The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-03-22

WIN the Brttt~b NfnlicH ~ tfhnot, l
Wednesday. MnrCh 80 (Erum staff
Correspondent of the associated prrs-l |
We would have starved u It had !
not heon for the American relief COM |
mission declared French woman In I
the city hall uf Ncsle today To- the
correspondent. speaking for herself
nnd hor two little children, their paliid
faces ana high cheek bones giving cNi- /
dcnro of their rrivations.
Wherever one went in the territory
recently o,Icuutcd hy the Germans the I
Same story was repeated There are
many other stories ct hardshps hciug
told, although most of the inhabitants !
rald the German soldiers had been
Well disciplined and kept s,rictly un-
ocr control ID was repeatedly assert Z
ed however that within the past few
weeks the Germans had appropriated
some of the American relief scores 20
their own use, even 10 the extent -
three fourths Of tho supplies. II was
also said that the Germans took pos
session Of the white -four. issuing
black flour instead To the inhabitants.
Come OF the peasants encountered IN
the evacuated territory were plainly
joyous 20 their liberation. Others an
peurcd to have their spirits broken.
mission 20 anything that might hap
pen. Many young children who bad
Fccn nothing hut German s.idierc in
their lives stared today 80 almost
stupid wonder at the British tommirs
clad in khaki and wearing their steel
hats.
Trying Ordcals.
one uf the greatest ordcals the pcn-
pie said they had to endure was 10
stand hy and see their homes broken
up 3D., the Germans as tho soldiers were
leaving In some instances the French
Inhabitants. who had been held Nirtu-
ally az prisoners during the German
occupation. had he,u segregated tn
certain parts of the villages while the
work OF destruction was going on ciso.
whore At Rnuy. however. u was
etatod and reiterated boy seorcs of per
sons. that the inhabitants of this ,i'-
lagc, and of seVaral other villages had
been gathered at Houy -L"-retit in
certain houses aud told TO remain ir
them q certain number of hours while
the Germans got away. While go herd
ed together, they declared. the Ger
mans had sent 200 shells into the VII
lugc. killing several persons Tho iu-
ucrals which were in progress In the
villages also assert that they dis
tm.uy heard this firing and Thought
that % battle Was in progress
NiilngC- Ia Ruins.
II was pitifil To motor TODAY
through Villages which had been far
from tho firing line and untouched Us
amy shells and vet were Ritg in nnso-
lutte ruins Active step~ are being
taken hy both the British and the
French TO relieve the people in the lih.
crAted zone. About the only persons
seen are old men. women nnd children
BOYS who had attained the age of six
teen years or more since the German
occupation and men who were yonsid-
cred over the military axe hy the
French we're taken Oft hN the Gcr-
mans for work hchlul th,u lines
Man, uf these French boys ana ola
mon had been compelled To- work Iu|
the German trenches where they said
they also met mnny Hclgiaus and Rus.
Huuf. the latter, ~ course, being pris-
oucrs ot war. II was asserted that one
~ the reasons FOR the wholesale de-
.portutiou Of Bclpians was the noccsst-
7ty tor this labor in constructing tho
I. new positions 90 which the Germans
have mllcu back Tho Germans wished
60 spare the soldier from this work
and So employed these unwilling
4 civilians and prisoners.
The amount ~ work involved In
i saving down fruit trees ln the "Nncu'
H 1tcd territory is almost inruluulHhl
y md oyerywhoro the destruction seems
q 90 have been carried out within the
,asr few days The German claim that
omc trees other than fruit trees wcr'
estroyrd Tor tho purpose of hlocklns
IL hr roads this being Justified hv miA-
AIRY law, was boled in many places
here trees lininr the roads and Gle.
bcrotcly cut down frll In positions
way from the roadway In any event
M hc clearing of the roads ut fallen
Ia recs was q matter uf Comparatively
III pW mluutga