Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-05
Eighty Thousand InnOcents Born
In War-MOthers SCrape Empty
Tin Cans Thrown from German
Camp Kitchens.

OoIhP NIbChOHoi
wo or three little pictures before
4 really begin:
II was the Pas de Calais at the end
Of october-an October blessed, In
this year OF dread, with clear, cool.
braclng weather, much like our own
indian Summer. Around turn in the
"oad came a strange, shuffllng multi
'ude, doubly strange in that wsll-or-
ier0N landscape.
A. the head marched an old woman
"a stalwart, straight-backed Flemish
woman vigorous in spite Of her
sixty years Beside her walked boy
Of not more than twelve, his figure
already settling into peasant solid
Ity. He, like the old woman. car
ried on his back bundle wrapped in
sheet. And between them they
dragged by the hand a little girl, not
more than six years old-half car
ried her, since now and then she
raised her feet from the ground and
let them support her
BEYOND TEARS.
It was plain to see why she lifted
her feet Her poor little shoes, heavy
though they had been in the begin
ming, were worn clear through. Her
clothes and hair were matted with
dirt, and her face was gray with Il,
save for the streaks made by her
tears. She had stopped crying now;
she was beyond that. There comes
the time with oil these refugees,
Young and old. when they get beyond
tears.
Behind followed the rest Of the
refugee caravan, like these leaders,
except for minor details. or course
there was not among them q man Of
vigorous years--only a few grand
fathers, trudging along beside their
women folk. Mainly, II was a col
lection OF young ohildren--all. like
;he little girl in the leading party,
beyond tears and misery.
A MONTH OF FLIGHT.
"A dozen of the women, at least,
carried babes In arms who had some
how survived the mlseries of days
and days OF walking. These were the
last OF the Belgian refugees to pour
nto France. They camo mainly
from that thickiy settled. fertile. once
prosperous southwestern strip along
which Germans and allies were now
fghting for tho brldge-head OF the
User.
But not all. Some OF them - as
learned from the few who had the
energy to tallS--llved further north.
month before they had fled from
the German advance after the capture
Of Antwerp; and they had been fee
Ing ever since--sleeping In the fields
through rain and shine, eating what
bread Of charity Heaven only knows,
BABE BORN IN TENT. ,
Tho tail of the procession, I found,
had halted at crossroads beside
which some one had erected tent
from blankets strung on sticks As
approached, wondering what this
might bo, an automobile came whiz-
rng down the road at seventy miles
AN hour--there are no speed laws for
military automobiles In time OF war,
II stopped beside the tent; there was
Darley and a man in Belgian uni
'orm wearing Red CrosB brasBard
on his arm alighted.
What 10 lt-what is happening7"
all a
side tho tent-an old man who
crouched In the gutter.
"Un enfdHt---a baby IL being born"
he said briefly. The man In uniform
was Belgian surgeon taking time
from his work of repairing death TO
aseist In giving life.
Again II was tho next day In
CalalH--calals, once so busy and 40
venerable, and In spotS so pretty, but
now faded and dirty with the passage
Of armies Ten thousand OF these
refugees camo into Calais that day.
That day, also, the Red Cross was
bringing In Belgian wounded by the
thousand - there had been serious
aghting along the Yser
HERpEp ON THE PIERS.
Vhe refugees, herdod or escorted BY
.hO police, streamod down tho streets
10 the concentration yards prepared
'or them on the docks OF Mo French
Government which was going to
transport them to the Midi a. soon as
Il could get the steamers. You would
tcar now and then tho toot OF an
automobile horn, ana the refugees
would make way for the passage of A
motor'car loaded to capacity with the
"hIle-iaeed wounded, The car would
8" on, and the refugees would close
tleir gaps and resume their weary.
T. veless pace.
Vt the concentration yards they sat
w family groups, ~ children hud.
eied about their mothers and grand.