The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1918-01-17
THE CHILDREN'S PLEA
WILLIAM Z. FREELAND

wish that everyone might r,nd II Go
and See" I'm the Ladies' Home Journal for
January from which part Of the fact, rclat-
ed below are drawn,
On hillside in cne Of the desolated
parts OF France where the Germans
have chopped down every tree, torn
down every house, defled everything
in fact but the pure blue Of the sky
which refuses to carry the scars Of their
ousrages, is a little cemetry contain
ing several hundred wooden crosses.
These mark the final resting place Of
the little French children whose bodies
we're picked up along the road over
which the souowing French mothers
were driven when the Germans we're
forced to leave the village last March.
shall not venture to dwell on the
cold blooded toItures the brutal Huns
had inflicted on the helpless old men,
women and children during the three
years they had held this town. Finally
the pressure OF the French and English
armies became such that the kaiser
had to retreat. All the inhabitants,
sick, or well, were told they must leave
within two hours as the town would be
destroyed. Every man, woman and
child was made to march out Of the
town; those between the ages Of six
teen and sixty were forced to march
twenty miles and take trains to Ger
many TO work as slaves making ammu'
milton to kill their own people.
Old men who ventured to plead for
the helpless woman and children were
instantly shot. Mothers with babes in
arms and little children too young TO
walk, were forced out upon the muddy
roads By the brutal German soldiers.
Mothers tied their young and helpless
children to their clothing and struggled
on until the little ones fell by the way
side and were kicked into the bitches
By the heartless troops CT the kaiser,
There these little ones were found
when the French army arrived, their
little bodies lying in the cold mud,
their hands outstretchtd as they had
held them toward their mothers when
they fell, even in death Offering mute
prayer for help. The French buried
them with their arms still outstretched
leaving them to continue in their sleep
Of death their prayer for help that
was so cruelty denied while they yet
lived. All along that road we've found
the bodies Of babies, Of little children,
Of women, driven until strength failed
and then kicked aside. The time I'D,
come when we must speak as much o
the truth as the English language and
common decency will permit us to re-
late. Many OF the ou'rages are toe
foul to be mentioned even 10 whispers
Along that muddy road way struggled
many a French mother striving with
her last failing strength 10 save the
children Of her love for father WIN, j
still living, was somewhere in France
fighting to save the world, Americi
included, while beneath her hear
quickened burden that shall make thu
German name and the German rae,
odious and despised for all time. W,
have kept in mind our natural reticenc'
in such things but when one hospita
holds over one thousand French girl
who are about to become mothers b
German fathers it is time 10 speak
Eleven per cent Of these victims ar
raving mad.
For long time We could not be
lieve many Of these atrocities but hav
ing heard them from Americans VIII
like ourselves did not believe until tn
evidence became absolute we can nc
doubt.
Now when the kaiser seeing tn
game turning against him speaks {
peace, picture your own little one
struggling along the muddy roadway
the cold March wind tied to the
mothers clothing while she, weak Irol
three years Of brutality, struggles o
carrying her terrible burden, strivin
with only the desperate courage tht
The mother 1--we can know, to say