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| Lieutenant Lascar had particularly cautioned me to be very careful and he was awaiting me and was apparently glad to see me safely back. I thanked them all through Lascar, who speaks English perfectly, doffed the Aviator outfit and Lascar and I motored back to town.
It is really a great thing and I am tremendously interested. So much so, that I am very anxious to enter that branch of the service. At dinner this evening I had Lascar ask the Aviation French Major if it could be arranged that I take lessons in flying, but was told that the School for Flying had been moved to Odessa, so my hopes were blasted. Something may develop a little later, however. I hope so. At any rate, I know that I would like to be an Aviator. It seems to me a man has a better opportunity to serve his country in this branch of service than any other. After dinner Mills took me down to see a lady friend of his. I found her to be a Bucharest refugee. She was with her mother, another old lady and a middle aged man. None could speak English but the girl. She was attractive and pretty. We did not get there until 9:30 and left at 10:45. They served us tea and home-made cookies, which were very good. The old lady smoked a cigarette with us. I find that most of the girls smoke cigarettes here. The young lady speaks English in a very attractive foreign manner and as long as you speak reasonably slow she can understand you, but if you speak rapidly she misses it entirely. This always gave us the opening, when we wanted to go home, to say very quickly to the other -- “Let’s beat it” or something of that character. Roumanian young ladies do not go out walking or to the theatre or out doors anywhere, with a man other than a relative -- it seems the ladies the world over like to gossip, and this custom is to prevent it. Am now in my room and think I had better turn in as it is 11:45 P.M. Friday, October 5th -- Have been unable to write up any diary matters for the past few days. All of the Commissioners have been out of town. Major Kirkpatrick with Majors Bryan and Peabody were off visiting various possibilities for a hospital location and finally it has been decided to take over the Hospital at Roman, Roumania, which has been operated by the British Red Cross since July 1917, under an agreement with the Public Health Department of the Roumanian Government. We have entered into an agreement with the British Red Cross to the effect that the American Red Cross will take over (without cost) the entire hospital including equipment, material and supplies, also two automobiles and operate the hospital with our own Medical and Nurses Unit, it being understood that the British can call on us for their equipment and supplies in the event they establish a base hospital -- this is real co-operation between Allies, and will enable us to start our hospital much earlier than could ordinarily be expected, as our own supplies have not arrived from Archangel and we don’t know when, if ever, they will arrive. I have just returned from the station (10:15 P.M.) after seeing off the Doctors and Nurses, bound for Roman. They have two cars attached to the regular train. It is a ride by train of about three or four hours towards the front. The cars are funny little things, about the size of our smallest street cars, each car having only three compartments, but the seats have a soft covering to them, so they will not be uncomfortable. The Roumanian gauge is less than that of the Russian railroads. The balance of the train was simply crowded and crammed with people, the greatest percentage being Russian soldiers, who ride towards the front tonight, return tomorrow and the next day go through the same performance, never paying a fare. Even upon the tops of the cops there were crowded soldiers with luggage of one kind or another. It reminded me to some extent of Harbin, where the coolies dive through the windows to get aboard. The Secretary of the Legation, Captain Hamilton and I took tea yesterday afternoon with two Roumanian ladies and a French lady today. It was at the home of Mr. Andrews and we had a pleasant afternoon. We had quite a charming time trying to make known our thoughts to each other. The French lady would try very hard to speak nothing but English, but she would wander every now and then to her mother tongue to express her thoughts more clearly, leaving us in mid-air. We were invited to the lady’s home Sunday. Hamilton has now gone to Roman, so I am calling everything off. Wednesday evening Jim Mills and I called on one of the ladies he met here. She speaks English very well. Tea with Cognac (of which they had but very little) and cake was served. The cake was pretty good -- it was made of honey. As scarce as everything is the Roumanians invariably place good things before the Americans. This morning we worked up sufficient courage to ask for eggs in our room for breakfast, and to our surprise the request was granted. While they were being cooked someone came in for Shribman, my roommate, and he had to report immediately to the magazine to act as interpreter. In about another minute Day came in to say that the Colonel wanted me right away, in fact was waiting for me, so we had to leave without getting our eggs after all. Such is life when the Colonel calls on you and the world seems to be against you in general when you have real eggs in sight for the morning meal. We are still without reply from Washington as to whether we shall remain for the winter on relief work. It is possible the Red Cross authorities at Washington will handle the matter through the Government, and if so, we may not have to remain. On this account, we are unable to plan ahead to any great extent. Captain Williams has not started from Archangel yet with the supplies -- another thing about which we are getting worried. Shribman having gone to Roman with the Doctors, Jim Mills is now my room mate. Today Jim had a private interview with the Queen, lasting about an hour. Her description of the terrible suffering of the people during the taking of Bucharest