The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-17
HOW HUNS RUIN
William Allen White Tells of
the German ThOrOneSS.
Strip Homes of Every Piece of
Value, Then Dynamite.
ALLIES IN RECONSTRUCTION
This Is Where Red Cross Be-
gins To Show It's Qualities.
KanSan Describes Activity in
Belgium and North France.
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.


Paris-For ten days after the Brit
ish drive of October of this year per-
sistent reports kept coming from
French and British airmen and from
Belgian sources that the Germans
were preparing to evacuate- Ostend.
The outward and visible signs of
German evacuation of an enemy city
are obvious to the airmen. Trains of
plumber begin moving out of the
Place long before the guns are moved.
hen fires begin to appear in the town
and finally the guns and munitions
pass out. The Ostend movement re-
ported by the airmen seemed to be in
its first stages
It may interest Americans to know
something of those first stages, for
they are entirely German in their
thoroness. First the population is as
sembled in some hall or some neigh
borhood under guard. That means
everyone-men, women and children,
rich and poor. Then the German Of
|'"ers go thru the houses and pick out
ruCn things as they care for-perhaps
pictures. jugs. objects of art. must
cal Instruments, and the like, and
these things are carefully packed and
sent lack to Germany. Then the pr1-
vate soldiers are sent in to loot, and
c othing, furniture, carpets and hang
ingS are taken and sent back to Ger
Of woodwork, rough furniture and any
articles that may be Of use in the
trenches for fuel or other comfort,
nd finally, as fast as a house is strip
red. q chunk of dynamite is placed in
ire center of the building and the
! lace is wrecked.
The bigger and more beautiful the
house, the more carefully and COM
] etely it is wrecked. Often huts of
re poor escape with mere fire but
lie ChateauX, the factories, the big
shops, the cathedrals, the places or
public interest, about which loving
civic traditions cluster-always they
a~e wrecked as totally as wise eX-
renditure of dynamite will do its
orlI In some places, one looking at
I've ruins feels that rather more dyna-
mite was wasted than the value of the
y recIz required. But such wanton
waste of German powder is rare. They
lana ge their Wrecking with rare Ell
f-ciency. And after a town is wreck
cd. after the guns are ready to move
Rack. the population of the place IS
released from the pale and is permit
tod to view the ruins of it's homes and
shops and industries and places of
public pride.
The Problem of Reconstruction
After a town is wrecked, after the
German troops withdraw and the
troops OF the Allies move in, the prop
lom Of reconstruction begins. And one
of the most important activities of the
Ped Cross is the reconstruction work
in Belgium and northern France.
The American Red Cross in Europe
has two important bureaus in It's or
pnnizatfon. one bureau is under M.
J.. Chevrillon a Frenchman who has
spent many years in America as a
mining engineer at Cripple creek
Colo. and who was with Mr.. Hoover
T., his work in Belgium. This bureau
Considers only the physical difficulties
the engineering part OF the work.
The other bureau, under DR.. Il. h.
T-unt. devotes itself to the human
part of the job.
For example: When the American
T ed Cross decides to help in the res
toration of a wrecked village a group
of engineers under NJ. Chevrillon
goes to the town and picks out four
or five of its houses that may be most
easily restored to human habitation-
not rebuilt as they were, but turned
quickly and cheaply into abodes for
human beings. Frequently the en-
gineers find a two-story house. Its
slate or tiled roof is shattered it's
windows and castings are gone; its
doors removed; it's floors generally
torn out. But often it's walls are
fairly strong, at least so far as the
lower story goes. No attention is
paid to the top story nor to the roof.
But plans are made to put a tempo
rary roof where the first floor ceiling
joins the walls. This roofing is either
of corrugated iron or composition
roofing. II furnishes shelter for the
first floor. Doors, windows and
floor are put in the house. the sim
plest furniture is provided and the en-
cheering department turns that house