The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-05
(By Associated Preas.)

March 2.-American sympathy with
the civilian sufferers from the war
has been given more concrete express
sion in this little village than in any
other part of the devastated country
Immediately behind the French fight
ing lines.
When Mrs William Croker, Of
San Francisco, chose Vitrimont in
which to carry out her idea of re-
constructing with her own means
enc of the villages destroyed by the
German troops in their first rush in
to France she met with much doubt
and suspicion. The people Of Lor-
raine are practical and hard-headed
and also object to partaKe OF any
thing given in the form OF charity.
Il was therefore necessary 70 MAKE
the proposition a purely busines-like
one before laying it before the viii
layers.
All the men of fighting age are at
tie front with heir regiments. One
of the villagers while in the trenches
one day received from his wife a let
ter giving details of the plan of re-
construction He Immediately re-
piled: Don't waste ink on telling
me fairy tales. You are ready to
swallow any yarn told you. Just
make up your mind as | have done
that we have lost everything and
don't dream that good fairies are go
ing to restore all to us.
In order to convince this man and
many Of his village neighbors serv-
| ing in the same corps that somebody
was really taking interest in them
and that they would not merely have
to be content with the government
indemnity of sixty per cent OF their
losses, Miss Daisy Polk, also Cali
fornian and now administrators Of
the plan, gave printed plans and de-
tai,s of the scheme to the wives left
behind These were forwarded at
once to the men at the front. who
could be assured only by documen-
taiy evidence OF this kind OF the
good fortune to be conferred on them
ana their dependents.
| Miss Polk, who since the begin
ming OF the war has been occupied
In relief work of various kinds. was
chosen by Mrs. Crocker to admins
ter her benev, lent scheme. She de-
cided at once to live among the peo-
pie so as to become better acauaint-
cd with them and to learn their
reeds Every house. without excep-
ii n, had been either shelled or
burnt She, however, was able to
lind a one-roomed cottage which
could be repaired and here from her
single room Miss Polk directs all the
work. She interviews there the ar
cEi;ect. the builders the department
tai officials and government func
tionaries. and only recently received
Ambassador William G.. Sharp. who
iau Colue W lay the wi hoi -ooShO W
the first new house.
of the seventy houses composinl
! the village. thirtyfour were shelle'
and the remaining thirty-six burned
Tie government itself decd to re
pair the bombarded houses, whicl
we're not so badly damaged as thos
hch had been set afire The re
construction of these latter was un
dertak by Mrs. Croker.
/ No attempt was made by the au
thors Of the scheme t free Amrica
ideas down the threats of the con
: servative d4orrainers. Very littl
change had taken place in the VII
Haze since the fifteenth century an
III the style OF architecture was yer
lluniform. usually taking the shape {
Home or two story cottages wit
II gran ge-d door entrances and attache
II at the back the granaries and cattle
sheds.
The only changes insisted on !
1.-The promoters OF the scheme as we
+ as by the French government wei
1.-THE introduction of sanitary arrang
ln.ents which hitherto had been MOI
existent. the provision of ventilatio
in the rooms and the separation
an intervening courtyard of the ca
tiesheds and the human habitatior
It was with difficulty that the pea
ants could be induced to accept sol
of these changes. but at length re
son prevailed and the plans we
finally drawn up.
The new village is to have wild
streets and the main road throuI
II is to be planted with trees. VIII
the town hall and school are now
occupy prominent and spacious 20
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