Evening star., 1918-07-13
SHRAPNEL
Sidelights on the War
-BY-
OLIVER OWEN KnHN.
OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

Woman surgeons have been doing
wonderful work in the hospitals al
the front and under great difficulties,
too. In describing a scene at one OF
the hospitals during an enemy air
raid British nurse said:
Lights had to be put into the build.
ing in the operating theater. The
operations, including amputations. by
the light of two candles and with the
Instruments on the table jumping
about through the vibration; caused
by the explosions. We later found q
trainload of wounded had been lying
near the point where the bombs fell
but they escaped HARM.
Forty thousand persons are report
ed to be going about barefooted In
Budapest.
When a group of Chinese laborera
working behind the front in France
go into a shop and one of them flnds
that he has not enough money to make
desired purchases he usually appro-
PIRATES such funds as he needs from
a companion. no objections being
raised.
Though intense interest generally
prevails in the war 1t nevertheless
is true that many people are besieg-
ing librarians to give them books with
mo war" in them, that they may have
a mental rest.
That's what everyone is asking me
for now" said one assistant librarian
YEARLY: "a new book with no war IN
it, and when one does come in It's III
terrible demand. People tell me that
often they cannot sleep until thes
be hook that takes their minds OF
the war entirely. I do it myself.
And what do you read?'' l asked
curiously.
well. when go home and the war
news is bad. and I get the blues think-
ing of my boy out there. always take
one of Jane Austen's to bed with me
I know them all pretty well by heart
but Just to read n couple OF chapters
of Pride ard Prejudice. or Emma, ,
takes me right out of myself ieei
rs if We're in different Worio
everyone is calm and refined. l always
sleep soundly afterwards.
AS the number of servants allowed
to s,unroom on British WarshiI
is only sufficient to attend TO me
mess clean falls upon the ofncers
themselves. One midshipman Is re-
spon sfble for the brass stove pipe an
other for the curtains, and so on
these being known as their cieahlne
stations. Twice a day, pefore iuncf
and before dinner. the mess is cleared
up-paper slowed neatly away anc
Iovercoats, golf clubs. fishing tackle
etc. all put away in their proper
places The actual sweeping anc
scrubbing out of the mess is done b,
the servants.
The senior sub-lieutenant is the
mess president and is personally re-
sponsible to the commander OF the
ship for all things connected with the
gunroom. He is also in loco PARENTS
to the young midshipmen, and it is
his duty not only to see that they be-
have themselves as officers and gen
tlemen, but also to interest himsei'
in their physical and moral welfare
Offenders are dealt with briefly but
effectively, the most usual punish.
ment being half dozen cuts witt
benjamin" the subs cane.
should the Germans capture Rheims
there will be a world shortage Of
eharnpa gne. SIN the cellars beneath
eo. goo. 900 bottles. Their value Is
rlaced roughly at s1D0,00o,00o.
When I interrupted the course of :
piece of shrapnei I felt that horst
had kicked me- said an American
soldier at the front.
In caring for the wounded ever!
man that can lend hand. no matter
what his nationality or station. IL
pressed into service by the British. a
sergeant ordered captured German
officer to lend hand at stretcher
Il am an officer" he protested.
Don't care if you're a scarlet fielt
marshal" said the sergeant. Get holt
of that stretcher or you'll lose YOU
bloomin' commission"
He got hold of the stretcher-ant
probably saved his own life and an
others
The utter desolation of "clfnk." tn,
Tommy's slang name for militar!
prison, bears heavily on all men. Usu
ally the soldier says he would mucf
rather face the bullets of the enem.
than spend a week within the con
fines of any bastile.