Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-14

THE Friends have never been great hunt.
A.ers of publicity, and it is characteristic
of their quiet and persistent methods that
even here in Philadelphia, the headquarters
of the Friends Reconstruction Unit, the
public has heard comparatively little of the
remarkable work the Quakers are doing
in the devastated regions of Europe. The
Friends have a habit of letting their work
speak for itself.
And it does. The Quaker conscience has
forbidden many Of the Friends to take up
arms, but the Quaker conscience never for
bids a man to do whatever work he can
for the good of humanity. The activity of
the Friends Reconstruction Unit is divided
into four kinds Medical, houses and re-
pairs clothing and furniture and agricul-
tural. There are $50 workers now in
France and twenty more on the way. There
are thirty-five in Holland, twelve in Ser
bia four in Italy And now that we are all
talking of aid for Russia, it is interesting
to know that the Friends are the only
relief workers who have not withdrawn
from Russia since the revolution Twenty
nine Quakers are still there. Salleviating
the distresses of the population as best
they can.
One of the most important things done
by the Friends unit in France is the con.
struction of portable houses for the civilian
population who have been driven from
their homes. More than $50 such houses
have been built by members of the unit,
which operates it's own sawmil to prepare
the lumber. The French people are strongly
individualistic; they will not live in bar
racks constructed for many families. Each
family must have home Of its own. The
plight of civilians in France, at time
when almost every effort is necessarily
being eXerted in behalf of the armies. is
very pitiful. The Friends have tried to
provide expert medical attendance; they
establish civilian hospitals, distribute
clothing, thresh grain, repair broken ae-
ricultural TOOLS build furniture and sell
II to the villagers at a minimum price.
They try in every way to avoid pauperizing
those they aid
The Friends unit has recently built
tuberculosis sanatorium, reroofed a civilian
hospital at Rheims, established a surgical
hospital near Sermaize (under DIR. James
A, Babbitt, of Haverford College), made
plans for the reconstruction of forty viii
lages near Verdun and equipped an old
blacksmith's shop as a repair shop for
tools. 1t has threshed 900 tons of grain in
thirty-three villages with twelve threshing
machines distributed clothing. taken care
of the teeth of the villagers under its
charge and established maternity hospitals.
Could any work of reconstruction be
saner or more helpful? As a proof of the
sentiments of he French Government
toward the unit. 1t need only be said that
the workers have been granted permission
to pass freely in the military zones, al
though the French, of course, know that
they are avowed pacifsts The Friends do
so OH their honor not to discuss questions
of war and peace with the troops. Some
times of course, the workers are asked by
the men I'm arms why they are not fighting
To this question the Friends always make
the same reply. your religion forbids you
to kill women and children" they say.
Our religion forbids US to kill men. women
and children"
This work Of the Friends mas ben ear