Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-08-22

The treatment Of children during the German
was very terrible. Little tots Va t"'
and five, and children On up 10 the ages Oh III"
teen and fourteen, We're forced to ""fh All ""'
for their enslavers. They we're taken '''' :"
fields at five In the morning hnd were hf
lowed ia come back until seven In the eH'h'"-'
During all that time they were gwen "hs o Wv.
moa,. Their tasks were to ds potatoes w.
.,av ,he hnrbe,i.wire acknowledgements anu pieh Wy
,n.yniot,ed shells. After the Germans "en' ""Ns
,h,ra WAS no milk to be got because All ~ >'
nod heen either killed or driven away !" ..
,ue,r,c, there were 900 children VINO eAiS''" 49,
months without a single drop OF nun Ala,
little girl who had been kept Tor ~ o'!' a.,
consisting of nothing but bread anu sup ~
latter being wutery and scarcely AZ an ""
ing. nag made
The destruction Of the schoolho"ses h'> '" .
II imposSible for the young chllufen :" So 49,
.dncatlon. II is no strange thing 10 ehtoui.'l"
,o, mr. girl of eleven who can neither fea" "'
vrIte In their hideous thoroughness' 'ha Nv
,,,,s d.s, royed books. pencils, desks ana al. Nv
,,in, lefr. After the American reliel WIN
80 coua into the devastated regions 'heS en"'
,i.had schools aud built little wooden p"''u''s'
in which to carry on tn" WORK ,,.,,a
A, one school they told Il story OF u i'''
c,r, who was brought in with the other h'"n'"
70 learn to read. As soon as she aisco'eieu On
oha chair in one of the corners she lmhAeoia''s
uot into II and curled up In utter eng! a".
relaxation. She could not be persuaaea " ~
ont of that chair. The teacher 1hqu'teu ""' -.
yrav 50 p,eosed with the ctnir and learned 'h"t
- sn,s,ro,, IN which the child lived had not
,a.s,aa , single chair since the first invasion or
the Germans. . ,.o,r mr..
mo sanarstion of the children from thelr par
ants is another very tragic occurrence. ia '"e
months aud years before they are reuh'teu 'he
children grow and change SO that 'hes IL ~.
recognizable to their parents "heh 'heS mee
again. Some of them. to be sure, wear y" q
choin about their necks little gold papusliul
y,fts on which their names are lnscr1bea' ha.
This is exceptional. 1t is one or me coh''sSeu
schemes Of the Germans to diVide hhu AL
families as much as possible.
Nv heart bleeds for the children OF France
Oh. that they should suHet 'ms ""' ~
and tribulation! w
Tho denortation of young girls has been sys
tanoticnlIy practiced. A German officer comes
:, the front door of n house and orders the enur'
family to assemble outside on me door STEP Liner
he hicks ut random a number OF the souhse
women of the family. II Will take you ah'
,ou and you! " he says, indicating tn
chosen ones with his f%oretinger. At this sun
mons they must leave their homes ut once. Inc
IRE not allowed to pack their belongings nor Z
carry much baggage. They are permitted onl
Ga much as they can carry wrapped in a hand
kerchlef.
After they are taken into Germany they ar
rut To work cultivating the fields. doing tn
hnrdest and most mental kind Of labor. The
arc forced TO live with the soldiers, and ar
rudely treated by them. They can send no wor
to their families, and 1t Is almost rs though the
were dead.
The relief work In the invaded districts I'm
heen tireless. Great credit Ia due to the Anne
lean committee for devastated France, organize
nv Miss Anne Morgan. Over 1000 children nay
heen turned over to this committee to be care
for. One Of its most useful works has been
assisting the stricken people to leave their hone
40 long as there Is danger from the Germans
tho vicinity. Pitful stories IRE told of the fig
of these people. One old woman refused to
sepsrated from her goat In transit. and wou
only consent to go when she could be assure
TINT another goat could be got In case her ov
was lost.
france has been hard.tried. but she Is n
hroken. Never has the morale Of the Fren
neople been more mistaken than It Ii todd
France halls with Joy the arrival Of the Anne
cans. II IA most fitting that these great sist
repabllcs should be fighting side by side In Il
hour Of stress. Victory will be won; It Is
ovitahiei But ah. the pain, the woe and the u
necessary degradation TINT have followed 10 I
wake OF the invaders! Will the world ever 4
GOT thcse1 Can the bitter memory ever
efaced7