Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-05
SECURES
SERBIA CHILDREN
Future Generation of Little Nation is
Assured Through Intereession OF
Republic.

AluelS, jail. A-.-NIOlIeSpOluSH
Of The Associated Press. )-Whatever
the outcome of the war with respect
to Serbia as a nation, the future gen
Grafton of Serbians is assured. Not
only have numbers of individuals in
terested themselves in the fate of the
children of the War-devastated land,
but the government of the French re-
public has constituted itself the guard
ian of every Serbian child in need,
and offered to provide for the bring
ing up and education until the age of
Is of every offspring of the race that
has SO valiantly defended its national
heritage to the bitter end. Already
several hundreds of orphan Serbian
children have been sent from Saloniki
to France where they have been
placed in French families that have
volunteered to look after them.
Meanwhile, Madame Gruitch, the
secretary of foreign affairs, has estab-
lished fund in the hands of Con
stantine Mela, of Athens, by which a
franc day is paid for the support of
the needy children Of Serbian officers
and dictionaries OF the Serbian gov
eminent.
Very Often" she explained to the
Associated Press representative, the
families and especially the orphan
children of people of this class suffer
more than those of the poor. Those
who have never had much soon ad-
just themselves even to the hardships
that have accompanied this war. 1t is
those who have had everything and
| lost it all that are to be pitied" Mrs
Grouitch should know whereof she
speaks, for when she and her husband
left Serbia they were forced to make
their way through Albania afoot, and
they arrived in Athens only with what
they stood in.
In addition to these provisions for
the larger children, the babies, too,
ar being cared for, in preparation for
! the new generation of Serbs upon
whom will fall the remaking of their
land. In Nish the Mabel Grouitch
Baby hospital, though in the hands of
the invaders, still shelters its tiny
charpes, who are under the watchful
eyes Of the American doctors, and
nurses who remained in Nish when
the Serbs themselves were forced to
fee the victorious Bulgars.
A great many Serbian babies, how.
ever, were brought out of the country
by their mothers or relatives, and not
few have been born since the exouus
For these Queen Sophie of Greece
has made provision by setting aside a
ward in her babies hospital in Athens
for the exclusive care of Serbian
1 babies. The ward will accommodate a
hundred babies and it is in charge OF
a competent Dutch woman.
/ The children, AMI adults as we'll
who arrive in Athens temporarily des-
titute until they can secure funds OF
work or get into touch with relatives
or friends, are also provided for. The
former municipal hospital of Athens
has been turned into an emergency
lodging house for refugees from Ser.
bia OF this class, and Madame Grouitcl
has given 5000 francs to start a fund
for the feeding and immediate sue.
cor of those unfortunates.
Generally speaking, the Athenians
are moved to do what they can to heir
the Serbian refugees. One restaurant
keeper, for example, gives all Serbs 2
20 per cent discount on their meals
There may be certain element ot
suiity conscience in the readiness Of
the Athenians to help the Serbs. One
day in an Athenian drawing room q
Greek OF prominence, belonging to the
Kings party, was commiserating q