The Washington herald., 1915-04-18
Children PLEAD
FOR WAR PLACE
Many Letters from Would-be
Soldiers Reach News
papers.
SAVE THE MEN, THEY CRY
Pupils in School Aid Cause by Bring
ing Food to Fighters and
Fugitives.
r.c;,I Carl. 70 The Washington Herald.

Special Carrie TO The Washington Hcrlt.
Paris. April 17.-Onc of the facts
which better than anything else shows
how greatly the war and the countrys
danger have changed the French peo-
pie is the wonderful spirit of patriot
ism and willingness to self-sacrifice
which manifests itself in the French
children.
NJ Maurice Barres. editor OF the
Echo de Paris, has just published
number Of letters from children. which
show how the war has developed the
minds of young writers far beyond
their age. One of these letters. writ
ten by 4 boy of Is, reads:
Dear Sir. forgive me for writing
you this letter. 1 am sure you Will
listen to what 1 have to say. am
16 years of age, and my father who
is ~, belongs to the class of 1891.
and is not very strong. He could be
of much more use to France II per-
mitted to work at his trade. than
as combattant. but, of course. II
is not for to criticise. / cannot
help saying. however. how sad 1 feel
when l think how hard it is for many
men of above 40 to serve in the war
why don't they rather take us boys
of Is and II. L can assure you. that
We would fight well. and, as nobody
is dependent OH us, it would not mat
ter If we were sacrificed. At our age
it would be a pleasure to go to war
and We would gladly give France our
lives.
II know that I am not alone in
thinking so. it is for this reason L
have written you. Every friend of
hat m talked il
over with, agrees with me. Let them
exempt from service at the front all
the feservists and territorials, who
have wives and children and who
have fought and should not have to
fight again. 1t is not at our age taht
you are young, il is ten years later.
and therefore it would be better to
take us boys, who have not yet lived
or loved"
Fugitives Get Food.
The boys and girls attending tho
schools in the department of tho
Deux Sevres are doing splendid work
for the soldiers at the front and In
the hospitals and for the fugitives
from the northern districts occupied
by the Germans.
Every morning each scholar brings
4 vegetable. d potato, a carrot. a
leek, etc. They have now been doing
this for six months and have collect
ed over 900 tons of vegetables which
have been sent to the Department
Mouse and of Meurthe -et -Moselle.
This example is now to be followed
by school children all over France and
it is expected that the hospitals and
refugees would thus receive 1900 tons
of vegetables monthly.
There is news of Abel Boillot. the
1y-venr-nll left his homo q
Aubervilliers in August and followed
4 regiment to the front. Some time
afterwards his mother received let
ter from him in which he stated that
he was proud he was going to defend
his country. He also wrote to some
of his playfellows without indicating.
the regiment to which he was at
tached.
Letter Tells Experiences.
His conduct impressed four boys at
AuberviIliers who left their homes
with four francs in their pockets.
They got as far as Scnlis. where they
were arrested. One of them, Alfred
Narchal. has since received a letter
from the boy soldier.
II am at the front" he writes, land
in the first line. You have heard of
Nermelles. 1t was there | first got
under fire. The papers have told of
the results. The Germans camped at
La Bassee and Calonne. but now they
are going to retire. We are separated
from them only by barricade."
One of the most thrilling and at
the same time human incidents of the
war is related by NJ Clemenceau in
his paper L'Homme Enchaine. An IS
year-old sergeant was in furious
fight. in which he saw nearly all his
company moved down. He fell into
a trench unwounded. and remained
there alone with 4 flag. For hours the
battle lasted. When darkness came the
sergeant attempted to creep toward
the French line.
Warned Of Danger.
He had crawled about a mile and n
half without knowing in what direc-
ton he was going, and was on the
point of exhaustion when he came to
a sort of cabin in which he entered
for the purpose of resting. There he
found five German officers who had
been killed by shell. A sixth officer
lay underneath them. He was terribly
wounded and asked the sergeant to
help him.
Sergt. BourSon went to the officers
rescue. Surprised on seeing the lit
tie French soldier with his flag the
German officer asked him how he came
to be there. The soldier told the story
of his adventure, and the officer, for
getting his sufferings. exclaimed:
You are a brave boy. I shall die
shortly" he added with tears in his
eyes. but before death comes I would
like to embrace you. Then you must
20. but not in the direction you came.
for you will surely fall into the hands
of some of our men. You must go on
the other side where your comrades
are"
Sergeant and officer embraced, and
the little soldier once more set out to
creep to the French lines. Next day
he was found unconscious with the flag
rolled about him. After a days rest
Sergt. Bourgoin resumed his place I'm
the trench with the military medal as
q souvenir of his thrilling adventure.