The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-04-02
Lecturer AT Baptist Church
Declares Allied Line
Will Hold
HOSPITALS AT FRONT
RANK WITH THE BEST
Pays Tribute To Work OF
Army Y; Help Belgian
Relief

corn of Columbus deliver an interest
ing lecture at the Baptist church Fri
day evening concerning the condi
-.lions in Belgium and France as he ex.
pcrienced and viewed them.
Immediately following the invoca-
tion by the Rev. G. r. Dye, S. G.
Dowds introduced the speaker. DR..
Alcorn started out by saying that, as
far as he was able to ascertain, 1t
was the concensus of opinion among
the military experts that the Germans
would never break through the allied
line to Paris. He went on to explain
that, in order to get over to France
as quickly as possible, he enlisted as
an ambulance driver in a hospital unit
got up by a young society girl who
raised enough money to fully equip
the organization. He sailed late last
summer and, upon reaching France,
was transferred to a hospital.
YOUNG MANS WAR
DR.. Alcorn said that the more he
saw of the war, the more he felt that
it was young mans war, particularly
when he was under fire for the first
time. His trip from Paris to Dun.
kirk was unique in that he saw no
men, but, quite contrary to what he
expected, the fields were wonderful
ly cultivated. Dunkirk itself, he said
is desOlate owing to the fact that all
the windows in the houses have
been broken and are boarded up, be-
sides the many buildings that have
been totally destroyed. Practically
every time that London is raided by
airplanes, Dunkirk is likewise as the
NTianes first. fly over Dunkirk, from
there to Dover and thence to London
HOSPITALS AMONG BEST
The name of the hospital where Dr.
AlcOrn was stationed, is LAmbulance
dc LOcean. 1t is situated six miles
from the front line trenches, contains
1000 beds and, not far away, one can
both see and hear the shells bursting
continuously. One reason that the
Hun does not shell this place is be-
cause it is sandy all around there
and many of the shells, lighting in the
sand, bury themselves under it failing
to explode. The laboratory at this
hospital, DR.. Alcorn says, is second to
none in America or in the world for
that matter 1t is also the only hospi-
tai in that section so near the front
the men being received from two to
three hours after they were wounded
While he was there, Dr. Alcorn said
that they were on the $4,000 series of
%-ray pictures.
Pigeons are used quite extensively
by the Belgians, according to DIR. AL
corn. One man in each company car
ries two pigeons so, if that company
becomes isolated, message is tried
on one leg of the pigeon and it flies
directly back to the nearest headquar-
tcrs in order that reinforcements may
be sent up.
UNDER ARTILLERY FIRE
DR.. Alcorn stated that he had been
under artillery fire many times, obut
that his worst dose was on Dec. 13,
'~sl7 when heavy artillery fire of the
Germans lasted for eight hours. Bad
weather BODIES i'll for good artillery
work. Dr. Alcorn says, as the air.. tenn
perature, and wind must be just right
for the fire to be effective.
DR.. Alcorn paid a glowing tribute to
the work of the Y. NJ. c. A. when he
said in part: II have never heard one
word from any soldier but what he
had good word for the Y. NJ. C. A.
and the wonderful work they were do
ing"
81 certainly have changed my mind
concerning woman's place in this
war;" stated DR.. Alcorn. He said that
originally he firmly believed no wO-
man should be allowed in the war
zone" but since his trip to Belgium,
he has completely reversed his views
on that subject. He says that what
ever may be heard to the contrary, he
knows that women are not absolutely
safe in Paris. He adds, however, that
the farther to the front a woman goes,
the safer she becomes. He also said
that. as far as he could discover, there
was no word for gentleman" in the
German language.
SHOWS GERMAN ATROCITIES
At the close of the lecture. DR.. AL
corn showed some stereopticon views
which portrayed the atrocities of the
Germans, the Carrel-Dakin method OF
dressing wound and the marvellous