72 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



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Courtesy of the American Red Cross 



A SCENE IN THE CONVALESCENT COURT OF THE AMERICAN MILITARY HOSPITAL 



AT NEUIIylvY, PARIS 



With its fluttering flags, its brilliant flower-beds, and its gayly awninged shelter porches, 

 this recreation court for America's wounded in Paris resembles the scene of a garden fete. 

 This is the concert hour, music being furnished by a military band. 



poor," said she, "but for the American 

 soldiers, would that I could do more !" 



The villainous-looking individual in the 

 fiery red vest who drove my taxi said 

 there OUGHT to be a supplement, but in- 

 asmuch as I was going to see the saviors 

 of France, the least he could do was to 

 refuse to take it. 



He deposits me in front of the main 

 entrance and I stand at the top of the 

 steps to glance about the courtyard. A 

 dust-covered ambulance is backing in 

 slowly and carefully. The youthful 

 driver jumps down and calls to some one 

 inside the building, "Here's four more 

 fer ye. What'll I do with 'em ?" 



Whoever is addressed sings back, "Can 

 they walk?" And the answer comes, 

 "I'll say they can't." 



Behind this ambulance comes another, 

 and behind that one comes a third, until 

 I count nine all told. I ask the nurse be- 

 side me if she thinks I'll be in the way, 



but she smiles and says, "Why, how ab- 

 surd ! This is only a handful." 



A doctor steps up to supervise the un- 

 loading. From him I learn that never 

 has the hospital been so crowded as now. 

 It is supposed to care for one thousand, 

 but three hundred extra beds have been 

 added, and "if they keep coming we'll 

 surely have to put them on the roof." 



He points out the two great tents 

 hastily erected on the terrace and says 

 that the operating rooms have not been 

 empty for three days and nights. Every- 

 body is dead tired and consequently 

 nervous — that is, everybody but the sol- 

 diers. They're the best dead-game sports 

 in the world. 



"But come in and see for yourself," he 

 adds. 



A CONSTANT PROCESSION OF" STRETCHERS 



We pick our way through interminable 

 hallways between what seem to hz miles 



