Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-27
RED CROSS OFFERS
LAUNDRY SERVICE
Men at Walter Reed Given
Notice That Facilities Are
Provided.
FUNDS TO PAY FOR COST

laundry done for them by the Red
Cross. This announcement was made
this afternoon by Leslie n. Getchell,
director of the Potomac Division of
the Red Cross
Cards are being printed by the Red
Cross giving information to the
men that if they have any laundry
to be washed and leave it with the
Red Cross attendant it wilr be at
tended to. A card will be placed
on the bed of every MANNED man as
soon as they are printed.
Mr.. Getchell said the Red Cross had
sufficient funds for this purpose and
that it had done washing in the past
for men who had applied.
Col. Edward r. Scbreiner, Commandant
of Walter Reed Hospital, today declined
the request of The Star that it be al
lowed to send wagon to the hospital
to collect the soled clothes of the
MANNED soldiers and have them laun-
dered
He said the quartermaster's depart
ment was out today inquiring among
the laundries as to having the work
| done. The men will be charged a
nominal fee-about S1.25 month
be said. and the difference will be
made up by the Army.
A few minutes, before he told of the
Quartermasters department action
Col. Schreiner said that there was no
appropriation available for having
the work done. He did not explain
how the quartermaster's department
would get the appropriation to cover
the difference between what the men
will pay and what the laundry will
charge.
Calls Idea Charity"
Col Schreiner characterized the
idea of having the MANNED soldiers
clothes laundered as charity and
/ said that the Red Cross stood ready
to do the work if the request was
made by the soldiers. He admitted,
however, that the wounded soldiers
have been doing their own washing.
but said that arrangements were be-
| ing made to have it done for them.
Pajamas for Undertaking.
Many manned soldiers at the hospi-
| tai are using pajamas for underc1oeh-
ing, while others have suspended the
use of undergarments until they re-
turn to their homes or to camps near
| their homes. where their mothers, their
sisters or their friends would do their
| laundry. Hospital authorities attend
to the washing OF pajamas or night
shirts, it tissexpfained, but underclo thu
| ing and other clothing must be wash
ed by the men themselves, or at their
charge.
1T is humiliating to be told that in
order to keep my muscles from atro-
plying I must wash my clothes" said
man who had lost his leg at Chateau
Thierry. Il am wearing my pajamas. /
am doing this because they wash our
night clothes. but won't wash our day
clothes.
"They never told us they would treat
US this way when they ordered us into
action or when they told us we had
the honor of helping to make the
world safe for democracy"
A soldier from Ohio, walking with
evident pain on two crutches, said
as soon as he was able to put on his
clothes he was required to do his own
washing or not have it done. He
declared that though the weather
was cold he had dispensed for time
with the use of underclothing. He
couldn't endure the idea of washing
it in the common bathtub
Senator Thomas Speaks.
Senator Thomas of Colorado had a
few things to say today of the mill
tary regulation which makes it
necessary for the crippled soldiers at
Walter Reed Hospital to do their own
washing.
If I were to give you my real
opinion and ciothe my thoughts in
language which would fit you
couldn't print what I would say" said
the Colorado statesman. why, we
are spending our money like drunken
sailors to feed the bolsheviki abroad.
while we are allowing the people at
home to go to hades. We just voted
| 500 100000 to help the people of Eu-
rope and we are allowing the boys
who gave their blood and their limbs
for their country to do their own
xxyaS Shinp IFS a Id Shame'
i Senator Thomas was told that Col.
Schreiner, the superintendent of the
hospital, said Walter Reed was giving
the men all the government allowed.
Then. if Walter Reed is giving
the men all the government allows.
our government must be lopT.ded
affair" said Senator Thomas. 1.-The
government is willing, If / know the
government, to give the men all they
need for their comfort. If money is
needed Congress will vote it. God
knows we vote it for everything else,
no matter whether merit is apparent
or not.
"I am too indignant to say any more
on this subject. l don't want to burn
any asbestos"
Number of D. c. Boys There.
A number of Washington boys are
at the hospital, but it was impossible
to ascertain their names or to dis
cover whether or not their friends
were attending to their laundry or
other comforts.
s"You see," it was explained. "the
-sgulations don't permit us to give
out names, and unless you come here
with specific name or set of names
of men we are unable to tell you just
who are here from the District
One hundred and four men will
leave the establishment for various
camps this evening. The camps to
which they go will be near their own
homes.
Now We'll get our laundry done
and we'll see mother" said boy who
is going to Camp Sherman, Ohio, as
he put his hand affectionately on the
shoulder of comrade who is to make
the journey with him. Each had left
a leg in France.
Gen. March to Investigate.
Gen. March, chief of staff. appearing
before the Senate military affairs COM
mittee today, was questioned by sew
eral members of the committee in re-
gard to conditions at Walter Reed
Hospital. particularly with reference
to the report published in The Star
that the patients at the hospital were
compelled to wash their own clothes