Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-13


ment we are feeding-not giving drinks
ana sandWiches-but giving hot meals to
l'oV'U" French soldiers every month.
CApplause) Now. we have not only given
them the meals, but we have great rec
reation halls where they sit and have
their dinners and sit and talk and make
merry. Then we have the big barracks
IKE lumbermens barracks, with hunks
along the walls. on plans that we and the
rehch Government agreed on Then We
nave shower baths where they can battle
and we are putting in a system of disin-
fectlng machinery SO that the mems
ciothes while they are bathing their per
soilS are run through this disinfectinR
machinery where the vermin are killed,
and then they get their clothes and q,
home in different frame of mind than
before
How to Beat the Boche.
Those people were so glad that they di.l
not use the hunks at first but they "a,
and talked and sang and wondered al
what America was doing for them. 7
nave IN my pocket here a statement
from general officer Of the Army. Tie
SAID the only thing that matters in This
war is to beat the Boche and to accom-
plish this the all important factor il ne
morale of the men. This YOU have done
huch 10 uphold, and the atmosphere Won
create Is more valuable than even Won
can realize Your work is that of main
tanning the morale of the Americans ,nd
the French and the Allies. and T wish -
thank You in our name ana tha+ oe I'LL,
eFd retain. Your canteens have boo,
~ ~ ana kept up to high standard
Let the men know that they are being
edieo ior not as men only but as friends
ana mat makes them prefer vour 90,
teens 10 the wine shops. The mor.,o ~
never been better than now. naed ~.
'eh you feel strongly on this subieot
aiiu am talking to you as man to man
am speaking not only for MYSELF but
Tor General Petain He feels as do y
"aro you and your work and he endorses
every word l have said
IN connection with our canteen worl, r
cannot let that go by without snea1.ir,
OF the magnificent piece of wor,, which
mas peen done by the finest American
Noiiidh ! ever knew-Mrs William L
vanderbilt. Mrs. Vanderbilt has wor,o,-
IKE Wheel-horse not only a, tho .,.:
can ahoulances but at all of our cam
enu "heh we went to Italy and
".eu ana asked her to come to Italy and
't'he charge of the American Women,s
Oanteeh over there. she got out of = sic,,
peo' ana came there and did one Of III.
pie'tlest pieces of work you ever saw
we nave loo American women at thesa
ana the way they work and the
they show, and the long hours
'hey endure when it is necessary ,,o,,o
ohe OF the finest tributes nor on,,, 70
american women but to women al a.
'he world that has ever been soon l.n
rlau' Inc only trouble we have with
'Nese women is that they are always trv-
ins 70 get up where they can get shel,ed
daughter) eu
w. Santeens at Railway Stations.
"e nave IN addition to these c,ntoo
cahteens which we are operatine y.
principal railway stations, in par,s y.
wen as outside of Paris, where me- f,,u
"iches' cigarettes and little
e'ieah nags, and things of that sort
to great number of men every day.
We are furnishing supplies to about $500
French hospitals, medical and hospital
supplies. We are operating a number of
hospitals in France for the benefit Of the
French army and the civilian popula ton.
We are carrying for our own army a
number Of important rest stations where
our soldiers are taken care of if anything
happens to them. on their way from the
ports to other permanent stations. We
have accumulated in France an almost
incalculable store of hospital supplies OF
every description that can be used for our
men, practically every kind: and we have
these not in Paris. but we are crowding
them all out to the points near where our
men will go in. (Applause) And as far
as 1t is humanity possible for the Red
Cross to care for our sick and wounded,
provision has been made to do it. Gap
plause.)
We are installing a plan to furnish nj
trous oxide gas. We will manufacture
and furnish it to all our hospitals. 1t is a
gas which can be used as an anaesthetic
in cases where the patient is too weak to
take ether; and DIR. Grille, who Is one of
the greatest authorities on that subject
in the world, is of the opinion that the
use of this gas in our Army will save
many lives of our boys who would die
under ordinary anaesthetic. We are put
ting in a system of movable ice plants,
which can be used to manufacture ice for
our soldiers in the summer time. We are
furnishing them with all kinds of sup
plies which are made up by the women or
this country: and you do not know what
it means to the man over there to get
wooden mufTler, or sweater or good warm
socks, especially in the weather such as
this You do not understand over here
what a sock is. Qaughter)
l could go on with this thing forever
and l suppose you are afraid l will.
Gaughter) There are many things
can tell you about. We haven't any pub
ilicity department on the other side that is
worth a hang. We are going to try to
remedy that. but we have great one
here. and they have the facts and can
keep YOU posted Some Of the facts are
not as big. but they are just as interest
ing as the big things. which are OF more
moment just now.
The Job in Italy.
Now. in Belgium we are dong practl-
t,a,I,, N. same work as in France. In
I,alv our iob was an emergency JOB. At
4