The Washington times., 1917-05-03
MANY WAR ORPHANS
STARVING IN POLAND
Children Who Have Lost Parents
Need Help.

NEW YORK. Nay 3.-Eighty
thousand orphaned or deserted peas
ant children are in danger OF dying
from starvation and disease In Rus
Sian and Austrian concentration
camps in which the children receive
no care orsattention. according to Mrs.
T. D. N. Cardeza. wife of q prominent
Philadelphian, just back from two and
half years OF work in 0alicia- In
1915 the death toll Of children in q
single Galician concentration camp
was 800. and this year the death list
Will be longer because of the fierce
lighting now in progress which keeps
the destitute peasant noncombatants
ever on the move and out Of reach
Of the few relief organizations there.
The outbreak of the var caught the
cardezas on their hunting estate near
the Russian austrian border. and
when Ambassador Penheld asked for
volunteer workers to help him. Mrs.
Cardeza, q Titanic survivor and a
Fellow OF the Royal Geographical So
ciety, was assigned to the post of
unofficial secretary to the embassy.
at Vienna While her husband was
thus doing his BIT. Mrs. Cardeza weht
to the eastern front as a nurse. She
was detailed to a surgical war group
consisting of eight doctors, hfteen
nurses and orderlies, and equipment
sufficient to care for 800 wounded
On Firing Lines.
With them she Travelled back to the
firing lines OF most Of the battles
fought in Gaiicia- Often, she said,
the unit would scarcely be set up In
place before the tide Of battle would
sweep back the troops in front, and
every one would have to retreat. The
concentration camps for children and
women were established in this same
manner, so as to be near the military
food distribution centers, and when
a retreat took place the entire popu-
lation Of the camp was scattered. To
this almost ceaseless migration Mrs.
csrdeza attributed the wholesale star
walton, disruption of families, and
communication OF contagious disease.
She was confident that the Austrian
government was doing all in Its pow
er to assuage the suffering OF its
people, but until the stability of the
camps could be established there
could be no relief for the children.
Eighty thousand helpless, deserted
CulluIcu arc bIAINluB III Loldho W
day." said Mrs. Cardeza, children who
have become separated from their
parents In the confusion. In Q few
cases, these helpless children are be-
ing cared for in the impoverished
Of other peasants, but In most
cases they are herded together with |
many thousands of adult peasants in
and Austrian concentration
'T know that they have received no
care at all, and their death by starva-
tion, disease and exposure Is only a
matter OF a few months. Originally the
families Of these deserted children
lived on their own small farms on the |
border. When war
came the fathers were called to the
colors, but their mothers continued
to operate their little patches of land |
until the military authorities ordered |
them to leave their homes, because |
, battle was expected in that particu- |
lar section
All Horses Conoseated.
"All beasts Of burden had long |
since been connscated by the soldiers,
and a dilapidated cart, piled high
with household goods-with the baby
perched atop-and drawn by the
and perhaps the older chill
dren, was q common sight. Mothers
and children became war vagabonds.'
and, through the utter helplessness
came brutalized."
g.