The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-05
CUMBUS MAY
 BE SENT ID RUSSIA
Former Age-Herald Report CT Does Not Know When
 He is Coming Home


 he entered the service writes from Saris- bury Court, England. that he is soon to leave for further duty in France. Ger many or Russia, and cannot tell whsn he will be able to return to Birmingham. He writes as follows to The Age Herald: "U. s. Army Base Hospital No. 4. saris-
 bury Court. Hants. Eng.
 February g, 1919.
 The hospital here will soon be closed, personnel will be on our way to the place that is mentioned so often in the prayers of the fellows over here eff they say any). and generally termed God s country" by them. So I thought that I would just drop few lines and tell you little about how a base hospital is run over here, from privates stand point
 It has been a comparatively simple matter on this side of the channel In- asmuch as there was no difference 1T, language to deal with and so the French interpreter that we brought across has had to speak his French into our unre- sponsive ears. It was therefore. sim pie matter for our mess sergeant and others who had the buying of articles that could not be brought from the states. This buying was however. him dered to a small extent by the short age of some things in this country.
 ''The number of patients at the hos pital now is not near so large as it has been, owing to the fact that we have been evacuating some to the states al
 
 The hospital was at first intended to ac- commodate 3oO0 patients and at the time Of the armistice could accommodate ap- proximately 1200 to 1500 The original building known as the Manor House. with over 100 rooms accommodated quite a large number, and 12 large build ings of the pressed cinder blocks could accommodate 100 each Besides these buildings there are several hutments for convalescent patients and other pressed cinder block buildings for warehouses. operating rooms, laboratories, X-ray rooms and dressing rooms for wounds
 The Court is about seven miles from Southampton, the nearest city of any size and the nearest railroad station is two miles, so a bus is run to Southamp- ton twice daily by the hospital for the accomm odation of patients or. others de- Siring to visit the city. Being so far rom the GUY there IS d DIE Qen1a1lu TOT entertainment of every kind. One big building is given over to recreation in which the Red Cross serves coffee and sandwiches, the Y. M, c. A. gives en- tertainments of every kind, and last but by no means least, the patients them selves and the medical personnel stage amateur theatricals. Only this afternoon. we had the pleasure of listening to. a selection from Handers Messiah by patient who formerly sang with Alma Gluck. A football and baseball ground is provided and many other sports popu- lar with United States troops wherever they are, are promoted, including bath ing and rowing on the Hamble river that adjoins the estate, when the weath- CT wasn't so bad
 The hospital was begun through the efforts of the Red Cross and the live stock, including a small herd of cat tie, score or more of hogs and num- Der of horses were included. A butcher old time hogl1illing recently and killed nine of the hogs, so we have been hav ing some fresh meat,
 '"The heating, lighting and drainage systems were installed by members of our unit. The sewerage disposal was made under the directions of 8 sergeant graduate of Yale and is said to be along uilTd InOuSTH liItS, anu u ldS pIONtu itself very efficient.
 The entertainment hall of the hos ptal is also the entertainment hall for this section of the country outside of Southampton. When an entertainment is put on or pulled off the whole coun- tryside comes to it and the members of our organization as well as some of the patients have fallen for wiles of the English girls r ..rfSt-. Ia what it did when we marched into it from Southampton the early part of last summer. Where there were smooth beautifully graveled roads are now rut- worn mudholes: swhere we first saw gorgeous flowerbeds that kings had ad- mired, are now dirty portable hutment3 used by the British in the Boer war. and stately frs cedars of Lebanon and oaks have disappeared to be replaced by houses of comfort for the warsiclS heroes of the United states across the channel and from Archangel Russia, and also to be male into lumber for doors and windowsa shes for the buildings
 While all the fellows are still carry ing on at the place here and vii, do so as long as they are needed. willingly yet a glimpse of a prospect for return ing to the dear old Etats Unis will be the best thing they have heard or seen since .hey saw Miss Liberty give us reassuring look as we s:ea med past ner and heard the friendly observation aero planes overhead.
 Well, MT, Stanley, I would surely like to be back in old Birmingham drumming up news for The AgeHerald tonight in stead of being here. but there is also quite bit of work to be done over here yet, so with about nine others I am to be sen. to Trance, Germany or RIssia for duty. I haven't the least idea where hut will drop you a line when I arrive. Very sincerely.