The evening leader., 1918-07-08
BED Cross Workers Refuse to
Retreat While There Is
Work To Do.
AMERICANS IN HERO ROLE
Ineident Of Early Spring Offensive Of
Huns on the Somme That Should
Make Americans Proud Of
Their Men. -

America and Americans played In aid
ing the British and the French during
fhe early spring offensive of the Ger
mans on the Somme can never be ade-
uuately told. The whole picture is too
big to paint on one canvas. 1t is only
by describing the work of individuals
and particular groups of workers that
some idea of the American effort and
Its effectiveness in this historic battle
can be brought home to the people
back home-and then only in a small
way.
While it is perhaps only a very
small incident in the history Of that
great affair, the story of how a small
band of American Red Cross workers
carried on" at one of the evacuation
hospitals back of the British front
should make Americans proud. When
all but few of the hospital staff had
left with the two hundred or more
patients and the Germans were ad-
gancing only few miles away, four
American army surgeons, assigned to
the American Red Cross for work at
this particular hospital, declared their
intention of sticking till h froze
Over." And six Red Cross ambulance
and truck drivers, as well as several
American Red Cross nurses and aides
"stuck" with them.
The Americans made their decision
not because of sheer bravado, but be-
cause the hospital had the opportu-
nifty of serving a few wounded sol
iiers from day to day-and could save
their lives. And at this writing these
Americans are still there, giving much
needed medical attention tovFrench
and British soldiers who are brought
back to this hospital because it is
the nearest one back of that point Of
the line.
Stay on the Job.
The big guns Of the British and
French have been planted in the rear
OF it-and then moved farther back.
The Boche airmen come over at night.
The little group of Americans have
seen the troops, guns and transports
80 by In streams to points in the rear,
but as long as the wounded are
brought there. these Americans will
stay.
A few hours after American Red
Cross headquarters in Paris learned
of the big German offensive, it dis
patched eight trucks and motor cars
to this hospital to aid in the evacua-
ton of the patients. Night and day
the Red Cross drivers worked bring
ing the wounded from the hospital to
Paris.
When this had been accomplished
the Red Cross cars went out into the
surrounding country to pick up the
wounded, who were attempting to
walk to a hospital, and to aid the
refugees struggling along the road.
Besides transporting these two hun
dred or more wounded men to places
of safety, the Red Cross cars aided
130 refugees to the railroads in three
days.
But their work had only begun.
Despite the evacuation of the hospital
and the consequent order for more of
the staff to accompany the patients to
points of safety, the wounded kept
coming in. Ninety per cent of them
were serious cases. Practically all
demanded immediate operations. Not
simple operations, but major ones,
where steady nerve, delicate touch
and sure hand were necessary to give
the wounded the best chance for life.
Work Night and Day.
Night and day the American sur
geons worked. There were a few
nurses to assist, but all were tired
completely tagged, mentally and
physically. Every one needed rest.
But there were the men coming in
every few hours, their bodies pitifully
torn, and suffering untold agonies. So
no one thought of stopping, and even
when one did get few hours off duty
there were the big guns only a few
hundred feet from the hospital. They
belched and roared all night.
OF course, some of the cases were
hopeless ana no amount OF surgical
skill or medical attention could save
them. Here again the American Red
Cross men came in for more work.
They had to dig the graves and act as
pallbearers.
One night was especially hard. The
doctors were kept busy in the oper-
sating room until three o'clock in the
morning. The nurses had to have
bit of rest. One nurse only was avail
able. So again the Red Cross drivers
were called upon. One became an aid
to the operating surgeon, remaining
in service until the last wounded man
was rolled finally into his bed.
A.