and the southern part of Roumania was very touching. Tears rolled down her cheeks before she had finished. She is English, and she has a sister who is a Russian Duchess, and said they were really undecided about which side to take in the war. Germany made many attractive propositions and the Allies were equally urgent that Roumania join them. The deciding factors of the entry upon the side of the Allies seem to have been the possibility of releasing from Russian control the several millions of Roumanians in Bessarabia, and the fact that the Queen is English. She said England and France had helped Roumania in her troubles to a very great extent, but England’s help had been a little vague. She was very happy when American entered the war and feels confident that it will be through America’s aid that the war will be won for the Allies. This is the general sentiment here -- that America will have sufficient trained troops, aeroplanes and munitions on the French front to make the Spring drive of 1918 the final drive of the world war, and assure the success of Allied arms.i Her Majesty spoke of her palace at Bucharest. Among her guards were several of Bulgarian blood and the people were strongly of the opinion that the Queen’s guard should be full-blooded Roumanians. They shortly thereafter relieved the Bulgarians who, apparently, reported to the Germans the location of the Queen’s residence and seventy-two bombs were dropped at it as a target. She was not in at the time, but the children were there. Fortunately none were hurt. One of her Majesty’s secretaries entered while Jim was there. She knelt, kissed the Queen’s hand, then her forehead and then embraced her. It sounds rather familiar and I think Jim is mistaken about the lady’s position, although she may be a relative and at the same time, secretary. Her Majesty seemed very confident that the Roumanian troops could hold their present line, provided the Russians held their end of it. I understand upon the Roumanian front there are about three hundred thousand Roumanians and about six hundred thousand Russians. Her Majesty expects an offensive on the part of the Germans this winter. She said she does not dislike the Germans. She went to school in Germany and speaks German as fluently as she does English. I guess that is enough about Her Majesty, except to say that she is extremely democratic, likes America very much and is, of course, grateful to us for the help being given and promised. She also said she hoped America would be good to Roumania after the war. Saturday, October 6th -- Major Bryan, Major Peabody and Lieutenant Connes, left today for Odessa to buy cloth or clothing for the Roumanian orphan children, to keep them from freezing this winter. This, as is the case with nearly everything else is, unobtainable in Roumania. So far, I can not say that I feel that I have done any effective work towards helping Roumania. Of course, I am here and doing all that I can and have been kept very busy on financial matters, etc. It is proposed that relief work be undertaken upon a large scale by us, but I do not feel that I am particularly adapted to this kind of work. I would much rather go home and enter the Aviation Service. I am a great admirer of our Colonel and the fact that he is undertaking this vast job of acting as an auxiliary agency in the feeding of all Roumania is proof conclusive that the authorities at National Headquarters in Washington made no mistake in the selection of the man to head this Commission. We all have an opinion, however, on everything in which we are interested, if we have any individuality at all. It seems to me, instead of this Commission, or rather Colonel Anderson and the secretarial force (the Commissioners return home on the 18th of October) undertaking this vast job, it might be handled by the Red Cross at Washington with our Government, and through diplomatic sources an arrangement be worked out with Russia that she will sell Roumania (up to this time she has not done so to any material extent) such food and other supplies as may be needed to tide over the winter, and also arrange for the transportation of the same, and then the distribution of such supplies be made by the Roumanian Government or Roumanian Red Cross. They know the conditions and where help is most needed. Also they have the organization and we have not. Roumania is, however, honeycombed with graft. Of course, these supplies must be purchased in Russia, as Archangel port closes now in a month and it is impossible to ship sufficient quantities of food and other supplies from America and get them here in time to feed and clothe the Roumanians before the winter sets in. In the meantime, this Commission could assist by purchasing direct supplies from various Russian cities, until the above arrangement had been effected. I can not very well return home without accomplishing more than I have up to this time, so I am just now very much in the hope that I will be attached to the Medical Unit as Secretary and Treasurer of the Unit. Transportation is a serious problem and I could be of considerable assistance in getting out Hospital and other supplies to the Hospital, and, besides, it seems more of a man’s job than handing out food and clothes. To tell the honest-to-God’s truth, I am sorry I can not consistently go home with the Commissioners so that I might enter the Aviation branch of the service and really do my ‘bit’. This clerical business of accounting gets on one’s nerves, particularly when you know the boys at home are in training camps, and the whole world is watching to see what America will do this coming Spring on the French front. I am in a very unhappy situation, but if there is any way out of it, I shall most certainly avail [myself] of it. Monday, October 8th -- Nothing of special importance today. Lemons are being sold on the streets today for six or seven lei each. In ordinary times these lemons would be purchased for five bani each at the highest. I bought a few cakes of chocolate recently, very small, about three and a half inches by two inches and about a