Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-10-15

has examined nearly $4,000. I saw go little chill
dren examined They ranged in age from three to
twelve years. and Of them all there were barely
than 90 per cent whom he could pass as be-
ing even fairly well nourished.
~They have been fed mostly on turnips and
black bread for months" he explained, "and with
each convoy there are more undernourished ones
and more like this little fellow" He indicated a
thin wisp of boyle was ten years of age--it
was tuberculosis.
This explains, furthermore, why the American
Red Cross hospital, as a part of its war burden,
has been obliged to extend its work into the foun-
dalton and maintenance of homes, here there and
everywhere throughout France, for these unfor-
Inmates whom Germany is sending back by the
hundreds of thousands. For they unable to
work unable to make their homes, and the
civilian population of France, bent double with
the pack of its own problems, has been increas-
ingly powerless to cope with this, Germany's in
sidious effort to break the morale of France.
It all new to when 1 went up to Evian
from Paris to see the repatriates come in l had
heard Of how Germany had begun sending them
back in 1916 and how, as the numbers of them in
creased, the American Red Cross stepped in and
undertook to look out for the sick children, finally
extending it's work to caring for the hundreds
or tuberculous women whom Germany returned to
France But had heard, alsO Of how the repa-
triates, sent through Switzerland by the Germans
ing the soil of France and gladly taking up their
share Of their country's work in factories and on
farms. l had looked for a scene of Joy at the
station there in Evian, for cheers and heartthrlls
at the casino Here people being returned
to the country that it belonged to- here were ban
ners of welcome, here were hands and hearts open
to it. But had seen something entirely different
and when inquired it was explained to me. ut
is plainly" 1 was told, part Of the German plan
Of breaking down French morale, of destroying the
efficiency of the American Red Cross which 1t has
learned is doing such q large part in the work OF
handling repatriateS.
"At the time that Germany is hurting her
big shells into Paris by day and air raiding it by
night; at the time that she is driving refu-
gees by the thousands from their homes in towns
along the line Of her proposed advance at the
same time she is filing the hospitals with wounded
French and American soldiers, taxing the equip
ment of the American Red Cross to the limit as
she believes, she has tried trick during this
offensive.
IF this is not So how can 1t be accounted for
that each succeeding trainload of repatriates ia
larger, contains more sick and completely used up
individuals than the previous oner How you
account for the large number Of young women
with babies born in Germany since they were
= taken there-babies whose fathers may be Ger
man, but whose identity will ever remain mys
tery-whch are unloaded on every day?"
Even at that it seemed rather difficult task
These people wh9 were coming in--I saw several
trainloads of then-seemed such hopeless things
What could be done with them? What burden
they would be the French! How little result
there would be from anything done for them OF
with them
"Ihat is far from being the case" was told
"They respond in an incredibly short time to all
we do for them. Their health improves, their
minds clear From being liabilities they soon =
come assets. Germany sends these people in.
wrecks, so cowed. starved, that they can scarce
ly tell where they have been, what has happened
to them the years of their slavery in the mines
the mills the fields Of their captor country Tu5er-
culoss seems to have firm grip on many of Them
and the children are filled with the germs Of con-
tagious diseases But either by happy ability Of
the French to rise under difficulties the joy Of
finding themselves back In their land, the
rapidity with which they rally, the quickness with
which their minds clear is remarkable"
French woman, In charge OF the casino YES
tiaire at Evian where clothing Is found for these
unfortunates, said: 1.-THE more they send the
better we like II. We care for all. with the
help of our friends the Americans. And the faster
they send them back, though their coming so fast
unQuestionably taxes our resources to the utmost
the more quickly will France get back her own
people"