New-York tribune., 1919-02-25

struction wrought by the Germans.
st is my opinion that this so-called
reconstruction Of France and Belgium
cannot possibly be started for some
time. l don't expect q great deal of
construction business for iron and
steel for some time. Ultimately it will
come.
81 spent three days at Brest and had
lunch with the enlisted men. | was
favorably impressed with the camp,
and found the food excellent. Of
course Brest is not Fifth Avenue. 1t
is place where things cannot be done
expeditiously, but what has been done
reflects great credit on those responsl-
BILE"
Captain Astor Arrives
Among the saloon passengers on the
Olympic was Captain John Jacob Astor,
second son of Baron William Waldorf
Astor, and who lost a leg at Cambrai
September l. 1918.
Captain Astor, tall, spare man,
walked ashore with the aid of two
canes and braces attached to his
elbows. He had been in active service
on the Western Front for three and
one-half years and was twice wounded.
This wound which cost ME the loss
Of my left leg" he said occurred
ABOUT p. m. on September /. I was
then with Battery 520 of the Roval
Garrison Artillery, known as the House
hold Siege Battery, because it was
from the Household Cavalry, which I
had commanded. The Germans were
endeavoring TO drive US back, and were
keeping up an incessant fire
Il had become used to shells whiz-
zing about us, but I gave heed to the
one. that dropped me. 1t was a high
explosive missile and charged heavily
with gas. 1t struck very close to me,
killing one man and wounding two who
were near me.
Fifteen Wounds in Body
MY left leg was badly shattered, and
That night, in the hope of saving nv
life, they amputated the limb at an
evacuation hospital They said they
found fifteen wounds in my body and
discovered the she'll also had broken
my arm. Efter q month in hospital
In France | was removed to England" :"
Captain Astor said he had not been
to New York in twenty years. After
transacting some business in this CITY
he will go to Palm Beach.
Captain Astor was accompanied bv
his wife, who was Lady Violet Minto,
daughter of the late Earl Mimic. Gov
erAor General of Canada and Vicerov
of India.
Captain and Lady Astor were met at
the pier by Earl Mimic, Lady Violet's
brother, who inherited the title at the
death Of his father
Another traveller on the Olympic
was Rear Admiral W. II. G. Billiard.
y. S. N, who had been in command of
the American fleet operating in the
Adriatic. The waters of this sea. he
said, were still filed with mines and nd
vessels from all the Allied powers
were sweeping for them.
The Italians he said, ''are doing
the greater part of the work but we
are all helping as best we can. There
were about ten or twelve of our de-
stroyers operating in the Adriatic
when 1 left"
3,515 Enlisted Negroes
The Olympic left Brest February Is
with 5,846 officers, men and civilian
war workers, including The 365th In
fantry complete. This organization
consisted of 124 officers ard 3.515 en-
listed negroes.
She warped into her .ier against
d stiff ebb tide. and had a Slight list to
starboard as ali of her soldier passen-
ger complement crowded tc the land
side to shout to the crowds that
JaE.med tne Wnlte Star pier
The Olympic looked like a huge black
craft as she steamed up the river. Fif-
teen tugs helped push her into the
dock and the steam from this small
craft dulled the cheers OF the home
comers. A band on the pier end sot
little notice until it played, "How Dry
| Am" Then there was g response
from thousands on the liner.
CocS,rl. Cot>roI
Among the saloon passengers on the
Olympic was Joseph A. Steinmetz, Of
the National Research Coancil; Colonel
Il. Roustem -Bek, colonel of Russian
Cossacks, and the Very Rev George
J. Waring, vicar general for the A.
lantic seaboard and chancellor to Bis
hop Hayes of this city. He has been
on trip of inspection in France, Boz
gium and Italy, and conferred with
nearly all the Roman Catholic chap
lains in service.
Father Waring said ae had seen
Father Duffy recently in France and
that the famous chaplain of the seth
was in excellent health and spirits.
> 00O Troons And HON