The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-08-24

The treatment of children during the German
occupation was very terrible Little tots OF foul
and i've, and children OH up to the ages OF thr'
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
unexpoded shells. After the Germans went away
there was no milk to be got because all the COWS
had been either killed or driven away. In one
district there were 500 children who existed rof
months without single drop OF milk. met one
little girl who had been kept for 20 days on die
consisting Of nothing but bread and SOUP the
latter being watery and scarcely at all nourlsh-
ing.
The destruction Of the schoolhouses has mace
ii impossible flor the young children to gain any
education. I'd is no strange thing to encounter
hov ar girl III eleven who can neither read nor
write. IN thbrs hideous thoroughness, the Ger
mans DESTROYED books pencils, desks and oil. Not
a thing was ldft. After the American relief work
ers came intol the devastated regions they estab-
Iished schoolsl and built little wooden buildings
IN which to carry on the work
\ Atane scEAol they told a story of little
III iir with the otheraehildren
M aiearn Eto 1lR!d AS soon as she discovered an
MA chaif in dne Of the corners she Immediately
rot intoIit and curled up in utter enjoyment and
relaxation skhe could not be persuaded to get
ant Of that chair. The teacher inquired why she
was so pleasdd with the chair and learned that
the household In which the child lived had not
hoasted n sinkIe chair since the first invasion OF
the Germans.
The separation Of the children from their par
ents Is another very tragic occurrence In the
months and wears 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 baptismal
gifts on which their names are inscribed. But
this Is exceptional. 1t is one Of the confessed
schemes of the Germans to divide and scatter
families as much as possible.
MY heart bleeds for the children of Francel
Oh, that they should suffer this unmerited abuse
and tribulation
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 number of the younger
women of the family II will take you . and
you and you'll" he says, indicating the
chosen ones with his forefnger. At this sum-
mons they must leave their homes at once They
are not allowed to pack their belongings nor to
carry much baggage. They are permitted only
SO much as they can carry wrapped In hand
kerchief.
After they are taken into Germany they are
put to work cnltivating the fields, doing the
hardest and most mental kind of labor. They
are forced to live with the soldiers, and arc
rudely treated by them. They can send no word
to their families and IL is almost as though they
were dead.
The relief work II the invaded districts has
been tirelesa 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. Pitlful stories are told of the flight
Of these people One old woman refused to be
separated from her goat in transit, and would
only consent to 60 when she could be assured
that another goat could be got in case her OVID
was lost.
France has been hard-tried, but she is not
broken Never has the morale of the French
people been more mistaken than it is today
France halls with Joy the arrival Of the Ameri
cans. It is most fitting that these great siste,
republics should be fighting side by side In this
hour of stress. Victory will be won r is In
evitable! But ah, the pain, the woe and the IN
necessary degradation that have followed in the
wake of the invaders VIII the world ever fol-.
get these7 Can the bitter menors ever be
effaced?