The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-06
CONDITIONS IN FRANCE.
supplies Needed for the Care Of tn,
Peasants.

To II EDITOR OF THE SCS-Str. From
time to time the pa pers report pathetic
tales Of the peasants N France. work.
ing in their fields and gardens, and not
looking up to mark the passage of a
bomb kissing overhead.
We read the story OF their animal
like stoicism with wonder, but do we
stop to think that unhappy as their fate
Is there are at least one million French
peasants. principally women and chill
dren, whose condition Is immeasurably
worse?
This million OF people retiring before
the great wave Of wal found themselves
Isolated from their fields and from their
homes by the double lines OF steel that
extend from the Alps to the North Sea.
These people have for generations been
acknowledged aa the most patient and
skilful agriculturists In the world, BY
education md by heredity they are
farmers. and only farmers. The midi
nette who has produced one of the thou
san articles de Paris could perhaps
In the country learn the work of dairy
ing, picking fruit. &c. but the peasant
when removed from his home has moth
Ing to fail back on. His fields we're his
tools. and unless he can hire himself to
another farmer he is lost, and 1t must he
remembered that among tho refugees
there are no men between the ages of
twenty and forty-eight all these have
been mobillZed and are In the auxiliary
service or are OH the battle lines or
among the countless dead.
Ever since the battle of the Marine
these refugees have been the constant
object of attention of French humani-
tartan societies. and in certain districts.
Barbecue. Fontenelle. Sermaize. Cha
Ions and Fere champenolse. the English
Quakers have done an enormous amount
Of work with an efficiency which GER
tainly no other organization In the world
can surpass, or perhaps equal.
The Individual OF these
refugees have been exhausted In provid-
ing for their simple wants in the last
fifteen months. The French charitable
societies are doing what they can, but
they must obtain their help from their
already sorely pressed fellow citizens.
The American charitable organizations
directly and through the American Re
lief Clearing House have done a very
great deal. but much remains to be done,
and as the winter approaches the needs
grow greater.
Fuel. food. clothing and shelter are
lacking In the order named, and I fear
that nothing can he done IN the matter
OF fuel, except on the Initiative OF the
French Government. which latter. | am
certain, will do what it can.
The United States can supply food.
clothing and household articles from
its abundance, and If the people at home
understood that oil they have to do Is
TO send some can of meat, vegetables,
&c. pieces Of old carpet. warm clothing,
shirts. shoes and underwear. freight
prepaid to $50 Bank street, New York
city. the American Relief Clearing House
will deliver these gifts To the sufferers
In France without any cost to the donors
or to any one else.
All shipments of the War Relief Clear
ing House, New York. to the American
Relief Clearing House in Paris are car
ried free by the t~ompagnic General
Transatlantique. The French Govern
ment has withdrawn all customs duties
on these shipments and CHARGES nothing
for the transportation to Paris, or from
Paris to the point of destination.
The cars containing the goods shipped
tn the Clearing House have the right Of
way over all other shipments except
supplies going to the front so that Clear
ing House shipments from New Yorl
are received in the warehouse AZ Paris
In from eighteen to twenty-one days. q
record not equalled by mercantile ship
ments In norma times. j. T.
PARIS. France. October IS