The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-08-01
DISABLED SOLDIERS
ARE SUBJECTED TO
|NHUMAN TREATMENT
Shell Shocked and Gassed Heroes of
European Battles Herded With
Insane in American Hospitals.

Some months ago Hawley's Weekly
c,lled attention to the fact that troops
from France, shocked, gassed
and wounded, whose minds had giver
wav in the trenches. had been brought
hack to America and were herded int
St Elizabeth's insane asylum 1lone
With the degenerate and criminal in
sane Denals, that denied nothing we
had printed were followed by ex
cuses, and then came promises tina
conditions would be rcmedied as soon
as it wah humanity possible to do SO
This was before the armistice was
signed in November.
The other day we went over to ST.
FIizabeth's to see some of these BOYS
For while we looked over the beau
ttiful grounds and well-kept buildings
and then went to some of the wards
where casual visitors do not 60 w.
had been told that the soldiers and
sailors were segregated from the I'm
fortunates who are picked up in the
streets and taken sometimes from the
s1ums, but this was a mistake.
Horrible Environment.
We were taken through manv
wards. where we saw hundreds Of
men and bows cooped up in long
Doorly-lighted corridors. Manv Of
Them wore army and navy uniforms
or the remnants of them. Others
were civilians, dressed as fancy die
lated. Some were disheveled and
others were naked. Some were quite
mad They shrieked and cursed and
palloped about and threatened to
fight. Why all the inmates were not
reduced to this state by their environ
ment we do not know. Others were
huddled under the benches that line
the wall, and refused to come out or
to speak. Some were timid and fearful
and would not approach strangers
Some were bruised and cut
Many of the soldiers stood with
folded arms; others sat stolidly' upon
the benches and stared vacantly at the
walls in blank despair. Others sat
on the window stills and peered
throug the bars out into the sun
shine. Some of them were manfestly
in a condition bordering on the hope
less, while others talked coherently
and asked that messages of various
kinds be delivered for them Many
of them hoped to be released in few
days. while others. ashamed of their
condition or environment, covered
their faces or skunk away.
Manv Carry Battle Scars.
In these corridors we saw soldiers
who carried scars from the Argonne.
scissors and Chateau hierry; sail
Tor whose mind had failed after eleven
months at Dnnkirk; another who had
collapsed mentally after many months
in a Turkish prison camp and an
other who had broken down in the
sub-chasing service. These men, and
many others who had had similar ex-
periences, we talked with in those
sunless corridors.
We talked with the guards and
asked them what amusement, recre--
alton, or occupation the men had and
were told that nothing was provided
except walk. They were supposed
to be taken out for an airing every
morning or afternoon, but this did not
always happen. One guard said that
none of the 81 occ-nants of his ward
had been out in three weeks. The
barber came and shaved them twice
once a week. They were supposed to
get tobacco ration, but each guard
to'a a different version of the amount
and frequency of the ration. None
had tobacco. Many be~~ed for It
and were very grateful for few CT
garettes.
Doctors Are Scarce.
We asked what, if any, attention
the individual soldier got in this hos
pital," and were told that they got
only what we saw. Doctors were
scarce and as each had to watch oven
several hundred patients" there was
little opportunity w, re the inaiviu.
ual much attention. We asked Il the
soldiers were not kent in condition
by setting-up exercises, as they had
been accustomed to in the army, and
We went to wards where bed-rid-
den men were housed. A well-built
man of rs with a tattered nightgown
(his only clothing) rolled about his
neck, cried plaintively for his mother;
His nerves were completely shattered
and he cried all day. On the bed ad,
joining him a handsome lad OF ~
stared hopelessly. Under the next
bed a naked soldier was huddled, and
SO on, through the ward. There were
no nurses and no attendants, except
a youth who carried the keys, and this
was true of the other wards.
No Sunshine for Them.
We asked If these sick men were
ever rolled out in the sunshine, and
the answer was mo" Such thing
was never heard Of. They rarely it
ever had a caller. Most OF them
seemed not to have any people.
We asked il they were ever taken
out motoring in army trucks, rs the
wounded from the hospitals are, and
we were told that the government
provided nothing Of the sort,
II is hard to believe that American
soldiers are subjected to this treat
ment.
We would not have believed it il we
had not seen II. and now that we have
seen it we shall never forget It,