Evening star., 1920-05-30
WOMEN HOSPITAL
AIDS PLAY BALL
Stage Interesting Games
With SoIdier-Patient Teams
at Walter Reed.

Washington this year has number
or baseball teams made up Of young
women. but in many respects the
most interesting of them all is team
made up exclusively of reconstruc-
tlon aids at Walter Reed Hospital.
These are the young women. many of
them college graduates, who do such
splendid work in making over Grip
pied soldiers who were MANNED for
life in the war. who teach them to
use their artificial limbs and who
ways in which these young soldiers
in khaki can amuse and entertain
themselves in such a way that they
Will profit physically while thinking
they are at play. These are the
young women who know all there is
ton. electric cures and hydrothera-
peutics They are all in splendid
physical condition themselves, and
many OF them really are expert ath-
ietes- When they play base ball
thelr uniform consists of an immacu-
SILK stockings and tennis shoes Need
less TO say, they present most at
tractlve appearance on the field
one afternoon last week the r. A.
team-meaning thereby reconstruct
ton aids--played full nine-inning
fN
ternal Pops. External Pops is the
technical term applied to patients
who have lost the use of a nerve in
the leg. have dropped feet, and must.
Tor the time being at least, wear a
metal brace with strong spring at
them considerably in running to bases
and the result was that the Aids won
the game by narrow margin.
Miss johnson In Cautniu.
The Aids team was captained by
MISS Johnny" johnson of Broken
Bow, Neb.. who plays center field
and also is manager. A member of
The Star stafr when a boy spent a
summer on cattle ranch in Custer
unIenced prairie is now the site of a
thriving town of about 5000 people,
yet many years after that particular
summer Miss Johnson was born at
Broken Bow
Miss Jean Ewart is the Aids star
whose nickname is "killarney," was the
catcher, and mighty few passed balls
were chalked up against her Miss
Ewart Is picked by many as the prob
able winner Of the ladies' tennis tourna-
mens me- sov. which h, now row is being played off on
Engie. Miss Rachel Ring and Miss
Young effectively covered the three
bases. Any ball that came near the
shortstop was sure to be taken care of
by Miss Daley. Miss Babb was right
fielder and Miss Irma Iris Harrison was
leftfielder. Miss Worster, a Washington
girl, and Miss Miley are the utility play
ers. Any one who watches Miss Miley
either at work or at play can readily un-
derstand why her nickname is Smiley"
Lieut.. Maurice Stevenson of Kansas
City was the catcher for the External
Pops. He was bearer Of dispatches at
the battle of the Marne when a bit of
shrapnel got him in the left leg. For
the rest of his life he will be shy of the
sciatic nerve. He was a noted athlete
when he entered the Army and now is
in great demand as referee in basket
ball and other games. When he entered
the hospital about year ago it SO hap
pened that one of the most attractive
aids in ward IS was assigned to take
care Of him.
Before she enlisted she was a popu-
lar society girl in a New Jersey town.
About fortnight ago the engage
ment of the young couple was for
mally announced. Lieut.. Stevenson
recently passed with credit his ex-
aminations as a student OF George
Washington University.
The other members Of the team
were Sweeney. pitcher and CAPITA jim !:
Wagner, first base: MacKean. second
base; Pfrem, third base; Schroeder.
shortstop; Finnegan. fielder; Loewer.
fielder.
play One-LegEed Soldiers.
Thursday afternoon the r. A. team
played a full nine-inning game with
a team composed entirely of one
legged soldiers. The pitcher used his
artificial leg for the time being. but
the rest of the team played on one
foot each, and the way they got over
the ground was most amazing 70 a
spectator. After hitting the ball the
player hoped to first base, and then,
calling for his crutches. trave!ed the
other bases on his three legs There
were a number of tumoies. put no
casualties. and never was game
played with more pep and good spirit:
The Aids probably would have scored
more runs if they had realized tnat
if they bunted the ball into the in
field they could beat it to first. put
they always tried for long hit, with
the result that longer flies were
easily gobbled up by the agile one
legged outfielders.
The soldier patients. who played q
| mighty good game albeit each had
to stand or hop on one foot. were
Sergt. William C. Clark and Privates
| Irving. Genthers. Stair. GoneVigo
i OConnor. Boyle, Gandall and CasWeIl
The Aids have a song which tney
are fond of springing. especially a1teI
a victory. The refrain runs some
thing like this:
| Goodbye pains. goodbye sprains.
| You're up against Reconstruction danes;
some are fat and some are thin,
Azs all in