Oxford eagle., 1918-05-09

Sssd
Arriving at the taped diagram Of
the trench, rifles slung around our
shoulders. we lost no time in getting
10 work. We dug as quietly as pos
sible but every now and then the noise
Of q pick or shovel striking a stone
would send the cold shivers down our
backs. Under our breaths we heartily
cursed the offending Tommy.
At intervals a star she'll would 60 mp
from the German lines and we would
remain motionless until the glare Of its
white hight died out
When the trench had reached
depth OF two feet we felt safer. be-
cause IL would afford Us cover In case
we were discovered and fired on.
The digging had been in progress
about TIVE hours. when suddenly he'll
seemed to break loose in the form Of
machine-gun and rife fire.
We dropped down on our bellies In
the shallow trench. bullets knocking
up the ground and swapping in the air.
Then shrapnel butted in The music
was hot and Tommy danced.
The covering party was having q
rough time of IL; they had no cover;
tust had TO take their medicine.
Word was passed down the line TO
beat II for our trenches. We needed no
urging: grabbing our tools and stoop-
ing low. we legged II across No Mans
Land. The covering party got away
TO q poor start but beat us In. They
must have had wings because we low
cred the record.
Painting and out Of breath. we turn-
bled into our front-line trench. / tore
my hands getting through our wire,
but, al the time. didn't notice II; my
journey was too urgent.
When the ron was called we found
that we had gotten II in the nose for
SO casualties.
Our artillery put a barrage on Fritz
front-line and communication trenches
and their machine gun and rife fire
suddenly ceased.
Upon the cessation of this fire,
stretcher bearers went out to look for
killed and wounded. Next day we
learned that 81 of our men had been
killed and 81 wounded. Five men were
missing: lost In the darkness. they
must have wandered over Into the Ger
man lines. where they were either
killed or captured.
&naatyFn1 % e4r
wounded. il is very hard for the aver
age civilian TO comprehend the enor-
nous cost Of taking care OF wounded
and the war In general. He or she gets
50 accustomed 10 seeing billions OF dol
lars In print that the Significance OF
the amount is passed over without
thought.
From an official statement published
in one of the London papers, Il is
stated that II costs between six and
seven thousand pounds $4,000 to S35.-
ocO) 10 kin or wound q soldier. This
result was attained by taking the cost
of the war TO date and dividing II by
the killed and wounded.
II may sound heartless and inhuman,
but IL is fact. nevertheless. that from
a military standpoint 1t Is better for a
man 20 be killed than wounded.
IL q man is killed he Is buried. and
the responsibility Of the government
ceases excepting for the fact that his
people receive a pension. But II a man
is wounded II takes three men from
the firing line. the wounded man and
two men TO carry him to the rear 20
the advanced irst-aid post. Here he Is
attended by q doctor. perhaps assist
ed by two r. A. u. C. men. Then he Is
put into q motor ambulance. manned
By crew Of two or three. At the field
hospital where he generally goes un-
der an anesthetic. either TO have his
wounds cleaned or 10 be operated on.
he requires the services Of about three
TO nve persons From this point an
other ambulance ride impresses more
men in his service. and then at the am
ouiance train. another corps of doc
tors. X. A. NJ. @ men. Red Cross nurses
and the trains crew. From the train
- ~~N~s@ t4st tuct htcptlNi VI tdsuhiIN
clearing station, where a good-sfzed
corps Of doctors. nurses. etc. are kept
busy. Another ambulance journey Is
next In order-ihis time TO the hospital
ship. He crosses the channel. arrives
In Blighty-more ambulances and per
hsps ride for fve hours on an Eng
ukh Red Cross train With IL crew q
Red Cross workers. and at last he
reaches the hospital. Generally he
stays from two 10 six months. or long
er. In this hospital From here he IL
sent TO q convalescent home for six
weeks.
II by wounds he is unified for fur.
ther service. he In discharged. given q
pension. OK commltted To q soldisrss
home for the rest OF his fife-and stfn
the expense piles up. When you real
ize that all the ambulsnces, trains and
ships. not 10 mention the man power.
used In transporting a wounded man.
could be used for supplies. ammunition
and re-enforcements for the troops NJ
the front. II win not appear strange
that from a strictly military stand
pSiut a dead ms n iS soruesfxnas h.s,.~