The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1917-12-28


hz>.s are accustomed to read under the
vague date line Somewhere In
tSA0X France"
Many Of these narratives have been
broueht BY men and women who, under the aus
pices Of the American Red Cross. have been inves-
tigating conditions created by the invasion of the
Hun The range of vision Of these investigators
extends from the battle front to the cottage hun
dreds Of miles away where wars misery-mOre In
sidious than bombs on the fighting front-has pene-
trated.
Woven together these accounts make composite
story a. devastation and suffering on the part Of
nonconl,;tants comparable with the torture en-
dured by the soldiers in the trenches; Of refugees
staring blankly at cratercd areas where villages
once fourIshed; Of thousands of children, too
young to understand, crying for mothers who can
not hear their cries; Of children poisoned by gas
bombs thrown from German mortars; Of emaciated
children sent by hundreds from behind the German
line; Of crippled soldiers to re-educnte and Of
civilian men and women to comfort and provide
with the necessaries OF iife-a story Of battling
aaninst disease and Of the heroIsm of mercy.
Sometimes the cable supplements tales told BY
returned travellers. day two ago. the war
gram from the Paris headquarters Of that organise
ton containing simple statement of everyday
occurrence ON the French frontier. yet graphic in
its portrayal OF one phase Of wars frightfuness.
II read:
The Red Gross 1t Evlan.
'There arrived last week at Evian. where the
repatries from France and Belgium are received
back into France. train loaded with Belgian chill
dren There were $50 Of them. thin. sickly. alone,
all between ages of four and twelve. children Of
men who refused to work for the Germans and OF
mothe.s who let their children 60 rather than let
them stkrve. They poured on the train. little ones
clinns to the oldest ones. girls all crying. boys
trying to cheer.s, They had come all the long way
alone. On the platform were the Red Cross work.
ers to meet them. doctors and nurses with ambu-
lances for the little sick ones were waiting out
side the station. The children poured out Of the
station, marched along the street shouting "Meat.
meati we are going to have meat" to the Casino.
where they were given square meal, the first In
many months. Again and again. while they ate.
they broke spontaneously into songs In French
against the German songs which they had evidently
learned In secret. The Red Cross doctor examined
them. Their little cawlike hands were significant
OF their undernourished bodies but the doctor said:
1--WE have them in time. A few weeks Of proper
feeding and they will pull up
Evisn il a French resort on Lake Geneva, and
every day one thousand homeless people arrive
there. 60 per cent of whom are children. Thirty
per rent Of the older people die the first month
from exhaustion. They were once the occupants
Of hnppy homes In northern France. The Huns
invaded their country, swept on past their homes
and left them behind the enemys line The invaders.
now their masters, impressed them into labor and
transported thousands Of them to work in German
fields and factories. Those who are returned by
the thousand daily by train through Switzerland
IRE all that are left Of these men and women and
chiidren-manhood and womanhood Slapped until
the vital spark Ii almost out and no longer of use
as German captives, sent back to die to be
cared for in their helpless condition by their
people from whom they had been ruthlessly taken
away in their health and strength
Nope for kaisers Victims
Thanks to the American Red cross. coming to
the assistance of the overburdened French agen-
cies for mercy, there is hope for these unfortun-
ates. Besides hospital and convalescent home
for children at Evian. the Red Cross Is operating
an ambulance service for the returning fepatries
Ten automobiles are in commission for handling
sick and infirm persons, and a tuberculosis hos
pital near by Is planned. When the returning re-
parties reach the railroad station and have been
cheeringly greeted by crowds of cOmpatriots they
are taken in charge by Red Cross workers. Nour-
tshment ID provided and medical attention be-
stswed. Baths are made available and fresh cloth
ing is supplied. According to American eye wit
nesses Of scenes at the railway station at Evian.
there are men in the ranks who have suffered
broken arms the bones Of which have been set by
the Germans so that the hand Ii turned the wrong
way. They present horrible deformity denoting
\ form Of cruelty which excuses itself on the
ground that the man. should he ever regain his
former strength. will be unit for military duty.
In many Of these cases American Red Cross doc
tors have been put to the doubly painful task Of
again sbreaking the arm and resetting 1t. 80 as
to remove the terrible deforn,ity purposely In
nicted.
William Allen White Of Kansas and Henry J. Al
den, who 10 prominent In the public lie OF the
same State are among the Red Cross workers.
who recently have returned from tours Of inspec-
don u France. According to their statements 1t Ii
scarcely possible to exaggerate the suffering
brousht upon the civilian population Of the conn-
txy: suffering however. that II being alleviated
% de- greatest possible extent By the American
Red Cross which u sending its experts, its army
a uo1luteers and tts treasure without stint Ac-
cord u - Mr.. White, the real work Of the war. 20
I'm 49, 49, Rr~