The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-06-12
TREAT WOUNDED
IN Face OF FOE
Red Cross Workers Refuse tQ
Retreat While There Is
Work To Do.
Incident of Early Spring Offensive Of
Huns on the Somme That Should
Make Americans Proud Of
Their Men.

: Their Men.
Washington.-The story of the part
, America and Americans played in aid
ing the British and the French during
the early spring offensive of the Ger
mans on the Somme can never be ade-
quately told. The whole picture Is too
big to paint on one canvas. 1t is only
by describing the work of individuals
and particular groups of workers that
some idea of the American effort and
Its effectiveness i'm this historic battle
can be brought home to the people
back homeland then only In a small
way.
While it is perhaps only a very
small incident in the history of that
great affair, the story of how a small
band of American Red Cross workers
carried on" at one of the evacuation
hospitals back of the British front
should make Americans proud. When
all but few of the hospital staff had
left with the two hundred or more
| patients and the Germans were adj
vancing only few miles away, four
American army surgeons, assigned to
the American Red Cross for work at
this particular hospital, declared their
intention of sticking till h froze
over" And six Red Cross ambulance
and truck drivers, as well as several
American Red Cross nurses and aides
stuck" with them.
The Americans mac G m
not because of sheer bk SW
cause the hospital had the op. l.
nifty of serving a few wounded Sd
diers from day to day-and could saw,
their lives. And at this writing these
Americans are still there, giving much
needed medical attention to French
and British soldiers who are brought
back to this hospital because it is
the nearest one back of that point of
the line.
Stay on the Job.
The big guns of the British and
French have been planted in the rear
of it-and then moved farther back.
The Boche airmen come over at night.
The little group of Americans have
seen tine troops, guns and transports
go by In streams to points in the rear,
but as long as the wounded are
brought there, these Americans will
stay.
A few hours after American Red
Cross headquarters in Paris learned
of the big German offensive, it di
patched eight trucks and motor an
to this hospital to aid in the eyacua-
tion of the patients. Night and day 4
the Red Cross drivers worked bring
Ing the wounded from the hospital to
Paris. y,
When this had been accomplished
the Red Cross cars went out into the
surrounding country to pick up the
wounded, who were attempting to ~
walk to hospital, and to aid the
refugees struggling along the road.
Besides transporting these two hum
1red or more wounded men to places
II safety, the Red Cross cars aided
l3O refugees to the railroads in three
lays.
But their work had only begun.
Despite the evacuation of the hospital A
lnd the consequent order for more of ~
he staff to accompany the patients tql
POINTS OF safety, the wounded &egj
oming In. Ninety per cent of them
we're serious cases. Practically all
demanded immediate operations. Not AZ
nipple operations, but major ones.
Vhere steady nerve, delicate toucb
nd sure hand were necessary to give
he wounded the best chance for life
Work Night and Day.
Night and day the American SIR
cons worked. There were fau
urses to assist but all were tired
tagged, mentally and
hysically. Every one needed rest
ut there were the men coming IN
very few hours. their bodies pltifully
I'm, and suffering untold agonies. So r
one thought Of stopping, and even
hen one did get few hours off dutv
lere were the big guns only a few
lndred feet from the hospital. Thew
'lched and roared all night.
or course, some Of the cases wor.
'peless and no amount of surpicoI
Ill or medical attention could Save
EN-. Here again the American Red
'oss men came In for more work
icy had to dig the graves and act Il
llbearers. 49, =
One night was especially hs
ctors were kept bysy 1 2 IN
ing room until thu o'cI -
'rning. The nurses Ma
Of rest. One purse only was a
lie. So again the Red Cross - u v
re called upon. One becamo a
the operating surgeon. NJ @
service until The last WOO h
9 rolled finally into his n q
Prevents SUGAR Eauic a.