The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-01-02

Soldiers in Hand at Port Of Debar-
kation-ReIatives Are Notified After
! Men Are Debarked From Transports
Wounded and Sick Are Being Sent
! Home First.
How are the sick and wounded SOL
iiers, coming back to America in in
,reasing but happily not very large
lumbers being cared for in that try
ng period between their arrival on
| transports and their distribution
among our widely scattered recon-
struction hospitals? Is the govern
| nent leaving anything to chance, omit
ting any service that might contribute
70 the patients comfort or recovery?
There is a story in Che answer to
these questions. 1t ought to be sup
| plemented and illustrated by scenes
visualize, but cannot be until the war
department. gives consent. But even
as 1t stands it is story reassuring
to home folk wondering if all the way
across the Atlantic and through the,
home port and on trains bound inland
Or to the Pacific coast their boys are
getting the treatment they deserve
and Uncle Sam is pledged to give.
Sick to Come Home First.
A great majority of the soldiers
sailing to war passed through the port
| of New York, and through this port,
whether well or disabled, will great
majority return. The army port of
embarkation is also the port of
| debarkation. Machinery built for swift
| dispatch Of troops to Europe reverses
| itself, as it were, and distributes
| throughout America the soldiers whom
it aforetime gathered up and propelled
across the ocean.
| But before the companies and regi-
ments of the well, the unhurt, are
started back from France all the
wounded or sick will have come ahead
of them. That is the war depart
ment's policy, to bring home the sick
and wounded first. They are coming
now and have been for some time, and
after the shortest possible sojourn in
debarkation hospitals are segregated
and passed along to a reconstruction
hospital as close as possible to their
homes, there to be discharged If their
condition warrants it, or to be treated
for special disabilities, or to complete
the period of convalescence.
To receive these incapacitated SOL
| diers; to make smooth their hard
path; to be prepared for their coming;
to make the distribution process swift,
sure and merciful; to see that every
thing is provided for until the distant
| destination is reached-that is the CO.
| operative job of the medical depart
ment of the port of debarkation and
the American Red Cross. So this is
the story of how the job is done. Off
cially it is "the plan of handling the
sick returned from overseas service"
The New York port of embarkation
and debarkation-really includes all
the coast from Baltimore to Canada,
but its work is directed from Hoboken.
The surgeon of the port, who has
charge of the reception and care of
invalided troops, is Col. James MI Ken
nedy, medical corps, U. S. A. He is
the sanitary adviser of the command
ing general of the port, William v.
Judson.
Every Facility for Medical Care.
The following facts were obtained
from Colonel Kennedy and are official:
Sick and wounded soldiers are
brought from Europe on army trans
ports having every hospital facility.
Each transport has normally good
sized hospital, which may be expanded
to accommodate any number of men.
Every patient has more than enough
room. One of the great liners con-
verted into troopship may have
carried 10000 men to France, but as
hospital ship it brings back only a
thousand or so. The medical attend
ance for the returning soldiers has
been uniformly satisfactory.
The transport arrives off quaran-
tine. 1t Is boarded there by two medi-
cal officers detailed for this purpose
by the port surgeon. They ascertain
the number and classes of the sick,
the pier and hour at which the ship
will dock. One of them stays aboard,
arranging for debarkation.
The other returns to the quarantine
station and telephones his information
to the Office Of the surgeon of the port
In HobOken. The surgeon then sends
harbor boat with a party of medical
officers and men to the designated
pier. He also notifies the Red Cross,
which turns up at the pier with all the
supplies, food and drink needed by the
soldiers about to land, and something
to spare for emergencies. If a soldier
has been sent over with nothing but
hospital clothes the Red Cross in
stantly provides him with blanket
robe,- linen, wool boots and crutches
IL he needs them, from the boats
nUuinmpnt