Evening journal., 1918-11-07

VI luo SOiuicIS as QulOh1y anu prOLnplly
as they would like TO but the greater
number Of cases are handled expediti-
ously, scientifically and always with an
eye to prevent infection. Those in
charge show ability In their operations !;
they are not, however, one-tenth as
wonderful as our boys who have been
wounded. With but one exception and
think / must have talked to hundreds,
every man wants to get back into the
game. II he has lost leg or an arm,
he stlll thinks he can help in the kitch-
en- or act as a messenger and perhaps
get a Boche with what is left Of him.
Almost without exception they want
to get back TO the front, they want to
fight, they want to kill Germans and
having been at the front, they realize
better than one who has not seen 1t,
the absolute barbarity OF the German
soldier.
"In one hospital I talked TO a man
who had two OF his fingers shot of.
This was done by what is now known
in France as a boob trap. He picked
up a fountain pen, pulled the cap off
and an explosion followed that blew off
two OF hts fingers and something In
dlate infection and had he not had at
tention at once. 1t would have been too
late.
Another instance Of this kind: A
pocketboOk Is stuck In the wall OF
house when the Germans leave. In re-
moving the pOcketbOOk a bombs. ,x-
ploded and the man Is eltheT Killed or
seriously injured. Tbey-Would bright
en- a bayonet ,an1-sfick It half way in
the ground, In pulling out the bayonet
a mine ,~explodes and in one instance
four/men were killed.
r 'The pluck Of the men In the hos
pitals Is wonderful. wish l could ex-
press TO you the marvellous cheerful
ness shown on all sides by the Amer
Ican wounded. II a man wlnces or
groans when his wound is being dressed
the others all laugh at him and tell
him he Is a nervous woman and not
TO make so much noise. One man who
had both eyes put out by shrapnel
asked the doctor II he thought he would
see again. The doctor said, No, don't
think you Will In a very lively and |
cheerful voice the soldier said: We'll, |
l guess 10 Is a tin cup and the curb for
mine, but I still have my health One |
soldier from Spokane. Wash, belonging |
TO - infantry and - divis- |
lon, told me he and a number OF sol
diers found an American marine nailed |
upside down to a tree near Chateau |
Thierry. These acts OF barbarlsm are |
what the Americans resent.
"The condition OF the fought-over |
ground from Chateau Thlerry to st. |
Mihiel must be seen to be understood. |
Chateau Thlerry Is half demolished. Al |
Fere en- Tardenois. town Of about five |
thousand inhabitants. there Is not a sim |
gle building in the whole town that is /
not badly damaged, too badly damaged |
for occupancy without repairs. In or /
der TO get through these towns, the |
soldiers had 10 clean out streets. But |
at ST. Mlhiel they not only showed the |
effects OF war as badly as In Fere en- |
Tardenols but in many cases the Ger
mans In retreatlng fired the little vii
lages before they left them, cut down |
vineyards. orchards and completely |
devastated the country they were leav-
ing. As before stated, you cannot de-
scribe it. You must see II.
"I met a man and lady who had been
prisoners for about four years and their
TO me OF the atrocities
perpetrated by the Germans are be
yond description. In the first place,
hey are too horrible 10 repeat and you
,ould not believe human being could
10 such acts II told you.
ITO show the spirit OF these French 4,
,eople: Just after the st. Mihiel drive ,
when towns had been recaptured after )
,elng in the hands OF the Germans for
bout four years. this message got out
through a channel, Tell them 10 make
taste 70 deliver us. Yet, should IL be
necessary TO wait still longer TO crush
his accursed race for good and all,
ell them we shall keep on suffering,
living even $50 many have already died
II exhaustion and fatlgueO. But first
1f all, let them make sure OF victory
Their patience makes heroes OF them
all and II may be said, They also serve
who only stand and wait
"At st. Quentin for instance. the Ger
mans picked up all the old men, women
and children they met in the streets,
carried them away without luggage and
not even allowed them an opportunity
10 tell their families. put them into =