Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-11
REFUSED TO LEAVE
7. 1850 INVALID TROOPS
Young American Doctor Dis
obeys Order, But Mother
Will Be Proud of Him.
COULDN'T CARRY INJURED
BY HERBERT COREY.

FRANCE, April A year ago he wa
a young physician in little American
town No one knows his name. No on
knows the name of the town. But h
is lieutenant in the American Army
Medical Corps. and most of the mem
bers of it were young physicians il
little towns. They rode around busil,
| in their little cars to see their patients
Sometimes they rode around just a:
busily to see patients who were as We
VISIBLE only to the eye of hope. The!
had themselves called out of the opers
house at the end of the second act O.
the Rectangular Rangers. and they gave
kindly care and valuable medicines t.
the town buns who might better have
been fed on dog buttons. You know
their sort. They are lively and grit!
and likable, but one does not think Of
them offhand as heroes.
Serving on British Front.
He was one of the American physi-
clans who have been serving on the
British front. The British burned VI
their supply of physicians early in the
war, when they still permitted the
>
danger of a soldier Now they are
economizing those that are left. A
doctor who takes needless risk now
is punished. Necessity is forcing then
to be prudent. The Americans have
been getting valuable training and do
ing magnificent work in the British
camps. When our own Army needs
them they will be fit.
His camp was one of those pitiful lit
tie affairs one sometimes sees Just be-
hind the front line. Silent men lie on
blankets. their eyes following the ply
sicians and nurses as they work down
the line. Never a man groanS unless
he is in delirium. The wounded lie
open to the sun and rain on the hill
sides. At the most they have tent
with bits of stick. Sometimes the hood
of great coat is propped above, their
patient faces, while they wait for the
ambulances to labor over the rough
ground and carry them away. Shells
fall among them,
Death Faced $50 Wounded.
There were 300 wounded men in this
tiny station-this eddy of agony. The
drive toward Amiens in the last days
of March. They kept coming resist
lessly nearer until at last the British
general saw he must cede the ground.
A staff runner came to the little sta
ton with hastily scrubbed note:
Get every man out you can. The
Germans will have this ground in an
hour"
Every man who could walk had al
ready been sent. The 800 VINO remain
ed could not move. The physicians had
a hurried consultation there on the
hillside. while the noise Of that pound
ing battle tide came nearer and nearer.
They had places for only forty men in
the ambulances that were coming to
them. Two hundred and sixty men
the will. the Germans would not have
the power to treat the English Yound-
ed. They had no time to care for their
own wounded. The British knew that.
The 260 would be left there to die I'M
tended, torn by every agony of thirst
and fostering wound and broken bone.
Death would be sweet as the tones of a
loved voice when it finally blessed
them.
The surgeons and nurses came slow
told the story. They paused over each
case and debated the chances. Men
who could fight again for England were
taken first. Only those who would be
whole men and sound were taken at
all. The men lying on the blankets
knew the meaning of this grim re-
view. They knew those VINO were
taken would live and those who re-
nained behind would beg God for death
and for hours would be denied.
Knew How to Die Well.
cor the whole 300 not one asked to be
taken. They were only British Tom
mics. but they knew how to die well.
They looked hopefully into the eyes
Of the men who were judging them,
and if the verdict was fo. death they
looked away. That was all. Only one
man of the goo spoke. lie whispered
huskily to The surgeon who had just
Never mind me. doctor. Take. the
man. next to me. He's younger and so
he has a better chance"
So the arnbuIances came and the forty
were taken away and the $50 were
left to die. There was no illusion in the
denned to the bitterest death. The
surgeons and orderIies picked up their
few belongings and started down the
rough trail that had been broken on
the slope of the hill by the wheels of
the a1nbulances. No one said goodbye
who We're silent there in the sun. Per-
haps tn" wounded turned their eyes
away. Then the American lieutenant
this young doctor from some little in
land town-stopped the surgeons as
they We're leaving:
so long. fellows" said he. I'm go
ing to stay"
No one knows his name. or the name
of his town. If he lives through this
present nell and the hell that is TO
identity is discovered. he will be repri-
manded for disobedience to orders in
the face Of the enemy.
'.You really ought to come. dear boy"
said the chief surgeon.
I'm damned If l do" said he.
His mother will be mighty nro,,d of