The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-03-22

lagos. Nearly all were women
-pitiful in their restitution, a
few scant pieces of clothing saved
and strapped on their backs, or
pushing baby carriages or wheel
barrows with tiny tots tucked
therein. Younger children chung
to their skirts or themselves tod
died along under the weight of
bundles.
This was pitiful-appearing
stream. Pushing afoot along a
road stretching Is miles and con-
stantly under bombardment, the
| refugees faced driving winter
rain. Although they were home
less and hunger-stricken, with
only the clothing on their backs
or a few small belongings to
! call their own-despite all this,
they were supremely. radiantly
happy. They were returning to
| France.
Everything Sacked.
They declared the happiest mo-
n.ent of their lives was when
French cavalry dashed into their
village and chased out the
Germans.
For weeks before the retreat
started the Germans herded all
inhabitants from village to vii
lage. When the final moment
came for the Germans to leave,
| they sacked the houses. The SOL
diers carried off everything eat
able-and burned the villages be-
fore the eyes of the refugees.
A few hours later, when the
| Germans believed the French
troops had arrived, they began
Smelling the villages they had
pillaged and left, despite their
knowledge of thousands OF inno-
cent civilian inhabitants still
there.
Seven thousand women and
| children suffered this experience
| at Chauny alone. The village was
under bombardment at the mo-
ment a United Press correspond
ent arrived. The French Red
Cross crews, with their litters,
had pushed forward afoot, and
were carrying off women and
children wounded during the
shellfire.
WantOn Destruction.
Aside from the burning OF
farms and villages, the blowing
up of church doors and affairs and
the like, the Germans wanton de-
struction was carried to such an
extent that for 20 miles of farms
and fields every orchard tree had
either been hewn down or-if
the French arrived before this
Job of destruction could be COM
pleted-the trees were sufficient
ly hacked to insure their death.
In the country districts agricul-
tural implements and machinery
were either carried off or broken.
During the weeks preceding the
retreat the Germans followed a
systematic policy of forcing the in
habitants of half dozen sur
rounding villages to gather in
some larger town where the Amer
lean relief commission had CEN
ter. Then the refugees would be
informed that the American COM
mission would supply their wants
and the Germans would sack
the towns.
Steal Relief Supplies.
At Noyon, owing to the concen-
tration of 10000 women and chill
dren, the Germans promised to
leave the American commission
sufficient supplies to feed the
refugees,
Nevertheless, departing patrols
sacked the American commission
storehouse, carrying off all edi-
bles.
Then they dynamited the build
ing and finally diverted water
from the canal into the village.
Part of the city was flooded and
ruined in this fashion.
The population of Noyon said
they had not eaten scrap of meat |
In Is months.
Everywhere there was evidence |
that the French arrived before |
they had been expected. The |
French troops were able to cut |
many wires to unexploded mines.
In many cases also the Germans
did not have time to complete