The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-21
Boy Writes of Way
They Make 1t in France.
Thomas L. Crawford Sends In.
teresting Letter Home.
FAMOUS OLD CASTLES
He Saw $4,000 Wounded Amer.
leans in Paris.
Shell Shock Victims Are the
Most Pitiful of All.

Thomas L. Crawford of the United
States naval aviation forces, has
written to his mother, Mrs. G. W.
Crawford, of Route 1, Topeka, from
his present station in London. He
tells Of visiting a famous wine center
of France, some ancient feudal castles,
including the storied castle of Blue
beard. He writes also of the eff
cheney of the Americans in handling
their engines and materials, and he
includes in his letter a paragraph
concerning his visit to a base hospital
in which $4,000 wounded men were
placed.
Crawford's letter is. in part. as fol-
lows:
II first landed in France in the
heart of the wine district. The wine is
made in a dirty and crude way. In
aid winery one can see thousands of
bottles OF wine that have been stored
grapes are gathered they are thrown
into a press; big wooden block is
thrown down on top of them and is
frightened until all the juice is drained
off. Around the bottom of the press
is a trough, and the juice is drained
off in buckets.
Black Princes Castle.
vi MY way " oOTutduA StOppou
to see the ruins of the castle of the
Black Prince, famous in French
feudal history. We passed one church
which was built in the thirteenth CEN
fury. still intact and being used. At
Bordeaux / visited our new army
docks. They give an American q feel
i--g of pride.
'At Nantes I visited the castle of
Blue Beard built in the fifteenth
century. I went thru many dungeons
where it is said Blue Beard kept his
wives shut up.
IT visited St. Nazaire, 1. great port
for Americans. There thousands of
tons of supplies are handled by our
army. At Savovey 1 found 60 miles
| of American warehouses. The French
| think the Americans are wonderful
in their efficiency. 1t is nothing I'M
lift out of the hold of a vessel a six
wheel-drive locomotive, place it on
| the track Immediately ready to go to
, work. on being fired. A Packard
limousine, carrying three men was
, lifted from a ship and placed on the
docks. The driver touched the self
starter. and the car was on its way
| at once.
At Big Base Hospital.
Il have recently visited a large
American base hospital near Paris. l,
| contains $4,000 wounded men. Two
iiOspAtdA uL1tS nave OeeH COIflDANSC
| there. Men from all parts of the
United States were lying there sick
with all kinds of diseases and afflicted
with every kind of wound. I saw one
| poor chap with a large hole COM
| pletely thru the larger part of his leg
Another had his knee badly cut b,
shrapnel. and the rest of his leg wal
! whitening away. I did not recognize
| anyone but met several lads from
| Kansas. They were all clad to see
/ some one from the home state. The
one wish of the>Americans in hospital
| is that they may reach home and theil
1 loved ones.
1.-THE most pitiful cases were those
| Of shell shock. Many of them have
completely lost their sense of control
Some are unable to talk without slut.
| tering, and some have lost their voice
| In some cases the lads can never be
helped. They are a sorrowfu1 looking
lot. altho nine out of every ten mer
wear smile. They want to talk to a
visitor. but when they try to do sc
| they become nervous and go COM
pletely to pieces. being unable to d