The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-01-11
DOING MUCH TO
RESTORE FRANCE
Americans Are Doing Wonderful
Reconstruction in DevaS-
tated Section.
LIVE IN RUDE BARRACKS
Miss Anne Morgan and Her co.Work.
ers Share In Primitive Life While
Carrying on Labors Among
Destitute People.


New York.-Niiss Margaret Steven
son, eo-worker OF Miss Anne Morgan in
devastated France, has Just arrived in
this country with the first direct news
Of the reconstruction work already ac-
complished by this American Fund fer
French Wounded unit composed Of ten
American women. Miss Stevenson told
of the 27 villages they have partly re-
habllitated, of the 5000 acres Of land
they have had cultivated the hundreds
of refugee families they have clothed,
| fed and installed in houses they have
| furnished; the classes they are running
| for children who have run wild since
the beginning Of the German occupa-
ton, and Of the community center they
/ have established at Blerancourt, in the
heart Of the ravaged region.
Live In Rude Barracks.
1--WE are living in rude wooden bar
racks built on the ruins Of the old
Chateau Of Blerancourt," said Miss
Stevenson. "Our barracks are fur
nished with the same unpainted fur
niture and plain iron beds that we
give to the peasants. The heads Of
our unit, Miss Anne Morgan and Miss
Anne Drake, share with US in this
primitive life. They are up at seven
o'clock in the morning, tidy up their
! huts, help with the dishes, and then
are off about their duties, visiting the
refugees, finding out their wants and
helping install them in temporary
shelters. Both Miss Morgan and Miss
Dixie speak French as we'll as they do
English, and they have entered deeply
into the lives of the people. Some
thing approaching normal village life
has been restored to the communities
under the care of the American Fund
Unit" Miss Stevenson says. "The
French government has placed this
unit in charge of the Aisne and Son.
me districts, both of which were sys-
tematically devastated by the Ger
mans.
"Our unit is militarized and works
directly under the French army"
Miss Stevenson explained. Through
the military authorities, Miss Morgan
has obtained valuable aid. Soldiers
on eight-day leave from the trenches
are put, under her direction, to help
rebuild shattered homes and plow the
neglected fields. There are no able
bodied men or women left in this part
of France. When the Germans re-
treated they swept the civilians before,
them. All who were able to work for
them they kept behind their lines; the
nonproducers-tha is, the feeble old
people and the small children-they
have allowed to return. These are the
refugees, the people we have to help
make homes for and make self-support-
ing.
Wonderful People.
"They are wonderful too, these old
people," Miss Stevenson went on.
"They return to their destroyed homes
worn out with suffering and hardships,
but no sooner are they on their beloved
soil again than they seem revitalized,
filled with energy, and the desire to re-
store all that has been destroyed. They
build One-room shelters for themselves
from the ruins of their once comfort
able homes or else their government
puts up small demountable wooden
houses for them. These we furnish
with everything they need to start
home life anew-beds, bedding, chairs,
kitchen utensils, and I'VE supply them
with clothing and foodstuffs. Every
thing that is sent to US from America,
we give them without cost, but the
stoves and kitchen utensils that we
buy in Paris we sell for two-thirds the
cost. They prefer to have it so, and
they pay any way they choose-in
work or vegetables. The first thing |
they do when they reach their homes
Is to start garden, and many of them
have been able to support themselves
his way. Others make their living by
washing for the soldiers. These are
Ill very old people, remember, aged
men and women of seventy-f1ve and
wen eighty. They walk from villages
niles away to get help from us, and
hey wheel great loads Of supplies on
some eight or ten miles
)ver cobble roads. 1
''These old people who have worked
lard and denied themselves all their
ives so they would have a competency
n their old age have to begin life again
With nothing but their stiff old hands
md their courageous hearts. They all
egret now that they didn't have lit
lie more fun out of life when they
we're younger, that they had not put
if ease and comfort until their old
ge. But they do not complain; they
ust dig in and work harder than ever
o make a home for the sons and
aughters who may come back at the
nd of the war, or at least for the