Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-12
NE OF the burning questions Of
the day is the treatment Of
the sick and wounded of the

me OAy Is INC tTedlueuI ok
~ the sick and wounded of the
Army in their return from the
scenes Of their efforts on behalf of
their country to their homes. There
are many complaints, and many of
them are well founded, and in many
respects the methods can be improved
A careful investigation shows the fol-
lowing to be facts: On November II,
when the armistice was signed, 1872
600 sick and wounded Americans were
in United States hospitals in France,
fact then known to the War Depart
ment. considerable number of these
We're but slightly wounded, and were
either ready or soon would be for
discharge and return to duty. They
numbered about 10000, and most of
them have been discharged. Some of
the cases are fatal, and more cannot
be moved for months Preparation Tor
the reception and treatment OF these
returning cases was begun months
ago, and the War Department author
lied everything that money can buy
to make them comfortable. Something
more than $4,000 hospital beds are
prepared for them, more than fuii
complement of medical officers and
nurses are waiting for the arrival of
their charges. Bedding. provisions,
medicines, surgical instruments ana
appliances--everything that skill ana
foresight can provide--are awaiting
the delivery OF the sick.
Maj. Cen Il. l.. Noble, now assistant
surgeon general on duty in France,
was in charge of the hospital division
and he left nothing undone that could
be done. Ninety-t!Ve per cent OF the
medical officers are the best that Sur
Etanprnl (nrc1S could select
from civil life. Seven hospitals for
the treatment of special cases are To-
Gated throughout the country mostly
in the eastern part of the country, IN
order to be at once near the center or
the dense population and nearer the
point Of debarkation. There tubercu-
lar, ear and eye, amputatlon. mental
and other cases are to be taken Tor
especial treatment without regard 10
their home location, and there 1t is
safe to say they will find the best OK
perts In the United States ready to
do everything possible to secure re-
covery. The War Department has
made the practical order that the
wounded, il they need the special
treatment. shall be returned either
to one of the special hospitals or
taken to hospital near their homes
This information was officially given
and appears to be reliable, and thus
it seems that preparation for the re-
ception of the wounded in the hos
pitfalls has been thorough and ample.
However, the same pains have not
been taken for the transfer of the
patients to the transports, or for their
transfer from the vessels to the
hospitals. The trouble begins In
France and is taken up again on their
arrival in New York or at Newport
News The men do not arrive at the
transports in good condition; they are
frequently in an uncleanly condition
as result of the long ride on the
hospital train, of which the Army has
forty, and often nave oeen some Time
without food
But the worst feature of this part
of the Homecoming is that they usu-
ally arrive unclassified. Often their
cards are wholly missing. so that the
naval medical officers on the trans
ports are ignorant of their medical
history--and they never are classi-
fed so that on debarkation it is i'm
possible for the receiving officers to
know to what hospital patient is to
be sent--whether to one for special
treatment or to one near his home,
and there is nothing to denote where
the mans home is.
Added to this is the fact that
whereas Surgeon General Ireland had
been instructed to prepare for the re-
ception of cases at the rate of 10000
a month, they have been debarked at
double that rate. The result has been
congestion at the debarkation hos
pitfalls, and the consequent necessity
of transferring the surplus to out
lying hospitals. This had not been
contemplated, transportation was not
available and the wounded who are
not ill--which is quite usual-have
often to move afoot and often suffer
hunger on the way. Surgeon General
Ireland has recognized the source Of
the trouble and is arranging to put
a contingent of Army medical officers
on the transports to make CLASH
fication on the way over and thus
insure a better distribution of the
patients upon arrival.
X
X x
uCONDITIONS have been very bad
in the camp at Brest, but they
are improving" says the report Of
Maj. Gen. Harboard to the Secretary
Of War. and it seems to be an accurate
and moderate statement of a condition
which on the whole is highly repre-
hensible Sensational reports repre-
sent the camp as a good wallowing
place for swine. and even goes SO far
as to assert that soup is served in gar
bage cans. The article that has gone
the rounds Is filled with the atrocity
of compelling the fragile who have
been in training of the stiffest sort
for at least six months to wash their
own mess kits and to perform other