quarter of an inch thick, at eight lei each -- ordinarily this could be purchased for not more than fifty bani each. We are trying to arrange a trip (Mills and I) to one of the Russian border towns, but automobiles are so scarce we may be unable to make it. Tuesday, October 9th -- I have definitely decided to return home with the Commissioners on October 18th. The Colonel has asked me to stay, and I at first told him I would, but learned later that there were about two hundred and fifty thousand American troops on English soil. This brought home to me the fact that Jim (brother) is probably in England, that he has made no arrangements about our business beyond December 15th, and in justice to him, my family, clients and myself, [I] should return home. It will not be difficult to get someone to do the accounting, and, I suppose, my duties, if I remained, would continue along that general line. At dinner tonight I learned that the food requirements for Roumania are about three hundred carloads daily and they are actually receiving about thirty-five car loads per day. If a tailor, dressmaker, or merchant does any work for you, or sells you anything, he generally asks (if you are an officer) that you pay him in food -- sugar, meat, or any other food. The situation is really appalling but nothing can be done at this end. The problem is to get food here and this can not be done from Roumania. When it is gotten here the American Minister and the Roumanian Government can take care that proper distribution is made. It seems foolish, and a waste of time and energy, to be hanging around Roumania awaiting food supplies, etc., and depending upon cablegrams, some of which never reach their destination. Am beginning to clear up my work for the return home. This morning, while walking from the house to the Legation, and within a half block of the Queen’s Palace, I saw a crowd. Upon investigation I found a Russian officer had been found dead there (his body was then lying on the ground) in an iron box, used for dirt. He had been strangled to death and his feet cut off, evidently to permit the body to be placed in the box. I tried to learn the details from my friend Laptew but he said every time he tried to find out anything about it, the facts changed -- one time it would be a very wealthy Russian Colonel, murdered for his money, another he was not an officer at all and another that he was an officer (Russian) and did something his men did not like. Wednesday, October 10th -- This morning Jim Mills and I, after having tea and bread for breakfast (the bread is perfectly black and sour and I have frequently eaten it when it had green mold spots through it) went by our magazine and opened up a jar of strawberry preserves and a box of Graham crackers and had a feast. When we arrived at the Legation the Colonel had not yet shown up. Upon his arrival he said he wanted to talk to me about going home. Immediately, I began to feel myself slipping, because it is very difficult to refuse the Colonel anything. He said that Major Perkins had agreed to stay over and leave December 1st, which would enable him to reach home about the middle of January. He said my services were badly needed and if it was at all possible he would appreciate my staying until December 1st. It would delay me only two or three weeks beyond my five months’ time limit, and it was simply impossible to refuse. So, I agreed and am to remain until December 1st. It is quite a disappointment to me as I had made all arrangements to leave next Tuesday, and had on my rain coat to go to the Allied authorities to have my passport visa fixed up for travel via Norway, Sweden and Halifax, Canada. Captain Williams has not been heard from for sometime and we do not know whether he is at Archangel or en route to Jassy with the supplies. In fact, we are not certain that the supplies have arrived at Archangel, because we have received one cablegram saying the ship had arrived and later received another to the effect that it was expected to arrive any day. Colonel Anderson leaves in the early morning for Roman, where we have our Hospital, so we will have very little to do tomorrow except to clear up matters already on hand. Thursday, October 11th -- We did not get up this morning until nearly ten o’clock -- our first opportunity since leaving home to take it easy in the morning. Lieutenant Lascar told me tonight that in some of the villages, the parents in from thirty to forty families died, and the first regiment of soldiers passing, or stopping, would have to take care of the children. When the regiment moved, they would take the children with them. Some of them were, of course, very young and many died from exposure and starvation. It was a pitiful sight he pictured of a regiment passing by them in wagons, etc., seeing hundreds of children, many of whom did not know their own names. When the regiment had to go to the front, the children would be left at the nearest village. A trip to the front Monday is being arranged and I am scheduled to go, but something may develop to interfere. Today we had meat for both lunch and dinner, which is rather remarkable and worthy of note. The Minister, Mr. Vopicka, has made several trips to the Russian front in Roumania and delivered many speeches, calling upon soldiers to fight and not make a separate peace. In three days, he spoke to sixty thousand Russian soldiers. It does no harm, but probably little good, as he reaches such a small percentage and a few minutes talk, which has to be translated by a Russian, can hardly have a very lasting effect upon them, but the Minister is a worker and will keep at it, producing as much good as he possibly can. Wednesday, October 17th -- I did not go to the front after all. The Colonel asked me to delay it and suggested that Captain Williams and I would go together upon his arrival. We are quite busy and it would really interfere with the work should I go at this particular time. Captain Williams has not arrived from Archangel and we have now received advices that the Partonia (the ship containing our supplies) has not yet