The Washington times., 1918-05-20
RED CROSS STORY
TOLD BY WORKER
ON WEST FRONT

Writing from the, western front
Elsie DemingrJsrvis. a Red Cross
worker. graphically portrays the
work among the suffering.
"Imagine," she says, "a shell-torn,
gun-swept desert; low, wooden en-
campments partitioned off into long
rooms, full 70 overlooking with
wounded. ankle deep mud separating
the different sheds. appalling food. no
possibility OF baths or even element
airy cleanliness, no comfort OF any
kind. For sleeping quarters each
nurse has a cubicle, 5 feet by feet
a cot, a chair. a washbasin on box
and a small trunk for her clothes
Under the cot Is 81 hole, dong and
large and deep enough for q person
to lie in, into which they pop when
the bombardment alarm is given.
"The damp cold is intense in thosa
desolated regions, the work equally
so. Always on the alert for gas at
tacks or shells, always ready, night
or day, for the arrival OF freshly
wounded from the trenches only
few yards away. operations often,
death often, fatigue always, anxiety
and uncertainty always. dirt, stenehes,
vermin. the sacrifice Of youth, good
looks and ease-these are some OF the
demands that a military nurse under
army orders must consider all in a
days work
The Highest Honor.
THE croix de guerre is the highest
decoration given by the French gov
ernment for deeds OF valOr or endhr-
ance under fire, and many are the
sons OF France who wear it on their
blue tunics. That II also CLEANS on
the uniforms OF some OF her daugh-
ters shows how unfailinE Is the
heroism and patriotism inspiring alike
the men and women Of France.
All these four long. weary years this
has been the lot OF the French
Behind the lines reigns constant
anxiety. In the cities. in the villages, on
the lonely farms. everywhere the homes
are empty Of their men folk; millions Of
families living in fear OF what crushing
news the next hours may bring. Lucky
those households whose men are sun In
| the fighting line.
Misery Of Prisoners.
A slight idea Of the degradation and
misery endured in the German prison
camps may be gathered from a letter re-
ceived from the brother Of one OF my
maids. He is now at Leysin. in switzer-
! land. trying to regain his health and re-
cover his eyesight. At times he Is almost
/ blind. the result OF the typhus. II hc
l loses II completely he will indeed be a
hopeless burden to his family. as he is a
cabinet-maker by trade.
/ His father and mother are humble
D hafw .fWaa
4 children honestly and well. educating
them. giving them each a good trade. and
before the war looking forward them
/ selves to a weIl-earned rest in their old
/ age. Now this large family Is completely
I ruined and broken up. This eldest son
/ almost blind, the second son disappeared
since 1914 in the holocaust Of the war.
/ the third son fighting in Italy. Next
month the fourth boy. barely eighteen,
I Joins the colors-
The moor old father. struck down
/ by paralysis. has been slowly dying
( for months. The rest OF the family.
l the old mother. four small children
/ and a young girl, are entirely de
pendent on the wages OF my maid
/ except for 10 francs t$22) a month
( given as allowance by the French
government to those whose men are
/ hEhting. The old mother has a patch
OF ground where she grows a few
vegetables. One boy OF fourteen re-
/ ceives a few francs as electrician
( Cths only wage-earner at home). Out
OF her wages OF S20.GO a month, any
good Marie has helped her family,
. bought clothes and medicines for the
sick father and the children, man
aged to send twice a month for the
last three and one-half years box
( TO the prisoner brother. Naturally
all her savings are gone. This Is
typical OF thousands OF families AL
over France-it Is not a hard-luck
story.
Writes Of Prisons.
The letter from Marie's brother IL
as follows:
'.Madames Madame permits me to
address TO her my sincere thanks for
the money which allows me TO pur-
chase some strengthening food
which the poor state OF health SO
greatly demands.
since my arrival in switzerland
asked no further help from my sister