The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-10-03
TOWNS
sPR|NG|hG UP.
ro,xn. Of early American
Day. Were slow Growers
compared With New
Town. In France.
|.ur1rER FOR CITIZENS
\, -. government 10 Taking Care
q til. People Whose Homes
Were Wrecked In
Battles.
: philtn simms. Unitee

,pr william Philip Simms, United
~ press STAFF Correspondent
PARIS Sept 1S.-(By mail. Boom
,orn me-. Of early American real estate
ssvs we're affairs OF slow, painful
.rovth compared with the temporary
ioyns and villages that are now bios.
.oming overnight in the districts 81
rance laid waste by the German In
yssion Of year ago.
early In the war France had decided
mai little II any effort towards the
,ebulding Of a permanent basis OF
,hese towns and farm houses would
he made until the great struggle
,hould be fully ended. In the mean
time, however, there was the problem
Il nndipg shelter-both for man and
beast--and that as quickly as possible.
The situation was squarely faced.
Now after year OF experience the
royernment's set Of experts can run
nm a town over night even more
uuickly than the erstwhile American
boomers could produce one on paper
Tor the seduction OF willing victims.
The condition in which the German
| INVASION left the houses OF France has
lust been most aptly described by M.
Mirman, project OF the department OF
| Meurtheet- Moselle. NJ. Mirman him
SELF has supervised the erection OF
nearly 1000 temporary homes In his
own prefecture.
There were houses" said NJ. Mir
| man (which the German invasion
merely wounded and then there were
others, which under the blows Of the
barbarians, we're left quite dead"
The government in confronting the
problem decided that the houses which
had been merely wounded" would be
repaired at once. This would offer
uuick shelter to their former occupants
and prevent further deterioration OF
the property. ~
But where the houses had been left
nuite dead" by the Germans, France
decided It would be better merely to
provide temporary dwellings until
such time as the government could
undertake the rebuilding on an ade-
quate basis.
In Its work along this line France
found valuable and unexpected
source of aid in the Quakers and the
Friends Of England. Their religion
does not permit them to 20 to war
% engage in bloodshed. They there
nre asked France that they be per-
mltted to take over the task OF re-
pairing some Of the ravages OF war.
They were given the department Of
tne Marine where the havoc wrought
on French homes in the battle that
orst turned back the tide OF German
INVASION was terrible indeed. The
INST Of casualties in this department
showed 81 very few houses wounded"
fney were all dead"
The Friends and Quakers offered to
BUY their own material and to take
unaer their charge the workmen. The
ouik Of these were furnished them
rom the army They confined them.
serves to the erection of single tyne
o. temporary dwelling. The house
has has depth Of twelve feet and is as
ions as the needs of the family rem
, ner necessary. barn is built out
, :, one side. 1t costs from 1920 to
,.. Upon the hopeless heaps Of ruins
y. "iiien Is all that remained OF dozens
=. once prosperous French VILLAGES
sna towns the Quakers and Friends
nave nave mus made It possible for thou
"a 10 return at least to the sites
:. .neir former homes and resume
life. w LUZ iier routine OF
-. rms work of the Friends and ouak-
Fra. nas been followed largely by the
,onn en government in the devastated
Il r ~ t'lents. Variation Is offered only
,or .ie size of the little shacks. The
~ provides for Temporary
,oa OF three, four or five rooms.
M to the size OF the. family
he cost seldom runs above 5000. Al
sh lew more elaborate bufld-
o $500. PEI n'i'eed at a cost up
,ut mere the families are utterly with
ION NC as result Of the destrrc
nva., " all their property during the
yithon. tney occupy the little homes
,ara u. cost, When the occupants
-. e means they pledge themselves, 70
- oack the original cost.
Tread. ready this work has HAD a VOW.
o ra.u enect In inducing the refugees
esuma 70 their former home and
mmea su mots. It has indeed decreased
4 cartn the governments. task
caring for refugees. 80
= t,s addition it has revfvifed scores
i, bwns and villages where life hsd
70 ,a,., ceased to exist. These places
" n aAins on an air Of rude nrosner.
eer ~. unlike that OF the little nio-
"a s sus OF the early west In Amer.
ana the ruin and aa.,.4'