The daily Alaskan., 1918-09-07
Red Cross Workers Refuse to Retreat While There Is
 Work 10 Do.
AMERICANS IN HERO ROLE
Incident of Early Spring Offensive of Huns on the somme That Should Make Americans Proud of
 Their Men.

w America and Americans played in aid- ing the British and thei French during the early spring offensive of the Ger mans on the Somme can never be ade- Quately told. The whole picture is too big to paint on one canvas. It is only by describing the work of individuals and particular groups of workers that some idea ofsthe American eEort and Its effectiveness in this historic battle can be brought home to the people back h0me-and then only In small way. " =
 While 1t is perhaps only very small incident In the history of that great affair, the story of how a small band of American Red Cross workers "carrled 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- vancing 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 we'll as several American Red Cross nurses and aides "stuck" with them.
 The Americans made their decision not because of sheer brayado, but be cause the hospital had the opportu nity of serving few wounded sol dlers from day to day-and could save their lives. And at this writing these Americans are still there, giving much needed medical attention to Frencf and British soldiers who are brought back to this hospital because it 1: the nearest one back of that point ol the line.
 Stay on the Job.
 The big guns of the British ant French have been planted in the real 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 transport: go by in streams to points in the rear | but as long as the wounded arc brought there, these Americans wil stay.
 A few hours after American Ret Cross headquarters in Paris learned of the big German offensive, 1t dis patched eight trucks and motor car' to this hospital to aid in the evacua ton of the patients. Night and da! the Red Cross drivers worked bring Ing the wounded from the hospital tt Paris.
 When this had been accomplished the Red Cross cars went out into th' surrounding country to pick up thu wounded, who were attempting t walk to a hospital, and to aid thu refugees struggling along the rad Besides transporting these two hun dred or more wounded men to place! of safety, the Red Cross cars aided l 13O refugees to the railheads in thre' days.
 But their work had only begun Despite the evacuation of the hospita and the consequent order for more o' the staff to accompany the patients tt points of safety, the wounded skep coming in. Ninety per cent of then were serious cases. Practically al demanded immediate operations. No simple operations, but major ones where a steady nerve, delicate toucl and sure hand were necessary to glv' the wounded the best chance for life Work Night and Day. ..-.a-
 Night and day the, American sur geons worked. There were g feF nurses to assist, but all were tired completely Jagged, mentally antt physically. Every one needed rest But there were the men coming 1T every few hours. their bodies pitifull! torn, and suffering untold agenies. St no one thought of stopping, and ever when one did get few hours off duty there were the big guns only few hundred feet from the hospital. They belched and roared all night. Of course, some of the cases were hopeless and 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' ating room until three o'clock In the morning. The nurses had to have a 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 ia service until the last wounded man was rolled finally into his bed.