The Washington herald., 1917-11-29
BY MILTON BRONNER.

have Just seen Evian. the little
French town on the Swiss border
through which Germany pours back
into France all the old broken men
and women, the tiny starved chill
dTen, the wrecked soldier prisoners
of whom it can make no possible
use.
have seen Evian through the
eyes of Mrs. June Richardson Lucas.
American Red Cross worker; whose
husband. DIR. William Palmer Lucas,
is head of the Red Cross Infant We'll
fare Unit in France. DIR. Lucas was
formerly medical professor of the
University of California.
After reading the diary letters of
Mrs. Lucas. IL i have one wish in
the world outside the fervent one
! that my country shall whip Ger
many. it Is that the Huns may never
reach these shores with their own
particular brand of hell
Mrs. Lucas shows war as the
Kaiser practices it. She furnishes
terrible pictures OF the aftermath
of war-of what il means to be
caught back of the German lines
in Belgium and northern France
She has seen the sad procession
of crushed old people. She pic
lures the starving and frightened
children-children with black clothes
and dead white faces; soldier prison.
ers broken by the unspeakable prison
methods of the Prussians.
Mrs. Lucas is down at Evian-les-
Bains. the little French city on Lake
Geneva.
Two trains a day come in to Evian.
each bearing its burden of 800 people.
ParentIess Children.
The children are very largely father
less and ~tnerless.
The old people are uprooted from
! the little villages where they dwelt
50 long. and which have been destroy
ed by the Huns.
Even though they are back in
France. they feel like strangers in
a strange land.
/ There Is a place where they are
given food and shelter. There are
Red Cross hospitals for the sick.
There are registration bureaus.
Sometimes the little one are too
Young to know their own names. All
| they remember Is the village from
! which they came.
And here from the diary is a picture
| that brings the whole thing home to
Americans sitting so safely and Sc
ourely thousands of miles away from
the despoiling Hun:
] AT the Casino the weary people
1 find the big. cheerful room full of light,
and the color OF the flags everywhere
helps to make them realize that they
are at home at last
The hot meal is ready for them
and they take their places quickly
| and very soon the warmth and kind
ness of it all reaches their tired
hearts and they begin to smile and
talk to each other.
After a little the band, made I'D
of repatriates who are detailed in
Evian to help. begins to play some
gay. stirring French air. The children
laugh at first. but the older ones can
not bear 1t and you see many tears.
Then the prefect of the district
speaks to them in a friendly stirring
fashion. welcoming them to their
country once more and with all ten
derness of the French language
speaks of their sufrerings, Of the suf-
ferinss Of France, of the bravery of
their soldiers. of the final victory of
France 'Vive Ia FrAce! he shouts
in closing and those homeless people
respond with a cheed that blinds and
chokes you.
You wonder how they can, and yet
you see that they must. 1t helps them
10 go on.
Then the playing of the 'Marseil-
iaise. They cannot sing At first it
sounds like one great sob from a
heart-broken people. but the ringing
'Marchons. Marchons!' becomes a cry
of victory"
Later the little village quiets down.
II was clear moonlight last night as
walked back to our little hotel and
stood for a while on the terrace Look
ing across at the convent.
'On the gateway was written.
Patronage of Jeanne Dare PERHAPS.
She Saved France Once"
Germany has not only killed the
men OF France by shooting them
down in battle and by working the
captured soldier prisoners to death
She has also made war on the wop,-
en- and children who were unfortunate
enough to be living in villa pes
captured by the Huns They were