Omaha daily bee., 1918-12-15

swing OF the pendulum Of history
from war to peace, which reversed
the eastward flow of Americas
lighting millions-the greatest
uans-oceanic troop movement ever
xnown-brought the American peo-
pie face to face with the tragedy of
the casualty lists.
General Pershings announcement
that more than $4,000 of the expedi-
tionary forces had given their lives
in the nations cause and that A.
900 others, exclusive of prisoners,
were missing, created a profound
impression, but the human touch of
almost 100000 wounded, 10000 of
whom already have been returned
in various stages of helplessness to
their native shores, promises to give
the country its first real apprecia-
ton of the sacrifices of its sons who
followed the flag on foreign soil.
The method of their debarkation
denies to the homecoming wounded
the popular honors paid their COM
rades in full health. But the War
department, operating along lines
intended to give the lie to the
proverbial "ingrattude of govern
ment" has arranged for medical,
recreational and educational atten-
ton whose aim is to restore these
manned heroes, as fully as possible,
to physical comfort and financial
independence.
Will Get Very Best.
From the day of their arrival at
New York or Newport News, the
ports of debarkation. to their re-
entrance into civilian life, host of
good Samaritans-army doctors,
nurses and orderlies and workers of
the American Red Cross-will min
lister to these sufferers from a ruth
less enemy's engines of war. Har-
Dor hospital boats, debarkation hos
pitfalls, hospital trains and general
hospitals for reconstruction or con-
,-.escence form a chain of service
linking the westward bound fleets
of transports with the homes of the
wounded. And in this service the
medical debarkation corps, suddenly
thrust into the foreground of pub
licity by the collapse of the central
powers, plays an important and pic
turesque part.
The end of the war found the
port medical authorities prepared to
shoulder the heavy burden laid upon
them. During l9 months of Amer
lean participation in the conflict
they had maintained an embarkaton
hospital service, treating the COM
paratively rare cases of illness
among troops ready to go overseas.
When American forces entered the
trenches small groups of wounded,
evacuated from hospitals in France.
began to filter through the service
on this side of the Atlantic. With
this experience accentuated by the
lessons of the allied governments in
repatriating their wounded. the de-
barkation system was put in readi-
ness for the reception of injured
men at the rate of 10000 to $4,000
a month.
Many Wounded Returned.
During the war and five weeks
period following the signing of the
armistice, approximately 1850
wounded had been received at New
York and 4,500 at Newport News.
And the authorities were prepared,
on official advices from Washing
ton, to handle $4,000 cases in the
next four months.
The army embarkation service at
New York, which sent three -fourths
of the nations 100000 men over
seas, is expected to debark a ma
jority of the returning forces. and
the westward flow of wounded also
will be directed here. with some d.
version to Newport News and pos
sibly, later on, to Boston. To carry
on the work at this port the Medical
department has personnel of 1906
greater than the entire army med
ical corps when the United States
entered the war. On this staff,
headed by Col. J. NJ. Kennedy, vet
eran of Is years service as an army
surgeon, $50 are medical officers,
1888 nurses, men and women, 5.184
enlisted men and 1879 civilian en-
ployes.
The operating facilities include
eight debarkation hospitals with an
aggregate of capacity of 10000 beds,
two base hospitals with 1850 beds,
reconstruction hospital at Column
bia university for cases too serious
to be moved to interior institutions,
five harbor hospital boats with 800
beds each, Is ambulances, with so
additional held in reserve by the
Red Cross, and four hospital trains
each accommodating upwards of 200
patients.
The base hospitals are at camps
Merritt and Mills, former embarka-
ton, now debarkation environments
for the overseas army. The debarka-
ton hospitals are strategically To-
Gated on or near the harbor front.
Remove Wounded in Week.
The port medical authorities, re-
sponsible for soldier patients from
the time of their arrival from Eu-
rope to their delivery at general
hospitals nearest their home COM
munities, aim to clear their charges
from the debarkation hospitals
within week. The work begins at
the port quarantine station. Here
medical officers board incoming
transports and assist the doctors
aboard in preparing the men for
landing. In practically all cases
the wounded are taken directly from
the ship to the harbor hospital boat,
which conveys them to a pier near
one of the debarkation hospitals,
where amhujarces are in waiting.