GREAT WORK BY SURGICAL UNIT

Dr. Forrest Fay Pike, M.D. '98 and Dr. Paul Hector Provandie, M.D. '98, of the Harvard Surgical Unit with the British Expeditionary Force "somewhere in France," which sailed last November, returned home last week. They arrived in port on the Andania, the steamer which recently carried the latest Harvard Unit led by Dr. Hugh Cabot '94 to Europe. The Andania, with a convoy of torpedo boats left a British port, the passage requiring 12 days instead of the customary 10, due to the course taken as laid down by the British Admiralty. Nothing eventful occurred during the trip through the war zone, but extra precautions were taken when nearing America, as a wireless was received that a German raider was working along the coast.

Dr. Pike, in an interview yesterday with a CRIMSON reporter, said:

"There is no doubt whatsoever that the Harvard Surgical Unit is doing wonderful work in the base hospitals with the British Expeditionary Force in France, and they are looked up to by the other hospitals on this account. One thing that has impressed me greatly is the fact that those who have gone over to Europe have had an experience that is going to make them valuable men to this country in case of war. These men have had an immense amount of routine work, absolutely necessary to a hospital, and only doctors who have had such experience will be able to organize the hospital work if the United States sends an expeditionary force to Europe. The British have found certain lines necessary to conduct hospitals and experience has weeded out the superfluous and taught the necessary. The men who have served over there have carried on hospitals along such lines and that alone makes them valuable men.

In regard to this country sending over an expeditionary force in case of war with Germany, I rather doubt whether the British would welcome such a move. From my experience in Europe it seems to me the best thing the United States can do is to start right away to get an army ready and secure efficiency, and then if a time comes to go, they will be trained men, and greatly desired over there. The two ways the United States can help the Allies is by loans of money and the convoying of supply ships by war vessels. The Allies have enough money for the present, but the time is coming when they will need the financial aid of this country, and need it badly. I talked with a major of one of the British prison camps, and he told me that the German soldiers all believe that they are winning, but the spirit of France and England is as high as ever.

"My experience in France has made me feel that the United States should be pretty slow in going into war, as men who know what real war is realize that it is all too horrible to enter lightly. The feeling in England and France towards America has changed tremendously during the past three months. When I arrived in England there was that sneering attitude common with the majority of the people, but their attitude is different now since they feel that the United States is with them. In Paris the Americans are especially admired, the American Ambulance Corps maintaining a large hospital of over 800 beds there for the French wounded, the very worst cases being treated.

"In my mind the best thing the undergraduates at Harvard can do is to form a corps and offer themselves to the Government, but it is highly improbable that any fighters from this country will go across the water for a while. A United States expeditionary force will need a certain amount of medical men and it will be the experienced men who will be desired the most. The Harvard men who have been over there do not feel as if they are able to give up their home practice unless a force goes over, but if one does sail these doctors will be perfectly willing to make the trip again. These men have had practical experience in the latest and best methods of treating gun-shot wounds, and they will be invaluable.

"I feel that if war comes Harvard men and particularly those who have had experience in any line of military work would gladly put themselves at the disposal of the Government and 'do their bit' for the United States.