The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 12, 1918, Image 1

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PEP
Pep is the criterion by which . the efficiency of any organiza
tion may be judged. Pep is the trade name for Vim, Vigor, and
Vitality. Learn the College yells with pep. Learn your I.
D. R. with pep. Get that old A. & M. spirit pep all the
time, everywhere, with everything. Pep is the word. Let pep
characterize your every action.
VOL. XXVI
Published Weekly by the Students’ Association of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, OCTOBER 12, 1918.
NUMBER 1.
Denies That Sick Men Were Neglected Either in Atten
tion, Medicine or Food. Says that Supplies were
Telegraphed For From San Antonio and that
Red Cross Aid Was Not Refused
BARRACKS FIVE.
The action of the.county council of
defense and several other prominent
and patriotic citizens in bringing to
the attention of the war department
the horrible conditions existing at
College is to be highly commended.
From time to time rumors of mal
treatment of the sick soldiers had
sifted out, but there was no action
taken in the matter. Citizens and
members of the Red Cross visited
“Barracks Five” and returned with
tales that would sicken the staunch
est heart. They told of the unsan
itary conditions and the lack of care
and attention.
It is said that one boy was given up
for dead and a sheet drawn over his
form. His uncle came to see how
he was getting along and discovered
signs of life and being unable to get
a doctor worked all night over the
boy. The “corpse” recovered and
is now fast getting well. Other boys
begged the uncle to work with them
and he did start to treat several but
was stopped by someone in authority.
Permission has been refused the
local Red Cross to nurse the military
sick, although the government has
ordered them to go into these camps
and cantonements and do what they
can to relieve the situation. Persons
who have volunteered their aid have
been told that they could do noth
ing. Parents who have asked to
remove their boys to the local hospit
al have been told that this could not
be done.
It is too late to try and remedy
the present situation by getting a
new hospital built. The harm has
been done and 20 corpses have
been sent from Barracks Five to
homes where darkened shades are
drawn and where mothers and sis-
(Continued on page 5)
CAPT. GIBSON’S STATEMENT.
The folio wine - ^ta'f-a.nient was giv
en out today by thr acting surgeo i
John F. Gibson, Captain M. C., in
reply to editorial and article in Bry
an Eagle:
1. The statement that a boy
“died” and was resuscitated by his
uncle and that no physician was avail
able all night is incorrect.
2. The local Red Cross aid was
not refused, no such aid was offered
till noon Thursday and was then ac
cepted.
3. Regarding refusal of author
ities to allow removal of sick sol
diers to civilian hospital in Bryan.
Attention is called to the fact that
the Bryan Hospital is entirely in
adequate to care for the sick in Bry
an in the present epidemic.
4. At the time the editorial was
written the deaths were only thir
teen not twenty as stated. It is
probable that the Eagle knew of only
eleven deaths. Only three of these
deaths occurred in barracks five, and
these men took a turn for the worse
very suddenly and were too ill to he
moved. All the other deaths oc
curred in the College Hospital.
5. The statement that any man
went eighteen hours without nour
ishment and that there was no ice
water is incorrect.
6. The man who died partially
clothed is the same one whp was too
ill t6 move. He was taken so sud
denly and dangerously ill that it was
considered dangerous to try to re
move his clothes at this time. Every
thing possible was done for him.
7. Regarding lack of care and at
tention of the men everything was
done which was possible under the
circumstances. Needed supplies
were telegraphed for from San An-
(Continued on page 5)
MAJOR IKE ASBBDRN
SEVERELY WOUNDED
ATHIETIC CXTLOCK
AT A. & Pi. FOR 18-19
ANSWERED COUNTRY’S FIRST TEAM LIGHT BUT FAST—SOME
CALL AND ROSE RAPIDLY— GOOD GAMES WILL BE SEEN
POPULAR WITH MEN j —PLAY ARMY TEAMS
AND OFFICERS. DURING OCTOBER.
Major Ike Ashburn, for three
year's publictv secretary of tWe Col
lege, and one of the most popular
men ever identified with the institu
tion, was seriously wounded in ac
tion Sept. 14, according to advices
which his relatives in the state have
War time and the converting of
the cadet corn- into an S. A. T. O.
unit has had a -reat effect upon, ath
letics this year jt A. & M. for sched
ules, time for practice, eligibility
rules and many other changes have
had to be made.
On account of S. A. T. C. rulings,
no college games are permitted dur
ing the month of October but this
does not mean that A. & M. fans
will not see plenty of football this
month. Contracts have been made
with several army teams to fill the
October dates and as soon as this
present wave of sickness is over.
MAJ. IKE ASHBURN.
received from the adjutant general’s
department. No particulars were
given in the telegram further than
that his injuries were serious.
His battalion formed part of a re
view of American troops through the
streets of Liverpool on July 4, as
they were en route. to France, and
Major Ashburn was among the offi
cers whom the lord mayor of Liver
pool entertained at lunch that day.
Upon arrival in France he was de
tailed to a field officers school for a
period of final instructions and had
been in action only a few days when
he was wounded. His many friends
here and throughout the state will
hope for his early recovery.
■
TUBBY GRAVES
All Southwestern Aggie Coach.
the quarantine lifted, and matters
commence running smoothly once
more, plenty of football will be had