Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-02

refugees Committee, founded in England,
has given some OF the most impressive
pictures OF the sufferngs Of he Belgian
women and children in recent speech he.
iore the Royal Society of Arts in London
take You back now" said Lady I,,.
gard, ito the days when the first refugees
heeing from the terror of fire and sword
began TO reach our shores These refugees
were different from the refugees who are
now arriving. They had actually borne the
hrst onslaught Of German fury. Men had
seen their wives and daughters shot. and
worse imam shot, before their eyes Fathers
ana mothers had seen their little children
trampled to death under German feet Old
and young had alike been driven before
the bayonet and placed as shields to pro.
tect the enemy from Belgian bullets.
Some had been forced to dig graves
and even TO bury men who were not vet
dead All had been smoked and burned
gu. or their pillaged homes, holding them.
selves lucky il they we're not forced boo,,
10 De consumed In the funeral pyres of
their domestic possessions 1t has become
me 1asnlon now to cast doubt upon tha
autneht1cily OF deeds fit only for the annals
OF the Middle Ages
',o'e VI us WHO netped at that time
nightly TO receive the refugees ma thav
arrived can never forget the tales of IN.
conceivable horror which were poured into
our ears, nor the convincing simp|icitv n,
narra'lon which made it impossible to
uo"oa thelr general truth. I remember
the hrst refugee with whom I hannenad
10 speak about herself
IL was not horrible case-on the con.
trary' quite simple, but it brought homa
20 me with shock of realization what was
happenlng within an ordinary days Jour.
ney or London 1t was only n mother feed-
ing her child with basin Of bread and
mix In one Of our refugees. l asked her
roll '"iu ShaFls-
Ihen You have seen the fghting?' ooh.
yes; l carried nim'-indicating the baby
out under the German guns 1t was moth.
ing she mad the luck to escape. but
me me contrast between the peacefulness OF
her actual occupation and her words
brought home what she had escaped from
IN the same refuge on later day there
was man whose face was like the face az
tragic fate. He did not, speak-he did
not move The ladies who were working
III the refuge approached him for some
u IN vain One reminded him that he
nau MS wire while many had lost theirs,
ana at last he spoke.
Yes he said. 4 have NV wife, Rrt
We mad five children, and we have NOT one
ieit: -Four Of the little ones were tramnled
10 death under the feet Of a German regi
ment, and my little girl, my eldest. fomr.
teen years old. was given to the German
so,diery. who misused her before NV ewes
Atterward they took her away with the
reslment And he fell back to the only
'hing he seemed able to say:
We had five children--we have NOT
one left" nut
Lady Lugard also referred to the surer.
,nss OF wealthy Belgians who had been
ariven out to be wanderers on the faca
or Inc earth and separated from their fami.
lies. whom in many cases they will never
find again.
France realizes that the deficiency IN
OF its population is it's greatest
Weakness as nation, and TO remedy this
= Is planning to take the greatest care OF
,nliu IRE IN future. Public men are urging
rrenchmen to make it their highest ambi
ION to raise large family, SO that their
country may not be swamped
" more robust and prolific neighbors. ~ x
8 also especially necessary to make an
'ffort 10 increase families now in order
o replace the enormous wastage of men g
aused by the war
we shall therefore see experiments In
mia culture on a scale the world has
lover seen before. a