Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-07
CHAUNY AWAITS
FOSTER R-PARENT
Crushed by Ruthless In
vader, Her Woes Plead
for Her Adoption
PROSTRATE AND PATHETIC
Chauny is waiting to be adopted.

Chauny is waiting to be adopted.
Chauny has been set upon and beaten and
torn and crushed by the Germans. But the
Germans could not quite tear and crush
and beat the life out OF Chauny. The town
breathes despite it's wounds-feebly, but
still hopefully. Chauny is like a lone trav-
eler on a dark road, wayaid and clubbed
and robbed and left to die. Another trav-
eler may pass that way and may not be in
too great hurry or too much concerned
with his own affairs to stop and give aid.
Then Chauny may live. But the traveller
may be in haste-or Indifferent Some
travellers are. Even so, Chauny may live,
but it Is doubtful. Chauny needs to be
adopted The traveller beset by thieves
could be sent to his home after his wounds
were bound. but Chauny has no home to be
sent to. Chauny was home itself before
the Germans came: now II is little but a
name and some thousands Of women and
| girls and boys and old men. No: one
cannot play good Samaritan TO Chauny by
bandaging its cuts and giving II little food
and drink and sending 1t on its way.
Chauny must be adopted.
Chauny needs a city to say. reaching
down with two strong arms and lifting il to
nearly finished you didn't they? Good thing
/ happened along here when I did. Lucky,
isn't it? Stll, that's the way things will
happen You don't need to worry now,
though. I'll take care of you. Don't worry
about anything. Just leave il all to me
Say, you're in awful shape-but it's all
right-Im good and strong 1t may take
as much as year-maybe more-maybe
three years-what do | care?-to get you
as good as new; but | guess 1 can do it.
Yes, | reckon | can"
That's what Chauny needs. Chauny
needs to be adopted by some big. strong
American city-some American city with
a heart just as big and Just as strong
Philadelphia could do it, Chauny is willing.
CHAUNY'S DAYS OF HAPPINESS
Chauny is one of the 243 towns and viii
lagos lin the Department of the Aisne in
France that felt the German steel. Before
the autumn of 19l4-how long ago that
seems .--Chauny was prosperous little city
of some 1000 or 1000 souls. 1t was as
pretty and happy and good a city as you
would care to find in France or Pennsylva-'
mia. 1t wasn't one Of those. perfect cities
that one sometimes finds in story books. but
Il was Just as near perfect as one ever finds
outside OF books. The people were honest
and decent for the most part, and they had
their churches and schools and theatres and
stores and market places. Not very many
of the people were rich, but none of them
was poor There were places in the glass
factories for all who wished to work
Chauny was the center of the famous St.
Gobain glass industry-and nearly all OF
the men and some of the girls and children
worked. Nobody was spiteful or mean or
Jealous, you might say. OF course, once In
a while two men loved the same girl, and
once in a while somebody drank more than
he should, and once in a while somebody
cheated some one else. Those things will
happen everywhere. But Chauny was a
town that any decent man would be glad to
call home.
THEN THE GERMAN DEBACLE
Then came the German hordes. sweeping
the French soldiery before them. The
French fought bravely as long as they
could Most Of those that fought will not
fight again. The others fled because their
commanders ordered them to and command