The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-10-13
CLOSE Up" EXPERIENCES
OF RED CROSS WORKER
Or. Fitch Tells OF The Effect The
War Has on Children And Aged
People Heartrending to Ride
Through Devasted Villages.

bs-t His OH NiitlSll III III" -ASNN
peop.e - fieartrsnding to Ride
Throug,l Devasted Villages.
Washington, Oct. 12.-Omitting
from the picture the glorious ar
mics on the battle fields and in the
Dig war factories, a closeup view OF
france today would be marked by
,lree features:
Eirst-What war has done to the
children.
Sscond-The tragedy of the repa-
.ria.cs.
lLls,l-The terrible solitude in
ne regions desolated by the German
INVADERS
These were the points made in a
TAX l had with DR.. Albert Parker
.Lch, Amherst professor, who has
iusu returned from a French town
iJr jLe Red Cross.
Perhaps" said he, the first i'm
preston is what war costs the non
eombI nts-the aged, the helpless,
he very young.
"Oua who has been in France new
eli thinks of war without seeing the
h.Idron-looking like little birds
with roed-like arms and legs, with
scraEny faces and too-old eyes.
/ think Of the little girl l saw in
LI0ye. who had lost her right arm
because the Tetreating army had
buried d shell in the coal where she
went to get the daily fuel for her
mother.
or 4 think of the little boy at
Marigny who had lost one OF his legs
from shell fire, or the little child L
saw at Toul who had been literally
frightened out of her wits by the
shock and horror of the battle field
and sat always gazing furtively into
space.
France is full of these sick chill
dren, sick because they have been de-
Driyed Of the care of their parents,
because they had no shelter from rain
and storm, because of the lack of
food.
= saw poor little kiddies with the
distended stomachs which are the
sure sign of peritonitis. | saw an
+ or EanGge group shrek in chorus
when a Sister of Mercy dropped
tray Their nerves have literally
been shot TO pieces.
But the terrible background for
it all is the want and poverty. L saw
children whose heads were solid
mass of yermin when they were res
cued from outhouses and hedges
where they were Grandchildren
who looked aged because they had
seen that which it is not good for
anyone 10 see.
The second great tragedy is that
of the Tepatriates. The enemy IS
now sending out of the French ter
ritCry which he holds the old men
and women past their usefulness, lit
lie boys and girls, and women with
young babies. Also some vicious
women. Many are diseased. The
. Germans send them back so France
will have to feed and clothe them.
They are coming at the rate of
nearly 3 600 day. l doubt whether
he world holds q more pathetic
spectacle. l saw trainload arrive.
They fled slowly out, being welcom
ed by the Mayor and a Red Cross
committee.
They saw standing in the station
an Alpine Chasseur in his dark blue
uniform. \ great cry broke from
the ranks: All, there you are! Oh,
We must embrace you Half doz-
IN Old men and women and children
ran IN 10 him. He, with instructive
Latin understanding of their poig-
uatn JOY at seeing defender of
France. opened his arms and Rugged
them to his heart.
THE rcpatriates are carefully fed
and housed. Often families are re
united. but for the great majority
This is impossible. The old men and
women viii live out their last days
amid new faces and other scenes;
little children viii grow up not
knowing who their parents were.
An ancient historian said of the
Roman armies that they made a soil
Jude and called it peace In a more
sinister sense that may be said OF
the portions of France from which
nc Huns nave been driven The
enemy showed WeIl-defined policy
rs ne gave back the land to its chill
lren. He meant so to leave it that
he heart of France should be brok
on. the spirit to fight gone.
Hence, like the primitive tribes
Of old, he fought against Frances
God and in each ruined village the
parish church is Il heap of powdered
stone
Next he attacked the great his
where the records of birth, death,
marriage. land tenures, all the data
hat help in the prepetuation of Sc
cure and orderly existence were to
De found, and burned the records.
1T was oppressive to ride as /
lid through this desolated and de-
serrcd countryside. now ruined so
completely that in some villages it
was no longer possible to distinguish
where The streets ran through them.
Amid the ruins autumn flowers were
sDTingirg up around the broken
rails and chaTred beams. But ev-
lErthere there was the sinister 81
.euca Of death, and the only human
ouch was the solitary sentry OF
Trance"