The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-09
By Madame Richardson Lucas.

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BY Madame Richardson Lucas.
IA promised to write about tn
rapatries Of Evian; we'll I'll make
beginning. Rapatries are easy to de
fine, but most difficult to describe.
They are the people; old men, oil
women, a few young women, chill
dren all ages, babies a few, that tn
Germans are sending back int
France through Switzerland. Thes
people have been in either Belgium
or Germany since the Germans tool
their villages. Now as winter come
on, these many mouths to feed, mus
be gotten rid OF. and so the German
are sending back all those they ar
unable In any way to use in fac
tory, trench, or agriculture. Tina
IA Ia the definition Of rapatries.
They are coming into France a
Evian-les-B ains on Lake Geneva
two trains day bringing 500 at I
time. And they are leaving EviaT
daily in special conveys to the as
signed destinations In the interior o.
France.
The little station at Evian give,
you a picture. no, realization Of
what war can mean to the civil
population, that even a devastated
village fails to give. The arrival oil
the train IL most dramatic. 1t comes
slowly into view and the crowd oi
rapatries on the platforms begin tc
cheer, and those in the train crowd
the windows and shout and wave
their hands calling Vive Ia France!
train are quickly opened by nurses
our ambulance men, government
aids and members Of the local COM
nittaes who are helping, and the
train empties quickly.
Old Women Cheerful.
The old women with their precious
bundles are 90 cheerful, IL breaks
your heart. They try TO smile, and
look ready for the new demands. The
old men seem more depressed. There
Is a finality about 1t all for them that
you never forget. The children are
dirty and tired, but excited and
eager to see what is going to happen
next. .~-. .----. a-.----.--.-. 49,
The sick and thu feeble are taken
to the ambulances in wheel chairs
and on stretchers. and our American
E0ed' Cross men have q way with
them that helps so much with these
weary people. They put them into
the ambulances, and a big bus for the
smallest Riddles, and or they go
down the little winding street to the
Casino. The rest Of the crowd walk
down.
Today at II was almost. the most
dramatic, the most thrilling moment
Of ali at Evian. Six hundred and
eighty Belgian children arrived on
the morning train. It was indsscrib-
able: all these little children, thin,
sicxly looking, alone; all Of them be-
tween the ages OF four and twelve.
II Is impossible to picture It for YOU
Those poor children calling "Vive
Ia BelgiQuen Tor the first time in
three years. Those OF US who stood
on the platform could only wave to
misunderstanding was impossible.
The boys were livelier than the
girls. The little girls Of ten and
twelve, in charge Of four or five
brothers and sisters, cried bitterly.
Two thirds Of these children have
been taken from their parents be-
cause their fathers would not work
for the Germans, and the mothers
were willing to let the children go,
rather than see them starve.
Tots March BravoIy Along.
have never seen anything more
poignant than those little groups of
children clinging to the oldest sister
and brother as they marched down
the little street to the Casino. Tt
was the saddest, the cruelest sight;
not one grown-up. just children
little children, marching bravely
along, singing and crying.
AS they passed along, the rapa-
tries on the sidewalk called to them
/ don't cry, you are going TO have
meatl" And the boys shouted 'NIeat,
we ara going to have meat!" as they
marched. You couldn't believe 1T.
You were looking at starving chill
dren--Belgian children. Many things
flashed into my mind: Seven cents a
day feeds Belgian baby"
DO YOU remember our Belgian
commission cards at home? Every
thing we did or tried to do last year
for the &C. r, B." came back to me.
Here were some Of the children we
didn't feed, perhapa--the long, long
line. II seemed to stretch out for
miles before you. You seemed to see
that little Wavering line Of starving
children passing on and on over
miles OF devastated country. There
are no words for it,
As / say. ! thought OF everything
I had ever heard about Belgium and
her sufferings and ] realized that
nothing ] had ever heard had given
me any conception OF starving Bel
gian children. Some Of our G. r. b.
men were there they are Red Cross |
men now, working like beavers. and
yet they felt that sight today as few |
would. They knew what these chill |
dren had come from.
Thin, BiFdiiks Claws.
The Casino was glowing with good |
cheef-the meat was there-plenty |
OF It, and potatoes and hot chocolate, |
hot roasted chestnuts.
How they ate! Yes, they Just l
stuffed that good dinner They were |
hungry and they were children. / |
shall never forget their hands-littIe !
birdlike claws. 80 thin. and when |
they sang they waved those pathetic /
little hands. / shall never forget. /
And such singing! The spontaneityl |
OF III! As we stood watching the /
eager faces. suddenly they would 1
sing with ell their miGht-zthese |
shrill little voices shouted out song /
against the Germans.
Those songs must have been learn
ed IN secret, and vet every tiny child
knew every word. When Nine --
sang their beloved "Brabanconne"
for them they were Accordingly 81
lent until the chorus and then such a
volume Of song IS came from those
Belgian children! lie Roi, Ia loi, Ia
IdbertelH
No one could bear 1.-THE French,
the Americans, the Belgian officials
who had come to receive them-ali
stood with tears on their faces. You
aeamea e. be touching with bare