A Journey Through France in War TimeButler, Joseph G. (Joseph Green)
History
A Journey Through France in War Time
Butler, Joseph G. (Joseph Green)
France -- Description and travel; World War, 1914-1918
Early on Thursday morning, September 7th, I paid my first visit to the
American Ambulance. I met Dr. Metcalf, a former Youngstown physician. He
has charge of the New York and the Frank H. Mason wards. At the time we
were there six hundred soldiers were under treatment. Deaths run about
two per cent.
This was my first visit to an army hospital and the impression will
never be forgotten. There were men in all different stages of wounds,
some of them convalescent; others on the dividing line; with others the
treatment was just starting. This American Ambulance is considered the
best managed hospital in all France. General Frank H. Mason, who had
been consul general and in the consular service more than thirty years,
had charge of it up to the time of his death. He was succeeded by
Monsieur Benet. It is a thorough business organization.
On this same day I visited Mrs. Frank H. Mason, the venerable widow of
General Mason. We drove out together and I again visited the Ambulance
in her company. She has been active in benevolent work for many years
and was greeted everywhere with signs of affection. She took great pride
in the ward named for her husband. In this ward most of the soldiers
under treatment are officers.
I also met at the Ambulance Major Kipling, the head of the "flying
corps". They have there about a dozen military ambulances that go to the
front and bring back the wounded. Over seven thousand have been brought
in since March. Two trips are made daily.
I also met at the Ambulance Mrs. Benet, a society woman, but in nurse's
garb and actively at work.
[Illustration: Miniature French Flag carried by the Author through
France. The Waving of this Flag by an American Aroused much
Enthusiasm.]
I next visited the Church of the Holy Trinity. This is the American
church in Paris. It was built in 1842 and is now in charge of Dr.
Watson, well known to all Americans who visit Paris. In the urn room are
the remains of General Mason and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Judge Birchard.
Her husband was in partnership with the late Governor Tod, and it was in
Judge Birchard's office that Governor Tod studied law.
On Friday, September 8th, the commission was given a reception by the
Association Nationale De Expansion Economique and the Paris Chamber of
Commerce, jointly. There was an animated discussion at this luncheon
with members of the Paris Chamber of Commerce, all of it in French. Some
of the commissioners got badly tangled up, but we got through by the aid
of our French-speaking commissioners and matters were pretty well
straightened out.
We were given a luncheon on this same day by the Paris Chamber of
Commerce at the Armenonville. We met at this luncheon a great many Paris
notables, many of them members of the French parliament, and others
prominent in business and finance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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