The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-03-03
AMERICAN WOMEN TO
REbU|LE WTR|MONT
ALONG MODERN LINES
Village Destroyed by the Germans
Is to be Reconstructed Mrs.
William Croker of San Fran,
cisco Conceives Idea.
by Associated Pres.

ny Ahsuclhted ffeAs.
Nttrimont. near ~l.uUoville, France.
March 2.-American sympathy with
the civilian suffcreres from tho war
has been given more concrete express
sion in this little village than In ony
other part Of the devastated country
Immediately behind the French Fight
ms lines.
When Mrs. William Croc,ier. OF san
Francisco. chose YitrinoHt In winch
To carry out her idea OF reconstruct
ing with her own means one of the
villages destroyed by the German
troops In their first rush into France
she met with much doubt and sus-
picion The people of Lorraine are
practical and h~ard-headed and also
object 10 partake of anything given
Ven the form Of charity. II was there
fore necessary TO make the PROPOSE
ton a purely business-like one before
laying II before the villagers.
An the men Of fighting age are az
the front with their regiments. one
Of the villagers while in the trenches
one day received from his wife a
letter giving details Of the plan of re-
construction. He Immediately replied
Don't waste ink on telling me fairy
tales. You are ready TO SHALLOW any
yarn told YOU. just make up your
mind as | have done, that we ave
lost everything and don't dream that
good fairies are gosng to restore all
20 us
Villagers Skcptical.
In order To convince this man n
many Of his village neighbours serving
IN the same corps that somebody was
really taking interest In them and that
they would not merely nave 10 he
content with the government indemni-
" Of sixty per cent OF their losses,
Miss Daisy POLK, also a Californian
and now administrator OF the plan,
gave printed plans and details Of the
scheme to the wives left behind These
were forwarded al once To the men at
tho front, who could be assured only
hy documentary evidence OF this Kind
Of the good fortune 10 be conferred on
them and THEN dependents.
Miss Polk, who since the beginning
OF the war has been occupied IN relief
work of various kinds, was chosen b.
Mrs. CROKER 10 administer her benov-
client scheme. She decided at once
To i've among the people 80 as TO be-
come better acquainted with them and
To- learn their needs. Every house,
without exception, had been either
shcllcd or burnt. She. however. was
able 70 find e one-roomed cottage
| which could be repaired and here
from her single room Miss Polk directs
an the work. She interviews there
the architect. the builders. the de-
%partmcntal officials and government
-mucuonaries, and only recently re
Ccivcd Ambassador William q. SHARP.
who had come to las the cornerstone
of the first now house.
pf tho seventy houses Composing
thr village thirty-four were shellcd
and the remaining thirty-slX burned.
The government itself decided To re-
pair the bomhardcd houses, which
were not so badly damaged as those
which had been set afire. The re-
construction OF thee latter vas UNI
ucrtaken hy Mrs. Crocker
strictly sanitary.
No attempt was made by the au-
thors of the scheme to force American
ideas down the throats Of the con-
SENTATIVE Iorrainers. Very little
change had taken place in the village
since the fifteenth century and the
| STYLE Of Architecture was very uni
form. usually taking the shape of ono
or two story cottages with -grauge-duor
entrances and attached at the back
the grancries ana Cattlesheds. The
only changes insisted on by the pro-
muters of the scheme as well as by
the French government were the in
production Of sanitary arrangements
which hitherto had heeu nonresident,
the provision of ventilation In the
rooms and the separation hy an inter-
vcnIng courtyard of the Cattlcsheds
ana tho human IA Affiliations.
It was with difficulty that Ike
peasants could be induced To accept
some OF these changes, but at length
reason prevailed u the plans were
finally drawn up.
Tho Now village TX 90 have wider
streets and the main road through it
Is To- Dee planted with trees, while the
town hail and school are now To- occu-
lpN prominent and spacious positions
In the center of the village instead OF
Il Lt-. I.NN... .. 100 .s. ia. ssH..- a.,