Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-29
SHOW BELIEF j. S.
HASN'T DONE PART
Lieut.. Kane Writes British Of
ficers Have Way of Convey
ing This Idea.
TELLS OF HOSPITAL WORK

British officers have a way Of making
American soldiers in France feel that
they think America has not done its
part in the war. according to a letter
written by Lieut.. Howard F. Kane
from somewhere in France" to ]. NJ.
Abbott Of 5000 Sth street northwest.
Lieut.. Kane. who was a physician at
the Columbia Hospital. left with the
Medical Reserve Corps last May for
the trenches.
Under the date of June "a Lieut..
Kane wrote. In part. as follows:
almost every one oLt here thinks that
We'll trim the Germans next summer.
but not before. I'll be glad when We
get a bunch of United States troops
over here. The British officers are
fine to US, and have welcomed US with
open arms. but they all have a way Of
making us feel that they think our
country hasn't done it's part.
after several days in London. where
we saw some of the sights. we came
to Boulogne and were stationed at
various base hospitals. We were there
only FIVE days, but in that time saw
learned some of the fundamental
points.
Getting Fat and Husky.
Then we were assigned to field am
bulance hospitals up at the front It's
wonderful up here. living in tents and
getting fat and husky. We get plenty
to eat, and I'm eating a lot of things
l wouldn't touch at home. Our camI
| is about three miles from the front
| line trenches. Then we have dressing
stations at intervals. right up to the
! line. At present I'm on duty at an
advanced dressing station, living in
| dugout. way underground.
| We're about mile from the
| trenches. and get all the wounded as
they come back. The last few days
have been very quiet and we haven't
moved at night. and last night we had
only ten. One of our stretcher-bearers
| was killed and two wounded last night
| though.
II really have quite a safe place
when we are working. were well pro
| tected. The dangerous part Is moving
from one place to another. Today
couldn't get back to the hospital Ii
absolutely necessary. because thu
Germans are Smelling a village between
the two places. They're butting abou
four hundred yards away: I've sotteI
tell whether a shell is coming or go
ing. We are in front Of our own bis
guns. SO shells go over our heads II
both directions. Last night there wa
the roar Of the guns was absolutel!
continuous. One battery is within 20'
yards Of our place and the noise is deaf
,ening. The whole sky Is lighted at night
Under Fire in Trenches.
The other day two of US took tri
through the trenches. We were unde
fire for several hours, but not yer
heavy fighting. 1t was awfully inter
lesting. The trenches are really YER
safe, except during an attack, an
there's almost always warning, so W
knew we'd be all right. Everything II
this war is figured SO accurately tina
there's almost no danger of gettinl
hurt if you don't have to go into an at
tack or stick by a gun that's beini
shelled Even though. as 1 said, shell
are falling less than quarter of
imle away. know they won't get me.
They have their guns trained on tn
village. trying to destroy the road an!
railroad. and they won't fall short enough
to get us. They don't waste ammunition
on hospitals