Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-16
SMITH COLLEGE
GIRLS MOTHER
RENCH BABIES
angels of Mercy" Find it
Necessary to Reteach Art of
Play to Children

French Front, October 11.-(Cor-
respondence),-A small band of
Smith College girls is mothering the
distressed populations of those dis
tricts of France devastated by the
Germans before they We're forced to
retreat last spring by the victorious
French and British troops who had
hammered them on the Sopnme. The
correspondent of The Associated
Press passed a day with the young
women in the war zone where they
have arrived to install themselves in
the midst of the stricken people.
They have made their headquarters
in the grounds of the Chateau of
Robere court. There they live in
shacks and portable houses in sighf
of the blackened ruins of the castle,
burned by the Germans. From this
center they go to twelve villages
which have been taken over for re-
lief by the American college girls.
Before the war they had altogether a
population of approximately 4,6OO.
Now this has been reduced to about
1900.
The American angels of mercy"
as the Smith College girls are known
brought with them from America or
purchased in Paris large stores of
articles of first necessity for the peo-
pie. Many of the peasants had mon
ey which they had been able to con-
ceal from the Germans, and these
people were quite willing to pay for
articles provided by the American
girls. Others among the peasants
were destitute of both gosds arsi
money and for these the American
pf, do oh IN "a
The girls brought motor-trrI KS,
and several of them are motor-dlf ~
ers. Once or twice week each OF
the villages in their district receives
visit from a party. of the girls in
their trucks which are loaded with
necessities, and these are sold to the
peasants at cost price or less, and
thus many of the needs of the people
are met. Food, linen, clothing, fur
I'niture, kitchen utensils and live
chickens and rabbits are most de-
sired.
Other branches of assistance to the
people take the form of a travelling
dispensary, the giving of medical ad-
vice by the two women doctors from
Smith College who are members of
the squad, the foundation of nul err
les for the care of the smaller infants
while their mothers are working, and
the establishment of palyrooms for
the other children.
The care of the children is one of
the most important parts of the girls
work. In the first place, the little
ones have to be retaught to play,
for during the German occupation
they were not allowed to do so and
in most cases had forgotten how to
amuse themselves in simple games.
1t is wonderful how soon they learn
under the American girls encourage
ment and leadership. Then the ne
elected little ones are taken in hand
and taught the value of cleanliness
and neatness. For the women much
| help is provided in the way of sew
| ing classes and instruction in mod
ern hygiene.
| 1t is hoped here that the work oi
the Smith College girls, forming the
first unit, in cheering up and helping
| these stricken peasants may be an in
centive to others to undertake simi-
| lar labors in the hundreds of vii
| lagos which have suffered from the
| German occupation. Everywhere ir
| the Somme and Oise and Other
French departments now partially
freed from the German troops there
are similar opportunities.