The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-12-28
BACK IN BARRE AFTER
LONG WAR RELIEF WORK
Major William Mcqueen of Barre Has
Seen a Good Part of the World
Since Leaving Barre Two
Years and Three
Months Ago.


Years and Three
Months Ago.
Imagine the joy when Major William
Mcqueen of the American Red Cross,
on Christmas day surprised his
mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Mcqueen, at
her home on Is Central street, after an
absence of two years and nine months,
spent in war and relief work in the
burdened countries of Europe.
Not since April, 1918, had Major Me
Queen seen his home, for it was then
that he enlisted at Pittsburg, Pa, and
soon after sailed for France. From that
time to week or 10 days ago Major
Mcqueen in the uniform of the Ameri-
can Red Cross was in France, Italy,
Switzerland, Serbia, Albania, Montene- =
gro. Greece, Turkey, S. Russia, Ger
many, Poland, West Russia, doing all
kinds of work.
After reaching Paris in 1918 from
New York City, Major Mcqueen spent
three months doing auditing work, and
then went to the frontier, where war
life adventures began. For time he
was assigned to the American troops,
then with italian troops on the noun
tain sector near Grappa, and with the
French army near Paris.
At the end of the war Major Nc
Queen was with the Italian troops, with
headquarters in Rome, Italy, and it
was from there that he moved to
Greece to do relief work among the
thousands dying of typhus. disease
caused from body lice. The gallant
work accomplished by the American
Red Cross was highly commended by
the government of Greece, and it was
at this time that Major Mcqueen was
decorated with the Order of the Savior
by the Grecian government. Several
members of the Red Cross lost their
lives in the exposure to this disease,
but Mr.. Mcqueen fortunately escaped
it. His service in Greece continued for
four months and from there he went to
Rumania as acting commissioner of the
Rumanian Red Cross.
Back 10 Paris he iourneyed to do
general statistical work for three
months and until January of this year.
As field representative in financial
affairs Of the American Red Cross of
New York, Major Mcqueen visited Pal
estine, Egypt, during short vacation
and in Constantinople, Turkey, organ
lied a commission and had charge OF
relief work for the Russian refugees
from South Russia, during the months
of February, March and April.
About 10 days before Christmas he
was in Warshaw, Poland, doing relief
work and it was from there he started
his homeward journey by way of Paris.
On the New Amsterdam he arrived in
New York a week ago to begin a three
months furlough, for again in March
he intends to return to Europe to con-
tinue his work
The magnitude of relief work which
is necessary this winter in the Bal
kan states, West Russia, and Poland,
is beyond explanation, he declared. Mil
lions of children and adults are on the
verge of starvation; many have al
ready died in fact, declared Major Nc
Queen: and their only salvation seems
to lie in the success of the Hoover food
campaign. France, Italy and Belgium,
in spite of their tremendous losses dur
ing the war. are doing relief work in
these countries, and in all probability
will work out their own salvation with
out tremendous amount of assistance
from the United States. But the coun-
tries bordering on West Russia, Poland
and the Balkan states are in very bad
condition. They have no money, no
supplies and their credit Is no good,
and il is to America that they look
for assistance.
Mr.. Mcqueen believes the salvation
of the European children and the com
ing generation lies in the Hoover drive.
The children must be educated also SO
that ignorance and warfare will not
exist as il does in West Prussia to-
dav. War continues along the Russian
frontiers Just as it did during the
World war.
1--WE had a wonderful experience, but
I wouldn't want 10 go through II
again. Some times we went without
food for days; sometimes no sleep
for days. and the sights I've seen |
can't explain. I've seen 50 much and
Travelled so far that | couldn't begin TO
tell it all if | wrote it myself de-
elared Major Mcqueen while conversing
with a reporter yesterday.
His chief souvenirs are snapshots
and photographs of which he has sew
eral hundred. These he is arranging in
order that he may entertain some of
his friends and relate few OF his eS-
periences. He refuses, however. TO give
any public talks,
II was while he was lighting Gig
arctic that the inquirer noticed three
fingers on his left hand amputated near
the palm. Did you lose them in the
war; was the query NO, that hap
pened while ! was working in ma
chine shop" and it was because of the
loss of these fingers that Mr.. Mcqueen
entered the Red Cross service. He at
tempted to enlist in the army; the
army would not accept him only for
home guard duty, so in order to see
foreign service he turned to the Red
Cross branch.
CAPITAL POULTRY SHOW