Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-12-06
SERB REFUGEES REFUSE
TO KEEP FOOD CLEAN

Saloniki.-(Staff Correspondence OF
The Associated Press.)-'rhere are TO-
600 fire sufferers camping out in tents
In and around Saloniki, with the Brit
ish n French military authorities and
the American Red Cross taking care
OF them. A tour of these relief camps
gave an opportunity to see the extent
OF misery and want of these poor pco-
pie, and the efficient relief work be
ing done, chiefly by the British, as they
have the largest stock OF available
supplies. with the Americans and
French also doing their share.
The Dubular camps whore $500 peo-
pie are being cared for by the British
and the American Red Cross, was the
first one visited. 1t is two miles back
OF the city. on rising hills. which the
Bulgars thought to AXE when they
made their first rush on the city.
On the way to the camp we passed
the British supply base. and had IN
the British nave laid in. in ammunition,
food and charcoal for the cold months
ahead. Nothing could have shown
more clearly that the British, like the
French, are here to stay. In muni-
lions alone the stacks of shells en-
TENDED for a mile along the road, and as
far back as the eyes could see. In the
engineering park there We're acres of
wire, curved steel trench covers, and
lengths of narrow gauge railway, ready
to put together, as children construct
a toy railway. The stock of charcoal
being laid in is p%rodisious, for there is
no intention that the Tonmies shall
again be cold while in their trenches
and du2outS. Endless trains of pack
mules and camions circulated through
this supply base, with the hustle and
roar and ~overhangins cloud of dust of
a colossal enterprise.
AT Camp Dubular, where the refu-
gees are quartered, a city of white
tents spread out for half a mile over
the level plain. They were the ,egula-
he big reserve base. They We're laid
out in regular streets and cross streets.
Everything was Scrupulously neat, with
British soldiers on guard to see that
order and proper sanitation was MAIN
tanned. =
We have to DO it all ourselves" said
the commanding officer of the camp,
for ~singularly the refugees refuse TO
do a stroke of work for themselves.
When their supply of fresh meat came
We asked them to shoe III flies off it,
but they would not keep their own
o clean unless paid for it,
The refugees are grouped in the tents
by families. five to a tent. with army
cots. They are a Very wretched lot.
who lost everything in the big fire
which destroyed Saloniki. There are
many old women n children and over
200 nursing babies.
AT the baby's nursery Red Cross
nurses We're bathing the infants, with
boy scouts as helpers. Not a baby had
died, and there is little sickness despite
the usua camp experience the infants
are going through.
Food for dinner was being issued as
the party passed. Each family had n
card showing its number and needs.
and only one membc OF the family is
recognized in presenting these cards.
Their holders We're gathered i'm long
lines. men. women and children. The
British furnish a good part of their
army rations, and the American Red
Cross adds rice and beans.
DR.. Edward w. Ryan, head of the
American Red Cross here, took the mi
tiatiNe in starting these camps, which
works OF recent years. While the CON
flagation was still raging. he had set
up soup-kitchcns. and within IL hours
of the start of the fire he was feeding
$500 people.
The military authorities, British ana!
French. came in later. and the work
has been kept up ever since. with Brit
ish. Americans M French ~co-operat-
ing. The problem now is what to do
with the army of destitute people when
the Macedonian winter sets in and the
cities of tents can no longer be in
hal,itcd.