Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-03-15
GERMANS COUCE
OUT AMERICANS
EYES AT FRONT

New York, March S-Stories of Ger
man atrocities upon American soldiers
were told by patients in Army Hospi-
tai No. 1, Columbus Oval, the Bronx.
IN tour of the institution, which was
made UP by special permission of Col
d. F. Duval, commanding medical Of
hcer, yesterday.
Eighty-eight war-wracked soldiers.
back from the muddy inferno of
France, are finding their way back to
health under American skies. They
are the first of the Pershing expedi-
tionary force to go through the iron
'milP' of war.
were granted a permanent DISCHARGE
for physical disability.
"a moderate number of men ara
suffering from mental disorders"
Col Duval said. "Only one case of
actual shell shock has been encoun-
tered. At present the number of &C.
tual bullet wound cases in the hospital
is reduced to the following: Two
blinded, one with loss of arm, one
with loss of leg above the knee, and
one shrapnel case.
''The men are extraordinarily cheer
full. There is never a word of COM
plant. That is probably what helps
them get well so fast"
The laxity of medical boards in
bringing the National Guard and 9TH
er contingents to war strength has
How the Germans did in" twelve
Americans last October was told by
Albert B. Sykes attached to a Divi-
sion Sanitary Corps He ISIS Offering
from paralysis caused by an automo-
bile accident in the confusion of an
air raid. He said:
Twelve infantrymen went out on
q night patrol. They failed to return.
When their bodies were not visible on
no mans land next day every one
concluded that they had been taken
prisoner.
They had been taken prisoner all
right. And they came back to US
the next night. When dawn came,
following the night after their dis
appearance, they were lying out in
front of our trenches.
Every man had his eyes gouged
out. Their bodies were terribly mu-
tilated. In. several cases the hands
| and legs were gone.
About this time 1 was assigned to
dressing station just behind the
| lines. One night a chap simply rid
| died with bomb fragments came
| through our hands. He had been
bombed by a German officer in an
| American uniform in his own trench
THE Germans came over the top
at night, perhaps intending to mingle
with the men. This soldier saw the
imposter come over. When he &C.
| costed him, the German let fly with Il
bomb. wish you could have seen
the American afterward-you never
would have believed that he got we'll
in spite Of it.
'As for that German, he never got
| back to his own lines. WHAT the rest
of our men did to him was a shame
He was shortly one of the deadest
| Germans that this war has produced"
Private Sykes thought he could
! describe trench life until he tried it.
| Then he gave it up, declaring that eff
| I told you how had it really is you'd
think I was Swinging you" But he
admitted that the Americans didn't
seem to mind it ut ALL
Many of the ships in which the
wounded were brought home were
fired on by German submarines. This
brought luck to Walter M. Jones of
Glen Cove, L. l., OF the old 69th, how
ever, according to his fellow patient,
Sergt. William H. Zimmerman, who
is learning to get about without the
eyes he lost in motor truck smash
behind the lines. He said:
Jones was suffering from real
shell-hock. He lost the power of
speech and hearing. And he stayed
deaf and dumb until our transport
left the other side. He was on the
same ship as myself
"a German submarine started
strafing US. Jones was a few feet
away from one of tile ships guns.
When it suddenly went off he found
himself with tongue and ears as fine
as ever. That's the luck of war"
Jones was shocked by a German
65-centimetre shell which fell Is feet
away When he revived, he was in q
field hospital with five shrapnel bull.
lets in his right leg. He thinks thai
the two lieutenants, Allen and Riley
who were with him, were killed out.
. right.
Army Hospital No. 1, most modern
of military hospitals, has now abou,
640 patients, according to Col. Duval
, Of the 25S men who arrived from
France, approximately 10 have beer
sent to other hospitals. Sixty more
after brief stay at the institution
resulted in many men unfit for service
t reaching the trenches, it was learned
l These soldiers appeared to be in th'
{ best of health until they reached the
/ actual scene Of action. Then shell
d explosions knocked their nerves t.
pieces, continued excitement accen