Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-09
TRAINING men FOR
AMBULANCE CORPS
WORK ROMANTIC
New Regulations Using Draft
Men Takes Away Romance
Noticeable in Forming
of Early Units.


another war episode. the telling of
the full story of the creation of the
American army ambulance corps
must wait for peace. In so sections,
the corps is serving behind French,
English and Belgian lines between
Switzerland and the sea, while 80
sections more of it have been strung
out behind the Italian trenches.
A few additional units are COM
pleting training at Allentown, Pa,
but with their departure. according
to present army argument. the job
will be done. Future ambulance
drivers will be picked out in the pro-
sale but efficient routine of .he draft
environments, and the special service,
unique in romance and effectiveness,
will eventually vanish.
The service came into being be-
cause of the necessity for lending inn
mediate aid in some auxiliary fash
ion to the fighting allies, and be-
cause there were already at work pri-
vately raised and financed automobile
ambulance units with American per
sonnet, which it could absorb and
enlarge. Likewise there was rush
of volunteering. and an equal rush
of equipment offers. from schools
and colleges and places all over the
United States. SO the sections, each
one consisting of As enlisted men, Il
automobile ambulances, and a lieu
tenant or captain commanding, were
rapidly built up. Today there are
between 5000 and 10000 men serving
in the capacity. While the idea did
not exactly suit army plans. which
call for combining ambulances with
hospitals, in unified service, it met
emergency needs, and was adopted
because it was already i'll operation,
and working well.
Universities Prominent.
Early in the history of the war
Camp Crane at Allentown achieved
national reputation through its per-
sonnet, which was made up OF groups
recruited under the auspices of almost
10 leading universities and colleges
of the country. There were sections
from the University of Washington,
University of California and Leland
Stanford, on the west; University OF
Maine and Harvard on the east; Uni
versity of Chicago and Ham.ine on
the north and University o. Texas
in the south. There were college
BOYS of all classes and descriptions;
the leading athletes in their insti IL
tons side by side with the scholars
Camp Crane, named after one OF
the former surgeon generals OF the
United States army, was established
at Allentown, in May, 1917, by Col.
Ebert E. Persons to meet the urgent
demands of the French then lard
pressed at Verdun. 1t was an entire
ly new service for the United States
army. There were no forms or pre-
cedents, simply the general outline
of the French service. as described
by Marshal Joffre.
Sections Well Trained.
One hundred sections were to be
trained in the driving of ambulances,
carrying of filters and first aid to the
wounded.
Two score colleges were combed for
the pick of men and more than 4,5OO
were soon on hand.
Units of psychologists were re-
cruited from among the chemists in
camp. Hospital units of various kinds
came here for training or prior to
departure abroad.
Today the camp is strictly medical
and men are in training for all
branches in this service. There are
laboratory units, whose work will be
designed to prevent disease or COM
bat it should new problems arise;
field hospital units; evacuation hospi.
tai units and organizations to conduct
base hospitals far behind the lines
The men now are being secured prin.
cipally from the medical camps at
Fort Oglethorpe. Ga. ami Fort Riley,
Kan.