Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 197, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1918 — WHAT CAN WE DO? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WHAT CAN WE DO?

In its Issue of July 8, IVIB, the Red Cross Bulletin, issued at Washington, has the following account of the heroism of Red Cross nurses under fire: “Private A. C. McLeod, the first American soldier to be wounded in France, was hurt when the-'Germans bombed a Red Cross hospital. He owes his life, he believes, to the Red Cross nurse who stuck by him in the shattered ward, and saw that he had prompt surgical attention. Two of the nurses were wounded by the same bomb that hurt Mr. McLeod, but the rest of the women, it was stated, were as cool as the men. Here is his own story in which it will be noticed the Red CroSb nurse Is given the principal place: “ ‘Our li’ospltal, a British-American one in Flanders, was bombed the night of September 4, last I was working in this hospital, at which I had been assigned to the transportation section. The patients who could do so went to the bomb-proof cellar when the air raid opened, but there were, a number of soldiers so badly wounded that they could not be moved. A number of nurses stayed with the soldiers, and I remained to help. “ ‘Suddenly, a bomb made a direct hit and exploded nearby. It pretty nearly cleaned out the hospital. My legs were smashed to a pulp and I was raving with pain. I won’t describe the scene about me, for that would be too hor-

rible. A nurse stayed by my side. She stuck to me and saw that I had prompt attention, and I probably owe my life to the Immediate amputation which was ordered. The bombing of this hospital cost one nurse an eye, and another a foot. The rest of the nurses ■were as cool as the men. I can’t say too much for the work of the American Red Cross In France.’ ” Here is something from the Central Division Bulletin, published at Chicago, which needs to be considered just now: Willing Workers Only. “The growing seriousness of conditions respecting transportation, housing, et cetera, prompt the suggestion

that the war countries of Europe are no place at present for persons without definite business of actual value to war or war relief work. “The war council of the American Red Cross announces that ‘the Red Cross commissions abroad do not desire any person to enter into foreign service except upon the explicit understanding that they shall be ready at any and all times to undertake any service gnd in any place, subject to the control and direction of the Red Cross officials under whom they are serving; and that, until further order by the war council, no person shall be sent to service with the Red Cross abroad for the purpose merely of inspecting the work, with the Intention of using the results of such inspection for lecture or literary material.’ ”