Western Kansas world., 1918-08-22

occupation was very terrible Little tots of four
and five, and children up to the ages OF thir-
teen and fourteen, were forced to work all day
for their ensavers- They were taken into the
fields at five in the morning and were not al
lowed to come back until seven in the evening.
During all that time they were given only one
meal Their tasks were to dig potatoes, CUT
away the barbed-wire entanglements and PICK up
unexploded shells. After the Germans went away
there was milk to be got because all the cows
had been either killed or driven away IL o.e
district there 500 children who existed lor
months without single drop of milk met oii.
little girl who had been kept for ~ DAYS on u,e
consisting of nothing but bread and SOUP 'ne
latter being watery and scarcely at al noui'S''
ing
The destruction of the schoolhouses has mace
it impossible for the young children TO gam any
education. It is no strange thing to encounter
boy or girl of eleven who can neither read nor
write In their hideous thoroughnessr the Ger.
mans destroyed books, pencils. desks ana an. MI
a thing was left After the American relief work
ers came into the devastated regions they esfaD-
Iished schools and built little wooden buhoings
in which to carry the work
At one school they told story or nttie
girl who was brought In with the other children
to learn to read. AS as she discovered an
old chair in of the corners she Immediately
got into it and curled up in utter enjoyment ana
relaxation. She could not be persuaded TO get
out of that chair. The teacher inquired why sne
was so pleased with the chair and learned that
the household which the child lived had not
boasted a single chair since the first invasion OF
S the Germans.
The separation of the children from their par
ents Is another very tragic occurrence In the
months and years before they are reunited the
children grow and change SO that they are not
recognizable to their parents when they meet
again. Some of them. to be sure. wear on
chain about their necks little gold bapdsmaI
gifts on which their names are inscribed But
this is exceptional. It is of the confessed
schemes of the Germans to divide and scatter
families much as possible.
Ny heart bleeds for the children of France! !!
Oh that they should suffer this unmerited abuse
and trfbulationf
The deportation of young girls has been sys-
tematically practiced. A German officer comes
to the front door of house and orders the entire
family to assemble outside on the door step. Then
he picks at random q number of the younger
women of the family 81 will take you and
YOU and you !" he says, indicating the
chosen with his forefnger. At this sum-
mons they must leave their homes at once Iney
are not allowed to pack their belongings nor to
carry much baggage. They are permitted only
so much they can carry wrapped In a hand
kerchef
After they are taken into Germany they
put to work cultivating the fields. doing the
hardest and most menial kind of labor. They
are forced to live with the soldiers. and are
rudely treated by them. They send word
to their families. and it is almost though they
dead
been treless- Great credit is due to the Amer
lean committee for devastated France, organized
by Miss Anne Morgan Over 1000 children have
been turned over to this committee to be cared
for One of its most useful works has been in
assisting the stricken people to leave their homes
SO long as there is danger from the Germans in
the vicinity. Pftiful stories told of the flight
of these people One old woman refused to be
separated from her goat in transit, and would
only consent to go when she could be assured
that another goat could be got in her
lost
France has been hard-tried. but she is not
BROKEN. Never has the morale OF the French
people been more unshaken than It Is today.
France halls with JOY the arrival of the Ameri-
cans. 1t Is most fitting that these great sister
republics should be fighting side by side In this
hour of stress Victory win be won: IL IL In
evftnblel But ah, the pain, the woe and the
necessary degradation that have followed In the
wake of the invadersl WIN the world ever for
get these7 Can the bitter memory ever be
enaced7
THE END or rHe WAN.