arrived in port. It has evidently been torpedoed -- Damn those Germans. Minister Vopicka gave us a very fine luncheon a few days ago, the Cabinet officers of the Roumanian Government, members of our Commission, etc., being present. It was a very elegant affair under the circumstances. It is really remarkable where the food came from, as there is, even now, an appalling shortage, which is daily growing worse, and disease is already prevalent among the poor. We all guess the Minister brought it with him from the States. Today the entire Commission, except Colonel Anderson and Major Perkins, return to America, and Major Bryan of Richmond has promised to deliver this portion of the diary to Mary. A last squib before closing for the pouch. Roumania is in a starving condition. I do not mean that people are actually starving today in large numbers, but this is bound to happen very soon. Supplies can not be gotten into Roumania except through Russia. It is too late to really get supplies from America and then transport them through Russia. Food and clothing must be received for this winter, either from Russia, France or England, and in order for the last two named countries to render real help, it will have to be done immediately. Nothing can be bought here. Wood is very scarce, and the supply will be depleted before the winter is over. They do not use coal in Roumania. To give an example of the shortage of materials, one of our party was offered forty-five dollars for the pair of shoes which he was wearing. One can secure no clothing here at all and the people will crowd together to keep warm and another epidemic, such as they had last winter, is sure to break out. Hospital facilities are only fair. More doctors are needed but trained nurses can not be utilized to good advantage except under the direction of American or British doctors, as the Roumanian doctors do not know how to utilize the services of a trained nurse. There are no such things in this country. They have a sufficient force of young lady volunteers, who do the best they can, even to cleaning and cooking; and the Roumanian doctors know how to make use of their services. The Army is well taken care of in respect to hospitals, but the civilian population, in the event of an offensive, will be up against it. At this writing, there are many cases of Typhus already among the poor, but as there is no offensive now they can and are being taken care of in some fashion. What is needed, and badly needed, at the present, is -- meat extracts (for the sick), sweets and condensed milk (also badly needed for the sick), bed clothes, soap, clothing for the orphans, drugs, surgical instruments, bandages and simple nourishing food of every character. There is no coffee, butter, sugar or white flour obtainable here. There is plenty of tea apparently. Cables have been sent to the Red Cross at Washington covering conditions and cables have also been sent to the Associated Press at New York in order to give wide publicity. This may help the Red Cross in any campaign they may decide upon to raise funds to carry on relief work in Roumania. I will go to Roman tomorrow to visit our hospital there and inaugurate a system to take care of the accounts and the clerical force, and if necessary will be there two or three days, possibly longer. I have secured the services of a man named Marcuson to assist in the accounting work, which will naturally be very voluminous when the food and clothing relief work starts. We find we can secure quite a few things in Russia and we hope to be able to get them to Roumania for distribution. The transportation question in Russia is the one big question. If they only had railroad facilities the problem would be easier. We have heard that the whole question will be taken up by Congress with a view to relieving the situation here, through the Allied Powers bringing proper pressure to bear upon Russia. If they will only act immediately this may fix matters. I am feeling fine and my weight is about normal, but am not getting enough exercise and open air to suit me. This will come later as the office work will soon be at an end and I will be busy outside. Wednesday, October 24th -- This is the beginning of the second part of the diary. I turned over the first part to Major Bryan, who will deliver it to Mary upon his arrival at Richmond. The first part covers the period from the time I left Chicago to departure of members of the Commission from Jassy a few days ago. The departure of this party did not lend any happiness to us at all. They planned to go via Russia and Japan, with the exception of two members of the party, who will try to get through Sweden and Norway. Monday evening of this week Major Smith came in to Jassy from Roman for me. We left by automobile about 9:00 P.M. for Roman. In the party were Major Smith, Laptew, myself, and chauffeur. We were also loaded down with supplies for the Hospital. I took with me for the boys and nurses (all purchased at Odessa by Connes) Russian Cigarettes, Peters Chocolate, Russian Nut Chocolate, four suits of Underwear, four pairs of Socks, two boxes of Writing paper, and twenty-two bags of Tobacco. The distance is about sixty to seventy miles. We had one blow-out. It was extremely cold. I had a sweater and overcoat on and in addition we had a very heavy fur coat for a robe and still we were uncomfortable. I had some Russian cakes and a few cigars, and these helped us out considerably while waiting for the chauffeur to change the casing and tube. We had a French Fiat machine, but it had seen better days. We arrived at Roman about one thirty in the morning. On this ride, I noticed something I don’t remember having seen anywhere else -- we would very suddenly run into a heavy thick fog and the automobile lights could not pierce it at all, but in several minutes we would again be in good clear atmosphere. This happened several times on this trip to Roman. The country through which we passed is very fertile, but not intensively worked. Download 399.67 Kb. Share with your friends:
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