Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-16
M0ther-L0ue and Hate Struggle on Faces
of french Women Carrying B0che Babies
Idah McGlone Gibson Tells of
Women Returned to France by
the Huns Through Evian,
Brave Despite Their Brutal
SuHerings.
(By Idah McGlonc Gibeon.)
Copyright, 1918. by the Newspaper
rS~$o~-r;~o Aeooo;oti0r

(By Idah McGlonc Gibson.)
Copyright, 1918, by the Newspaper
Enterprise Association.)
Perhaps the poor repatries-as the
people who are sent back from Ger
many are called-at Evian give me a
picture that, stays persistently in my
memory, because at Evian I got my
first idea of the hell that wal makes.
1t was here I saw women coming
back with a look of despair and
shame contorted with mother low on
their faces. Us they held in their arms
Boche babies. 80.
In each convoy that m to Evian
out from behind the German lines,
you will find from 10 to 35. women
who have babies under two years old.
and all these children must have Ger
man fathers.
do these women love their chill
dren?"
Most of them do. but one out Of
every 10 you will find has been SO
abused by it's German father that h
can hardly treat the child at her
breast kindly.
mo Boche has any respect for a
woman" declared one young mother
in whom love of her baby and hate Of
its German father struggled for mas
terry.
When a Boche soldier gets his
permission he often stays back Of
the lines instead of going home to his
family, because he knows that his
family does not have the food to eat
that the soldier does. He really does
not care for his family as do the men
of France"
. And she is right.
When a French soldier receives his
eight days permission" he gets back
as soon as he can to his family. and
if he was a a driver, o will see
him driving a cab the entire time.
that he may pick up a few francs for
!, OF land, he will be c~ultivating that.
Every French soldier tries to make
his wife and children a little moro
: comfortable while he is home, and as
he gets only S cents a day he alwaya
tries to make a little money when he
! is on "permission."
At Evian the old people seem to me
the most pitifui, for the children
= have a future. they may grow into
: strong men and women But the old
my heart was breaking for thep. A
great many of them are thai
y the JOY Of getting back.to la Patrie' Is
e too much for them. and they die
within "a hours after arrival.
The real old people are taken tt
IIS NOHVcuL VI JOAH VI <AIV, lAC
the gentle mothers and sisters care
e for them. But I felt that OF the door
of this place should be written,
"abandon hope all We who enter
n here" for only those without friends
!. and only a short time to live, are tax
> en- here.
o While I wa at Evian. two sisters
= Of the Huns, we're brought here t.
die. I would not like woma t
have heard their cries for mercy from
their captors. it was horrible.
The system Of finding relatives ant
friends for these poor repatries Is 81
wonderful at Evian that most Of then
are sent away within the day t
someone who is waiting for them.
b But the poor old woman whose pic
ture Ia printed here was. lame and al
alone. Evidently in all the world sh'
had no sone whose yes would
brighten for her.
After all the others had left. sh,
still a there for hours. patient blu
hopeless.
wanted me to do anything for her.
She answered. am SO tired, 81
. II: ec"-all I could get out Of her wa
g Il am so tired"-and truly. she look
ed $50 tired" as she sat there, with
only the knowledge that she was bacl
d in her beloved country to sustain her
will you have your picture takel
for me?" I asked, at last, for !:
p wanted to show to Americans a typ,
of these thousands OF old people thai
e have been sent back to France by the
Huns to live as best they can the few
years remaining to them.
She looked at me. a moment, and
. then, apparently seeing the Red Cros,
lion my hat, she knew there was moth.
= ling to d%istrust. and she answered
"Oui."
And right hers / had !. most won.
! derfuI illustration Of feminine nature
The dear>old woman. whose only pos.
r sessions In life were the bag and
crutch that stood beside her-whc
4 knew that she would never see thu
d picture, and who did not know where
che would be sent to finish her life
who did MOI even know where hel
next meal was 70 come from-sat VI