The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-01-29
AN INTERESTING LETTER

DR.. A. w. Hyde has given the Reg
lister an opportunity to quote from a
letter he recently received from Maj.
W. s. Bentley, now in American Red
Cross service in Roumania, which will
no doubt interest many Brookings
friends of the writer of the letter.
Major Bentley is Brookings product,
graduate Of State college, and be-
| fore he entered the army was making
favorable reputation in his profes-
sion. He was an early volunteer and
when the fighting ceased he again vol
unteered, to remain in Europe and help
bind up the wounds of war" The
letter was written in November Of last
year, but even of that date it is com.
paratively recent news" from Rou-
mania in the present condition of that
unfortunate country. Extracts from
the letter follow:
Bucharest, ROumania, Nov. %. 1919.
DR.. A. W. Hyde. Brookings, S. ID.
My Dear Doctor: VIII drop you
| line and let you know that am still
in the land of the living did not
return as you undoubtedly know, with
my regiment was detailed for work
at the American embarkation center
and was there about six months in
| the Office of the Chief Surgeon, first
as assistant sanitary inspector and
/ later as chief sanitary inspector. Dur
/ ing the time that ! was there some
thing over 100000 soldiers were passed
! through this center, our work being to
/ get them ready to embark for Amer
! ca. The last Of July the center was
! about to close as its junction was
about to finish and while in Paris
received an offer to take up the Red
! Cross work | accepted and was or
dered to Roumania as medical supply
/ officer for Roumania. | left Paris on
August 9Th and arrived in Roumania
on August II The trip was very
pleasant and ! enjoyed the magnii-
cent scenery in the Alps in Switzer-
land and Italy as we passed through
on the train. My work Is very inter
esting. I visit all the hospitals. war
orphanages and other charitable in
stitutions for the poor in Roumania,
note what they need and supply It,.
Recently food and clothing has been
added to my duties, so / distribute
that as well as medical supplies.
see a great deal in visiting the hospi-
tails, yphus, pellagra and every hui
man ailment under the sun. The ex-
perience is great and ] enjoy the
work exceedingly Climate Is very
similar to that of South Dakota, as IS
the country. Start in from Bucharest
and drive north is just like driving
from Elkton across South Dakota and
winding up in the Black Hills, and
here one winds up In the Carpathian
mountains, purely an agricultural
country. Wheat and corn being the
staple grains, some hemp and flax for
home use, and sheep, cattle and hogs,
bseides many fiocks Of ducks and
geese. The chief food of the peasant
is mannalega which is no more than
corn meal and water cooked in stiff
bread so that one can cut it with n
knife. A few weeks ago | visited
Lemberg, now part Of Poland but prior
TO war belonged to Galicia, part Of
! Austria. Also have been in Russia
several times, or rather what was Rus
sia before the war, as the province of
Roumania was formerly Russian, but
now Romania This is up in the vi
cinity Of Dniester river. | expect to
go to Chisnan soon, also to Czerovitz
in Bucowina, formerly Austria. Bu
charest is my headquarters, but an
only there once or twice month
; At present | am at Iano, where have
: sub-depot for distribution. Galute
is our big seaport depot. Travel al
most wholly by auto. Have Ford car
Roumanian chauffeur and an inter
prefer and the Roumanian army fur
, nishes me an orderly. Have comfort
able quarters and plenty of good foot
to eat, so have no cause for complaint
, in the lest
I like the Roumanian people very
much They treat me very kindly ant
give me anything l ask for.
Well, doctor, l will say goodbye fol
= this time and hope to hear from yo,
soon. Kind regards to all.
Fraternally,
Major w. S. Bentley, A. r. c..
Bucharest, Roumania, care American