Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-30
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER.

|Cablegram to The EsenfnR star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. April
positions pass near Villa Sauvillers-
Mongival. A few miles behind. across
the open fields, when the Germans at
tackled the other day, the French had
installed dressing stations for the
wounded. The battle began at dawn.
The cannonade swelled to great dimen-
sions, and the rattle of rifle and ma
chine guns told that infantry were en-
gagged.
Soon from all directions wounded
came trickling back toward the sta
daged heads, men limping or holding
broken arms: grimy. bloodstained men
and men lying motionless or writing
and groaning on stretchers.
The dressing stations were quickly
filled. The doctors were working rap
idly and coolly. trying their best to
arrived. when suddenly the enemy
opened a violent bombardment. Be-
fore that the place had received only a
few shells. The little brick cottages
"SES iHoSlly ihloSSs ouS Ao" SAhS III N n
and tiles began to fly.
Houses Fall Like Blocks.
1t was no ordinary cannonade. The
Germans evidently were determined to
remove the houses from the landscape
in the briefest possible time. House
after house went down like children
blocks. Smoke filled the sky. Debris
fell necessarily. For the poor wounded
French it was martyrdom: One by ono
the dressing stations collapsed in a
Of dust and smoke.
In the chief of these the head doctor
at the beginning of the bombardment
had ordered all the patients carried
into the cellars. The cellars were
than nothing. The stretcher bearers
worked frantically. Just at the mo-
ment when the last stretcher was be-
ing precariously carried down the stairs
a shell hit the house. When the smoke
cleared the walls were seen to have
collapsed. But the cellar was unim-
paired.
More and more wounded kept arriv-
ing, including some survivors from the
wreck Of the other dressing stations.
The German shells kept stamping the
ruins with undated fury. There was
an incessant barrage across the road
behind the village. and the rescue Of
the ever-increasing numbers OF wound
ed seemed impossible. The situation
was growing critical. Men who stu
they could be removed quickly. More
over, the bomhardment was having q
dire effect on the nerves OF those
MANNED, helpless, heroic soldiers. 1t is
hard enough for healthy; vigorous s u. men 81.
must be done.
Ambulances to Rescue.
Two miles behind was another village
where communication with the rear
could be had. The head doctor sent a
to ask that q motor am
bulance be sent at any price: The mes
and within an hour three ambulances
came tearing along the road toward the
dressing stations. Shells struck close
beside the road as they passed the en-
trance to the village. They had to slow
through the debris in the STREETS. Ulti-
mately they reached the chief dressing
station. The first two ambulances were
loaded and got away: The
third was an American Army ambulance
attached to the French
army, and had been doing good work
the offensive. A shell struck
right beside the ambulance and blew it
to bits, and the driver was gravely
Then q fourth ambulance, also Ameri-
can, arrived with the speed of a rail-
way train, but no sooner had It stopped
than a shell smashed the engine and
wounded the two drivers. Evacuation
by automobile was evidently impossible.
What could be done? The hundreds of
helpless men lying in the cellars in the
midst Of the bombardment like so many
paralytics were liable at any minute to
be buried beneath the ruins. The head
doctor moved ceaselessly among them,
now perfecting a bandage and now
speaking a word Of cheer, but their
heroic stoicism could not change their
desperate plight. Another messenger
was sent begging for aid.