The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-06-26
American, French and British
Join in Repairing Damage Done
from Noyon TO the somme by
Retreating Teuton Armies.
HAMLETs TO BE REBUILT
BY PEOPLE OF WEALTH
Food and Clothing Depot Opened; !;
$4,000 Old Men and Women and
Young Children Left to starve; !;
1000 Acres Cultivated.
By Associated Press

French Front. June ~. tCorrea-
pondence Of the Associated Press --
American. French and British civil
ians are working in closest coopera-
tlon with the French military and
civil authorities in restoring the lands
devastated by the Germans when they
huiriedly quit the lines they had held
for two years from Nayon TO the
SOmme. The Associated Press cor
respondent. after visiting Noyon, the
adopted daughter of Washington.
went through the entire district ans
observed what was being done.
Others have followed the example
OF the federal capital and have de-
voted their energies to the succor OF
particular localities For instance.
the American fund for French wound
ed has stepped aside from It's orig
inal idea ana taken fun charge Of the
hamlet Of Behricourt with its les re-
naming inhabitants
The Comtesse de Chambronnes la
Pallice has taken Ia herself the ham
let OF Mnucourt. Of which only heaps
OF bricks and stones remain. and will
rebuild IL.
Doctor Raron Henri de HothschAd
has opened u food and clothing depot
at Nnyon and sends everything neces-
sary 20 any applicant in any part of
the afflicted district
Al this however, is but drop In
| the ocean when il is realized thar
there are 2is villages and hamlets
spread over the country which the
| Germans before their retreat tried To-
make into n desert one hundred Of
these small communities are now Just
| heaps Of stones ana bricks without
! one hahtaitle room or cellar among
| them. while Of tho remainder. one
third werc partly demolished and the
rest only slightly.
In this region 80 600 old men ara
women and young children under Is
\ years were icfi without shelter or
food by the Germans Some - .0O0
of these were evacuated immediately
80 the interior of France where n
| proportion Of them Joined relatives.
| The military authorities have
grapplod i'm q mastcrly way with she
| vast problem which confronts them
! providing for a large destitute COM
mulity immediately behind the lines.
They set to work To organize the
country aud It's people. The first step
| was To provide food and this was
| done through the military commits
| sirnt. as there was no means "t civ
lliau transportation of supplies from
other parts OF France.
/ Then came the question Of putting
in cultivation again the 10000 acres
Of agricultural land comprised iu the
| zone The devastated country was
divided into seVtN sections ana COM
posed of twenty-five commuueF. each
| In charge of AN officer with skilled
aids
|, Horse. were lent by IA earmy
broken ploughs ana harrows were re-
paired los motor mechanics of the
army. seeds of an kinds ware pro-
cured. ana work un the land was be-
gun. For th!s mnnual labor was nes'
cssary and this was found among the
mnny peasants ana small farmers IN
the ranks
Thuty American tractors were
found lying idle boz a depot not fai
trom the stricken district aud thes'
were transported to the places wher'
| they could De most usflNl anu p"N 70
| work The labor Was dangerous
owing TO the presence Of uneNplodet
shells under the surface of the helds
hui unlg one accident has occurred
from this cause.
In this way about loco acres have
been plowed and sown with grain on'
grass and another $500 acres ploWe'
and cleared OF weeds, with the hell
| 90 American. English and Frenci
donors. every family has been pro
,idcd with seeds and roots to form
truck garden with the result tha
sufficient produce is raised to mas
| ~. nnn1nlunItA snIf-anstnInInE