Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-26
UNDER FIRE
DURING WORLD WAR
Reconstruction Unit Frequently
Near Front Line of Battle;
Working Hard.

Philadelphia, Nov 6.-Reconstruction
work in various sections of France is VIVID
lv described BY William Waldo Hayes,
a member of the first Friends reconstruc-
tion unit to be sent abroad, who has Just
returned to this city after more than
year spent in such service.
Hie tales of the work done In the wake
of the destructive German armies, some
times under actual firing, show that the
workers under the direction of the Amen
can Friends Service Committee undergo
many of the dangers of fighting men,
without having the, satisfaction that
comes from fighting back,
Mr.. Hayes was a student at Swarth-
more College when war was declared.
In july he went 10 Haverford College
as a member Of the reconstruction class
organized there sailing for France on
September and arriving ten days later
SENT TO soAME REGION.
After few days spent in getting pass
ports the real work of the unit began
The men were sent 10 the Somme region;
a district from which the Germans had
recently been driven The conditions,
according TO Mr.. Hayes, were terrible
Whole families were forced 10 live in one
room. In some cases as many as ten
persons were penned UP IN the remains
of two-roorn house that had no covering
but papers and planks gathered by the
inmates.
Even this covering WAS denied the ref
ueeer. for few weeks after the arrival
Of the Friends unit the Gerrnfns came
down the Sornme, retaking that section
and destroying the work done. Con
ditions during the period OF evacuation,
7r Haves says, were miserable. Fana-
hes moved their belongings on wheel
barrows, carts or carried them on their
shoulders. Many were wounded by the
fvng shells and Others dropped from
sheer exhaustion. These provided ample
work for the unit; its members devotlng
their time to allevating the sufferlngs Of
she civilians and then, after seeing all the
refugees safely from that region. to help
ing the Red Cross TO care for the wounded
soldiers.
Work in that district Of the Somme
then being impossible because OF the Ger
man army OF occupation, the unit was
shifted to the southern Somme district.
Plenty Of work wss found for them there.
Rebuilding shattered houses, helping the
Red Cross IN the hospitals and aiding IN
any manner possible the thousands OF
refugees streaming toward southern France
kept the Friends busy.
The next shift was to Parr, which KITTY
Mr. Hayes reached on the day the first
shell from the German long-rsnge cannon
struck in the streets Of the capital Every
body attributed the explosion to a bomb
chopped from an airship too high to be
sighted, be said.
STATIONED AT Pa ns cATrEr.
IN Pnrs, Mr.. Hayes WIS stationed IN
The great canteen OF Garc de Nord, which
is one Of the biggest IN France. The
stream q refugees through Paris was
greater than in any other psrt of France,
he says. He and some friends left the
metropolis IN charge a some sheii-shocked
soldiers destined for base hospital IN the
Pvrennes region. After service In that
ho<pitl and much other work in various
sections, Mr. Hayes vN ordered home.
The experiences be underwent, he says,
are typical OF thosr of all who go abroad
in the work Of the American Friends
service committee No opportunity 10
help is overlooked, the units doing any
thing and everything to help reconstruct
Eyspe~