The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-11
APPEAL FOR RELIEF


contributions to the comfort of the
soldiers OF France fighting for the
preservation of their liberties. and
especially to relieve the suffering Of
the wounded In the hospitals.
The kits provided by the Lafayette
fund contain the following.
Standard Kit
Fleece-Iined shirt.
Fleece-lined drawers.
Two pairs wooden socks.
One pair woelen gloves.
One WOODEN abdominal belt
One wooden muffler.
One colored handkerchief.
Six safety pins.
One small cake soap.
One can Cretoi ointment
One pencil.
One package note paper.
Urgent and special appeals are now
being made for winter kits for the
French army and for bandages; niedi-
cines and other hospital supplies for
the soldiers who have been wounded
and whose lives can be saved by ready
response TO these appeals.
But as In the case In our own war
the suffering OF the soldiers Is In
creased by the knowledge that their
wives and children In war zones are
uEtfEh AToLl bfiCtT HofttCs anu ~ ga
during terrible hardships without the
protection which the head of the
family eottitf afford.
Appeal 10 Americans.
Nj. crouppi. minister OF foreign af-
fairs and of justice and vice-presfdent
OF the French Chamber Of Deputies,
has made a special appeal to the
American people for aid in caring for
the homeless women and children OF
the war zones. He says:
Thousands of these children have
been sent to the south Of France.
Where possible. they are retained with
their mothers. The government gives
to each woman who has some man in
the army. husband, brother or father
who supported her, one franc GO
cents) day and every child whose
support has gone to the front receives
10 cents, This leaves. however.
wholly unprovided for women who are
alone or children who have no father
or male relative at war. These UNI
fortunates have to be taken care OF
by charitable institutions or in
,dividuals, as the government IL over
-wheimed with the expenses Of the
war;"
Many OF these women and children
and old persons have never been out
OF their home xillages-.tn their. lives
They are unfamiliar with the world
and are helpless in any effort to pro-
vide for. themselves in the midst OF
universay struggle for existence.
When we think of the soldiers OF
France and the splendid fight they are
making for their liberties as we were
fighting for our liberties when they
came to our assistance and the ter
ribIe suffering which they must endure
when they think of their helpless and
homeless loved ones wandering un-
cared for from their stricken homes
lno appeal to she generosity OF the
American people should be necessary
| Opportunity To DO Good.
Every instinct of gratitude and
every feeling of humanity and sym
pathy demands that we should come te
| the help OF these people, and 1t Is to
( give the people OF Richmond an OPP
4 portunity to respond to these generous
! impulses that the finance committee IL
arranging the campaign. not to re-
oufre gifts of any one, but to give te
everyone an opportunity to do tina
which they want to do.
| The records show that there arr
more than a million women, children
fand aged persons distributed through
out France who are refugees from tht
| war zones of Belgium and Northern
land Eastern France. We must come
to the assistance of these people. We
must show them that the Americans
and especially the yirginians. upor
whose soil the last act of the greai
| drama OF the Revolution was con,
gummated with their aid, do not for
| get and that the generosity of France
| at every period of American histor,
Will be met by an equal generosity or
| the part of our people at the time Of
ft1air areategf need