The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-07-23

| TrOubl0uS Times In The Near East
Miss Edith Wood, a Rising Sun
girl who saw active service as Red
Cross nurse in Europe during the
World War and is now with the
corps of nurses doing relief work in
the Near East, writes from Con-
stantinople to friends here of the
thrilling experience of the Unit to
which she is attached, it being neces-
sary for them to get out of the coun-
try on account of the uprising of the
treacherous Turk. Miss Wood sends
a copy of "The Acorne," of May 15,
1920, published at Constantinople by
the Near East Relief Committee, and
says:
Have had a hectic time since I
left the U. S. A. This little paper
gives some of the brighter details OF
our evacuation. We left thousands
of orphans behind us to starve or be
massacred. Has been an absolutel
heart breaking business. Tomorrow
start for the interior of Asia
Minor to an American relief station.
Go by Govt. motor truck and OK cart.
Because of the unsettled political
conditions in the Caucasus and the
continued victories of the Bolsheviks,
it was considered wise to remove all
the women workers in the District.
All army officers were also ordered
out. There are a few civilians
volunteers, remaining in the district,
and Colonel Haskell, with staff of
for the present to finish up various
i business details, and to meet any
sudden emergency that may arrive.
Most of the workers are proceeding
at once to the States. A few, how.
ever, will be transferred to the Con-
stantinople Branch, N. E. R. and to
the American Red Cross.
On Sunday, May End, all the dis
4 tricts in the Caucasus received the
order to vacate. Kars, the outpost,
was the first to entrain, five hours
after the order was given. Er1van
[where Miss Wood was located
gathered in its sub-district personnel
and joined the others at Alexandra
pol, where their cars were at once
coupled to the waiting "Box-Car
Special" The side-door pullmans
had been luxuriously equipped with
cots, mattresses, stoves and seven
, days rations; everyone settled down
and began housekeeping at once.
There were several hours of
tense excitement while the native
officials made up their minds wheth-
er to let the Americans go. One
heard rumors of armoured cars, Boil
sheviks and armed men waiting
around the corner, but nothing inter-
esting happened and the train finally
pulled away amid the cheers and
sobs of the deserted orphans.
Karaklis and Delijan personnel
were picked up enroute and two days
later the grimy, sticky but smiling
refugees reached Batoum. Here
they Joined the Tiflis personnel, who
had evacuated their stations on two
hours notice, gone to Poti, been
; rescued by the good U. s. Destroyer
Cole, and had since been waiting,
packed like sardines, in the Aurora
Hotel.
The newcomers were billeted in
the public school, and the girls as
signed to X. P. and waitress duty.
Old Red Cross aprons re-appeared
; and revived memories of France and
canteen days.
Everyone spoke of the serious
situation of Batoum; the Bolsheviks
behind, Turks to the left, Tartars to
; the right,-but the U. S. S. Pittsburg
in the harbor! Never had ship
looked so big and so dependable.
And never had the American flag
been more welcome.
On Thursday evening the sailing
lists were published, and the Batoum
school house rang with the excited
voices of fifty-six very much thrilled
women relief workers. The Pitts
burg was going to take us aboard!
J We were going to be rescued by a
man-of-war! On Friday, the 6thi
we embarked"