Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-08-23

The treatment of children during the German
occupation was very terrible Little tots OF four
and five, and children up to the ages of thir-
teen and fourteen, forced to work all day
for their enslavers They were taken into the
fields at Eve in the morning and were not al
lowed to come back until seven In the evening"
During all that time they were given only Que
meal Their tasks were to dig potatoes. cut
away the barbed-wire entangements and PICK up
unexpoded shells. After the Germans went away
there was milk to be got because all the cows
had been either killed driven away. In one
district there were 800 children who existed ior
months without single drop of milk. met one
little girl who had been kept for 20 days on uiet
consisting of nothing but bread and SOUP the
latter being watery and scarcely ut all hourish'
ing.
The destruction OF the schoohouses has made
It impossible for the young children to gain any
education 1t is no strange thing to encounter
boy or girl of eleven who can neither reau nor
write In their hideous thoroughness, the Ger
mans destroyed books pencils, desks ana all NOT
a thing was left After the American RELIEF work
ers came into the devastated regions they estaD-
llshed schools and built little wooden buildings
In which to carry on the work
At one school they told story OF little
girl who was brought In with the other children
to learn to read AS soon as she discovered nm
old chair In one of the corners she Immediately
got into II and cured up In utter enjoyment and
relaxation. She could not be persuaded TO get
out of that chair. The teacher inquired why she
was so pleased with the chair and learned that
The household I'm which the child lived had not
boasted single 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 years before they are reunited the
children grow and change so that they nre not
recognizable to- their parents when they meet
again. Some of them. to be sure. wear on a
chain about their nects little gold baptismal
gifts on which their names are inscribed. But
this Is exceptional II Is Of the confessed
schemes of the Germans to divide and scatter
families rs much as possible.
My heart bleeds for the children of France
Oh, that they should suffer this unmerlted abuse
and tribuaton!
The deportation of young girls has been sys-
tematcally practiced. 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. 81 will take you . and
you and you!" he says, indicating the
chosen with his forefnger AT this sum-
mons they must leave their homes ut 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 cultvating the fields. doing the
hardest ana most mental kind or labor. They
are forced to live with the soldiers, and are
rudely treated by them. They send no word
to their families, and 1t Is almost as though they
were dead.
The relief work In the invaded districts has
been tireless Great credit is due to the Amer
lean committee for devastated France, organized
by Miss Anne Morgan. Over 1000 children have
been turned TO this committee to be cared
for. One of It's most useful works has been In
assisting the stricken people to leave their homes
so long there Is danger from the Germans I'm
the vicinity. Pitiful stories told of the flight
Of these people. One old woman refused to be
separated from her goat in transit, and would
only consent to go when she could be assured
that another goat could be got in case her own
was lost
France has been hard-tried, but she Is not
broken. Never has the morale OF the French
people been more mistaken than 1t Is today
France halls with Joy the arrival of the Amerl-
cans. II is most fitting that these great sister
republics should be fighting side by side I'm this
hour OF stress Victory viii be won; II Is I'm
evltable But ah, the pain. the woe and the un.
necessary degradation that have followed I'm the
wake of the invaders! VIII the world ever for
get these? Can the bitter memory ever be
eifaced?