The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-10
THE AMERICAN
ARMY AMBULANCE
In 80 Sections, the Corps Is Serving Be-
hind French, English and Belgian
Lines Between Switzerland
and the Sea.


other 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 serv-
ing behind French, English and Belgian
lines between Switzerland and the sea,
while 80 sections more of it have been
out behind the Italian trenches.
A few additional units are completing
training at Allentown, Pa, but with
their departure, according to present
army arrangement, the job will be done.
Future ambulance drivers will be picked
out in the prosaic but efficient routine
Of the environments, and the special serv-
ice, unique in romance and effectiveness
win eventually vanish.
The service came into being because
of the necessity for lending immediate
aid in some auxiliary fashion to the
fighting allies, and because there were
already at work privately raised and
financed automobile ambulance units
with American personnel, 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 40 enlisted men, II au-
tomobile ambulances and lieutenant or
captain commanding, were rapidly built
up. To-day there are between 5000
and 10000 men serving in the capacity.
While the idea did not exactly suit
previous army plans, which call for com
hining ambulanees with hospitals, in uni
fled service, it met emergency needs, ard
was adopted because it was already in
operation, and working we'll
Early in the history of the war Camp
Crane at Allentown achieved national
reputation through its personnel which
was made up of groups recruited under
the auspices Of almost forty leading
universities and colleges of the country.
There were sections from the University
of Washington, University of California,
and Leland Stanford, on the west; Uni
yersity of Maine and Harvard on the
east; University of Chicago and Hamline
on the north and the University Of
Texas in the south. There were college
boys of all classes and descriptions; the
leading athletes in their institutions side
by side with the scholars.
Camp Crane, named after one Of the
former surgeon generals of the United
States army, was established at Allen
town in May, 1917, by Colonel Ebert
+. Persons to meet the urgent needs Of
the French, then hard pressed at Verdun.
II was an entirely new service for the
United States army. There were no
forms or precedents, simply the general
outline Of the French service, as de-
scribed by Marshal Joffre.
One hundred sections were to be
trained in the driving of automobiles,
carrying of filters and first aid to the
wounded.
Two score colleges were eombed for the
pick of men and more than $500 were
soon at hand.
from among the chemists in camp Hos
pital units of various kinds came here
for rationingf or prior to departure
abroad.
To-day 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 combat it should new
problems arise; field hospital units, cvac-
ustion hospital units and organizations
to conduct base hospitals far behind the
lines The men now are being secured
principally from the medical camps at
Fort Oglethorpe, Ga, and Fort Riley,
Kan. Most Of them are draft troops,
although considerable numbers are still
enlisting for this work, including for
mer hospital intenres, college men who
have specialized in chemistry, and medi-
cal students from the universities.
An Italian contingent went to Eu-
rope under the command of Colonel Per
scons, founder Of the camp who recently
was the guest Of King Victor Emmanuel
on the fighting front. Since then Camp
Crane has been commanded by Lieut.,
Richard Slice, who, during the Spanish
American war had made serums for use
in the United States army and who was
widely recognized as an expert in mu-
milton.