this slider
Thought that I'd get fair treatment.
but didn't expect it to be like this
do German soldiers know that,
wounded or not, they will be treated
well when taken by the British?'
Yes, l am sure they do s
But not many Of them surrender on
that account"
No"
The captain of another military hos
pital ut the base was my neighbor at
lunch that day. We We're discussing
languages, and he remarked he was
glad he knew German and did not in
tend to forget it. "In fact" he said.
Il owe great deal to it."
When I inquired why he told me
that, thanks to his familiarity with
German. he had been able to escape
from prison camp.
You were captured early in the
warp
Different In Germany.
"Yes. l was slightly wounded dur
ing our retreat, but enough to bleed
into Inconsistencies. The Germans
picked me up. l was an officer in the
Royal Arriy Medical corps then, as
now
And how did they treat you?"
BADLY. From the emergency hos
pital twelve of US. sitting cases. trav-.
eied three days and three nights In Il
third class compartment without med
zeal attention of any kind. We We're
not once permitted to get out of the
carriage during that time. The food
that they offered us from time to time
during the journey revolted me SO that
| ate none of it. But the most dis
agreeable feature of the journey. even
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