The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-02
AMERICAN WOMEN
RENAk|NG FRANCE
Mise Stevenson Tells of the RehatfIi
tation Efforts OF Community Gem
ter on the Aisne.
LIVE AND WORK AS SOLDIERS
Houses, Clothing, Food ana Schools
Supplied to Tyventy-scven Villages
Released From Germans,

OF MISS anne morgan IN the destroy co
Aisus district OF France, has Just ar
rived at ar Atlantic port. Che brings
the first direct news from the little
group OF ten American women who.
as a unit of the American Fund for
Trench Wounded, went into the heart
of deya@tated France and established
a community center that has helped
rehh hilitate some twenty seven ruined
villages. The unit Ia miiitarized ana
works directly under the French army
authorities
We live as simply as soldiers" ex-
planned Miss stevenson at the New
York headquarters of the American
Fund, 30 West Twenty-thfrd street.
our community center consists Of
rude wooden barracks or sheds built
about tho ruins of the old chateau OF
bierancourt, which WAS destroyed
curing the French revolution A por-
ter's lodge near the entrance to the
chateau is habitable. and this we use
Tor Kitchen, dining room, aud office.
All Of us, including the heads of the
unit Mics Anne Morgan and Mrs.
anne Dixie. have our bedrooms In the
| pareoues. They are furnished with
the same plain iron beds and unpaint-
en- furniture that we supply 10 the
peasants"
According to Miss Stevenson, some
thlng approaching normal villrre life
mas been restored ia many parts Of the
district. Schools arc open now. ana
children who have run wild since tho
German occupation are receiving their
nrst instruction in three years. A few
illS4s shops have been started-baker-
IeS' LOT the most part--and church
1 HerVices are held regularly I'm the
ruined churches. Some OF tho neas-
ants have built one-room shelters
! from the stones of their former homes
ana others are living In tho wooden
naracues put up by the government
AS soon as they have Some sort OF
living quarters we step IN and supply
them with household necesslttes--ftlr.
nitore, bedding. stoves, Kitchen uten.
slls--and farm tools as well "a cloth
ing and food. Chen tho peasants set
hhout making Rardens and replantine
| thelT destroyed orchards
Ihere are only old people and chill
oren left to carry on this great work
/ OF reconstruetion-rhe past ana ~.
/ future generations os France. But
| wish you could soc how eagerly those
oId men ard women start to work
again They return from German
| bondage enfeebled By SUFFERING ana
age, dragging their grandchildren be.
| nina them. But the moment the,
! reach their beloved bit OF soil tbey
are revtvitted. made strong and pur.
poseruI Their vitality is unbeIiev.
Aoie. One day an old woman near
seventy came to us from villa re
eight miles away to ask for mai,
tress. We told her che could have -
but explained that it would take sew.
erai days TO deliver It ms our Ynoto,
service was go busy She said nh,
would come for It herself, and tins
neIt gay she appeared with 81 hupa
neavy wheelharrow. She loaded tn.
mattress on. as well as a great niIs
tei blankets and Kitchen utensils. anf
started OF on her eight-mi1e trip over
rough cobble road. Another old wo.
nan walked many miles to get "a pair
oeuroom slippers for her sick nus.
paho. Every day some man of sev.
enty-fiva or thereaboute COMES f~ov,
some neigheor!ng village for tools tc
ho4p MIN In his farm work
Ihey are all so brave about II. and
." Eager TO have some sort ar hom,
READY Tor the SONS of daughters who
may return, and something to leav,
the grandchildren. It in a terr4h,.
traTedy to them to have lost not onl,
tneir MONIES and all their berbnRtngs
nut their lifetime savings as we'll
1helr life has ben one OF toll ant
constant self-denial go they would
nave something for their old age
ana now they have nothing That,
frantic OLD fingers dug out hisinq
places for their treasures hut a.
course the Germans took everything
ana thea destroyed their homes emo
orchards
rms part Of Franc was In German
hands for two years and a half ne,
cording to Miss Stevenson. and ,yher
the German evacuation took place the
inhabitants were driven ahead into
towns stiH held by the conauerors All
the non producers. the very old and
the very young, have subsequent,
peer sent back to France by way Of
s"itserland. All who can work are
kept to toll for the Germans
We found the children greatly af.
fected by their experiences in German
bondage said Miss Stevenson. THE,
nave quite forgotten how TO laugh
! and how TO play. Poor little things
/ thsy we're kept working in the fields
so many weary days under German
everseers. II IN no wonder they eccept
| ire as very serious thing. We are
| trying to make happy. normal chill.
dren OF them. They are we'll fed now
they eat so much bread their tum.
mics are quite distended We have
| Glasses IN sewing and housek eeping
for the girls under the direction OF
our trained nurse. And for the bows
there are carpentry classes in charge
| OF IL young French girl. She is teach
| ing the hoys to make furniture for
their homes, and also instructs them
IN the care of animals so they can
keep chickens. rabbits. and goa ts that
| we supply. We are introducing games
and play hours for them. and they are
slowly responding, Miss Morgan and
Mrs. Dixie have planned a big Christ
mas festival for all the children IN all
| our villages. We hope II will restore
their morale and give them new
values. J am glad 70 hear that Amerf-
car children have helped by sending
over many pairs OF stockings filled
| with toys and sweets. They need toys
and candy an we'll as stockings
| we are getting ready emergency
supplies for the next great advance, .
Miss stevenson said. I'VE want to
have warm clothing and food ready
| for the great number of refugees that