New-York tribune., 1919-05-19
American Memorial Hospital
There To Be Conducted by
Them Until French Can
Take Over Responsibility
Final Chapter of Story
Decorations and Citations
Given by Government of
France for Their Service

C1me as tDe FrcnCn medical authOri-
ties are able to assume the respon-
sbility.
This is the last chapter in the story
Of the women doctors who were sent
abroad by American suffragists as part
Of their war programme. The Memo
rial Hospital at Rheims has been
founded by the American Fund for
French Wounded, but the medical work
will be in charge of fifteen members
of the Women's Overseas Hospital
staff.
All other members Of the overseas
hospital units have returned home
covered with glory, and some even with
decorations. Four women received the
Croix de Gucrre, and the entire staff
of the hospital at the Chateau Ognon
during an air raid last July were cited
Recently DR.. Mabel Seagrave has been
decorated by the French government
for her work in Nancy since the armis-
tice.
BY Light of Lanterns
One group from the Women's Over
seas Hospitals found themselves in the
midst of the great German drive last
them while they worked over the
wounded pouring in from the battle
field.
With the signing of the armistice
they were ordered into Germany with
the French amy of occupation, but
were halted at Metz bv the great num-
bers of Allied prisoners needing at
tention. They set up a hospital of
150 beds for influenza victims, and
then were sent to Cambria to care for
the refugees in cooperation with the
American Commission for Belgian Re-
lief. DR.. Caroline Finley is on duty
somewhere in Germany"
The National American Woman Suf-
frage Association organized the over
seas hospital in 1917, with q fund of
S125000 collected from suffrage organi-
cations ali over the country. This was
later augmented by $4,000 raised by
the Women's Apparel Unit, women en-
gagged in all branches Of the garment
trade, who wished to show their SYM
pathy for the land of fashions in it's
hour of affliction.
The women first offered their ser
vices to the United States, but Sur
geon General Gorgas replied that under
the rules no women could be enlisted.
France, however, accepted their offer
with alacrity.
Unit No. 1, headed by DR.. Finley,
was the one caught in the North Of
France at Chateau Ognon during the
German drive. Unit No. 2, headed by
DR.. Marie Formand and Or. Alice
Gregory, was sent to Labouheyre.
where its one-hundred- bed hospital
became the hospital centre for the en-
tire Department Of Landes. The work
of equipping it with running water,
electricity, and the inside furnishing
with shelves, closets and stoves was
done by women mechanics and a
plumber, who were members of the
original American woman staff.
Since the armistice the fifty build
ings Of the Labouheyre Hospital have
been taken over by the French govern
ment for tuberculosis hospital and
the American women sent to assist in
the refugee hospital at Nancy.
Unit No. was organized last sum-
mer as gas hospital. In June the
French government asked the Ameri-
can women to establish 900-bed hos
pltal for the care of gassed patients,
The doctors sailed at once and served
in French hospital, but the trucks,
ambulances and litters were held I'D In
the tonnage congestion until too late
Tor use. After the armistice the doc
tors and nurses moved on to Nancy
where they founded the Jeanne d'Arc
Hospital in half demolished building,
formerly occupied as girls boarding
school. DR.. Marie Louise Lefort, head
OF the gas unit, has been head not only
Of the work in Nancy but Of twenty
other dispensaries in the villages of
Lorraine.
The Jeanne dare Hospital was
closed recently, to the deep regret of
the American women, as expressed In
the following farew ell letter of Miss
Leslie Cameron, one of the nurses:
I'VE all see the WISDOM" she wrote,
"of leaving this field to the now de-
modified French doctors Still. we
feel genuine regret in turning from
the last few months Of successful &C.
tivity to needy but untried centres
fourther north.
Story Told in Figures
'1n the three months since the OPEN
Ing Of the hospital, January S, 28O
patients have been cared for. TWENTY
three major operations performed by
DR.. Formad have been successful, and
we have had also seventy-two minor
operations and 180 medical cases
Seventeen French babies have been
helped into the world.
1--WE opened with fifty beds on Janu-
ary s, when we were told that refugees
were returning from Germany at the
rate Of 800 or 1000 day. That night
the camions began coming with their
loads Of French women. They had
travelled in box cars. with straw for
warmth, very little food. and depressed
by the knowledge that the homes to
winch they were travelling were but
heaps Of debris.
"One aid helped an old woman
eighty-three years old into bed. She
had pneumonia and her mind was wan
dering. The aid followed a thin, culver
ing hand under the pillow, and found
IT clutching crust of mouldy bread.
She pulled 1t away, with a crv like
that Of frightened animal. and
though the aid told her she should
have fresh, warm food she could not
understand, and VIC left her clutchino
her pitiful treasure and whispering to
herself 'Vive la France!'
These arc tho things VIC rcmemb.r