The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-05-09

ARMY ~ gong nome,
and 1t Is going home happy. / saw s.
600 of them sail for home today, and
I've beer praising myself on my moral
courage ever since. How l eve re-
sisted the temptation to sneak on board
with them is more than I can figure
out. Their hilarious happiness was
infectious enough to make q stone dog
wag his tail.
They shouted, they sang, they
danced. The Oldest and most moss
covered joke got a hearty laugh. Past
hardships, dangers and troubles were
forgotten only thoughts of the Home
land and all that IT can mean to a
homesick boy occupied their minds.
At the docks where the big trans
ports are tied up. huge sheds a hun
dred feet wide and a thousand or more
in length have been constructed with
roofs and sides of corrugated iron.
Special rooms, with warm fires, have
been set aside for the wounded, the
stretcher cases occupying one and the
walking wounded another. Here Red
Cross nurses are bustling, accom-
panied with orderlies with trays of
steaming coffee and sandwiches. Some
nurses lift the mems heads tenderly,
tuck a pillow beneath sc they car as
sumo a sitting posture without effort
while eating. The others give them
new pajamas, handkerchief full of ciga-
rettes and sweets and other comforts.
Joy of Going Home.
At the Red Cross canteen, in the
center of the room, the counters are
snow-white and piled high with sand
witches. Behind the counters Ameri-
can women In blue gowns and white,
starched head-dreSses welcome the
dCughboys with a smile as they "dig
in."
Say, can I take any word back to
the OF Statue of Liberty for your
asks one lad with a grin of Joy that
stretches from ear to ear, as the wom-
en- pour hot coffee and hand out the
sandwiches.
In a winding line they weave past
the canteen and then are directed
across the way to another counter.
Here they pass by two more Red Cross
workers, who hand them a khaki hand
kerchief, package Of chewing gum and
two packages of cigarettes.
$"Good-by, good luck" says the
American girl, as she hands out a
handkerchief.
One doughboy Is see to use the
handkerchief Immediately. A lump
has suddenly contracted In his throat,
and there Is a blur before his eyes.
He is only a boy, and his Joy has
reached a climax when the American
woman smiled at him and wished him
good luck.
AS a big, strapping chap lumbers UP
to the counter and holds put his hand
rather sheepishly: pheasant voyage
and a fine reunion with the old folks"
says the girl with a smile. The sheep
ish look disappears in a flash, the big
chap looks grave, and with a courte-
Gus nod, he answers: "Thank you
I'll tell the folks how fine you've been
to u.s." It's the girls turn to choke
a bit.
Caring for the Wounded.
Outside, meanwhile, the stretcher
and the walking wounded have
been slowed comfortably aboard the
big liner. Fall In !" There is a
scramble for company formation and
all thoughts turn to the boat. AS the
officers march down the line, giving a
last inspection, eyes become a bit wor-
ried and fearsome. Suppose they are
looking for some M to keep back?
Maybe the boat can't take all Of the
men assigned to it!
The strain is awful. Then the order
is given to move forward to the exit
of the shed and onto the gang-plank.
AS each man passes out his name Is
checked, and at the top of the gang
plank his squad is tolled off and es-
corted to quarters.
Whistles tcot, the stevedores unlOose
the hawsers. The band plays on the
top deck. Men climb into the masts
and rigging. The rails are lined with
them. They shout. they scream, they
iuuSu, ticy cry.
Another regiment has gone home.
To the layman 1t sounds easy,
doesn't 1t? Two hundred thousand
men a month, or approximately $4,000
from each Of the three main embarka-
ton ports In France-Bordeaux, Saint
NGzaire and Brest! There shouldn't
be any difficulty about that.
Well, just listen a moment to the
difficulties of the actual work:
First, there is the priority of wound
ed men on the embarkation lists. Ev-
cry man able to stand the journey Is
being sent as soon as possible to Amer
lea.
But a wounded or sick imam, cannot
be taken immediately from the, hos
pital train at the port to the boat. And
unfortunately, the trains and boats
don't arrive together. So he must BE
taken to a hospital at or heal the port.
His transportation from train to hos
pital. his care there and his transpor-
tation from the hospital to the boat re-
Quire labor and time.
The handling and ARE of the wound
nh aInn hnwrA 49, 80