El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-01

the allies. ELhEAL MUM -
the "Boche" came over and droppe1
bombs on the hospitals. killing scores
and scores Of doctors ana nurses,
and killing hundreds and nundI eus
Of wounded soldlers-some OF WhCHl
were Germans At Vadlincourt the
dropped his first bomb. German
airman taken prisoner the day before
died Of fright when the first bomp
came. for he knew what 10 expect
An hour later they came again, drop
ming more oubs-sOme Of the BOMBS
being incendiary bombs soon the
hospital was sblaze. Again the Boone
came and dropped more bombs. and
again until three o'clock IN the morn
ing Then he dropped a lot OF hand-
bills warning the allies that II tney
did not want their hospitals bomDeu
to move them further from the
The VadIincourt hospital was then
about seven or eight miles from me
front. That hospital was about 5OV
feet square. built around com M,
and inside the compound was great
Red Cross about 80 feet square made
Of red canvass and whitewashed
stones Also each wing OF the hos
pital carried on II painted red cross
"a feet square All the other bombed
hospitals were similarly equipped
The Germans desired to take the most
clearly designated so that there could
be no mistaking their intention OF
course no one before the German raid
on hospitals had dreamed Of equip
ning hospitals with anti aircraft guns.
so the Germans flew low. dropped ac-
curately and had their own way.
Systematic Murder
But II was not wanton cruelty that
inspired the deed. Too many men
had been coming back 70 the firing
lines Of the allies because the hos
pitfalls we're near the firing line. and n
three hours the average wounded man
had been treated for gangrene, which
is the one deadly plague OF the
wounded in this war, being quickly
treated for gangrene It did not de-
velop. nor was "A serious amputation
needed and soon the soldier was back
in the line. fit as a fiddle. That meant
that German powder and shot were
being wasted beca 1se Of allied hos
uital efficiency. That in turn meant
a longer war. more Germans to starve
a home, IN mines and mills making
rather useless German powder and
shot so bang went the bombs from
the bombing cars on the hospitals
II was military necessity, unre-
strained by the Christian conscience
that has held men TO prohibitions
against firing upon the Red Cross
for four generations. It was German
vanity and the materialistic phil
osophy that might makes right To say
it was blood lust. or vengeance or
national peevishness Is silly Ger
many does nothing for such senti-
mental rea sons.
Attempt 10 XIII Doctors.
During recent months reports have
been coming in rather regularly that
German officers-always officers,
mind yOu-have been killing doctors
u no were attending these German
officers after they were taken prison
ers. One instance may be verified At
base hospital No. 12-the Cleveland
unit. then under the British service
"a doctor came in one night during
the early part OF September with a
wounded hand He explained that the
stretcher bearers were busy bringing
in the wounded after the lines had
moved across a German trench. ana
that the doctor felt that In the name
Of humanity he should go out into the
captured trenches and help to bring
in the wounded.
OF course most Of the wounded were
English. But a few Germans were
there He found a German officer.
wounded in the leg. The doctor helped
the German officer to his feet and
vas half carrying him. half support
ing him as they walked back 10 the
first casualty station They were
taking when for some reason as the
conversation stopped, the doctor
looked up and saw the Germans pfs-
tol at the doctors head. he threw up
his hand and knocked the gun away
Just as the German fired But the
bail went through the doctors hand. !
The night before in the same sector. a :
German officer on a stretcher had
tried TO kill doctor with a knife who
was bending over the patient dressing F.
his wound.
savage. senseIess Murder.
The American ambulance drivers :
tell OF scores OF similar attempts OF .
German officers 10 kill doctors ana +
nurses Now that seems savage and .
senseless- But when you remem Der E
that every time a doctor or a nurse !
is killed a hundred men must suffer .
II has its scientific reason. Moreover. D
the bombing Of the hospitals by the
airmen had fine reaction-from .
German viewpoint
During the moonlight nights when
the Germans were coming 10 bomb the 4
hospitals the nurses in base hospitals {
from Ostend to the Alps could not .
sleep Their work suffered in the
day time The nurses had TO be re-
placed by fresh nurses oftener and b
5fteuer, and the whole hospital ser
vice was more or less disorganized. I
The result was easily forseen BIZ
the Germans But they did not forsee
the splendid morale these atrocities
pumped into the hearts OF the allied
soldiers The German always dis
counts the courage and conscience OF
-AS NliHiil4eS- ne cannot see t1ar 80
low a civilization as that Of his
enemies can produce anything but
and clods. He has never
allow ed for the stimulation Of the
morale OF his enemies by German
scientific conduct under military ne
,essity.
Air Raids scientific
The air raids over London were
not planned and executed by a cruel
people. but by a scientific national
mind These raids were sent to Keep
an English army on English soil and
out OF France, and also to keep Eng
Ish fghtlng planes out Of Flanders
10 Keep English soldiers and Eng
ish planes at home. makes il that
much easier 10 win the war. And no
sentimental nonsense about women
ana children being slaughtered BY the
bombs viii stop the Germans from
-heir scientific program to win this
war Germans have the only cfvfliza-
ion Il is a righteous act to spread
i, and to smear il on IN the blood OF
loncombatants. whether OF nurses or
1octors, OF women and children
makes no difference. The world II
I is saved from its highest efficiency
must have Germany uber allies" and
mere IS no other thought in the Ger
nan mind
just Ruthless Destruction.
One day in September Of this year.
-Wo Kansas pilgrims at the war front
saw long stream Of little cars NOV
ng out Of the French town Of Com
mercy Il was a fair little French
.own. and lay redroofed and gay in
; snug little valley. But the carts
.en miles from the firing line con-
aimed sad little piles Of household
p d