Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-07-17
BELFAST

1rLr HJI
Sergt. Farnham Makes Strong
Appeal for Serbia--Deaths
in Belfast
The few people who Rad the great
privilege Of hearing Seret. Ruth Farm
ham when she spoke in Belfast on
Saturday night lestened 20 one Of the
most eloquent, magnetic and power
fui war lecturers to visit Maine
this year and it is a great pity that
she was not better advertised and
that arrangements were not made to
have her in one Of the theatres.
Sergt. Farnham is IN American
woman by birth. although for years
She has been n resident of England.
She has Travelled around the world
several times, crossed the ocean more
times than she car count and visited
every little out Of the way place on
the globe. She has many friends in
Court circles in many countries and
especially in Serbia where she tas
spent q great deal of time. There
she did such heroic work in the ty-
plus epidemic. when thousands and
thousands Of natives died daily, she
was decorated by Peter, the King of
Servia. and il was this Royal decora-
ton that permitted her to enter Serbia
after the present war was in pro-
gress. She is the Only woman to
penetrate to the battle front and
while on the front in territory re-
captured by the Serbians she was
made a sergeant in the Serbian cav
airy. She appears in this uniform in
her lectures and wears it like a SOL
der. She told her audience how
she happened to give UP her home in
England, all her worldly goods and
devote her entire time to raising
money for the Serbians. On one oc-
casion while in Serbia in 1914, after
the outbreak of the war. she met
poor native woman, half starved yet
carrying in her arms child in still
more pitiful condition. The woman
ran to her as best she could in her
, fpeblt COllullIcH anu Iltiu Out Ilpl
child. expecting that the foreign
woman had food and nourishment to
offer her dying and starving baby.
Sergt. Farnharn was obliged 10 hold
up empty hands and the woman
could not believe that any woman
could be in that stricken and starv-
ing land out of mere curiosity. that
she must be there to bring help.
When she finally became convinced
that it was true she picked up a
stone and cut open her wrist, and
let her blood drip into the mouth of
the starving child. in vain attempt
to save its life. This trag ic sight re-
veaIed to Mrs. Farnham her life
work and from that time on she has
Travelled to raise money to send to
Serbia that she might never again go
there empty handed.
Sergt. Tarnham TOLD of many
cases of the atrocities of the Aus
trians in little Serbia which on the
Eastern front, as on the Western
front did Belgium. throw herself I'M
der the trampling feet of the enemies
of civilizatio holding back the
Austrian armies as long as she could,
and until Bulgaria attacked her in
the back. aided and encouraged by
Austria and Germany. In her opin-
ion, Sergt. Farnham's, Serbia saved
America from invasion by Germany
which had planned to half circle the
world, attack the western coast in
cite trouble in Mexico, sail up the
MISSISSIPPI river and cut the United
states from the west entirely. Ser
bia was sacrificed just as Belgium
was but while so much has been done
and is being done for Belgium, Ser
Ina has been overlooked in MANY
quarters. 1t is to this end that Selgt.
tarnham travels and lectures, telling
her story and that OF the people
whom she loves. She described them
as much like the people Of New Eng
land, many Of whom would starve
before they would ask for charity.
She told many interesting things of
the life in Serbia in times of peace
and many blood curdling incidents of
the war. OF the massacre Of little
children, the insults to womanhood,
the mutiiation and murder of old
men and boys. In one town which
the Austrians took they corrailed all
the little children enclosed them BY
ropes and then shot at and killed !
them, leaving them in q CHASTITY pile
When the town was retaken by the
Serbians these little dead bodies were
Photographed and prints Of This a
troclty are n England. America /
and Holland, positive proof Of the
haroaric warfare of :he Austriaos. |
Sergt Farnham made a strong an !
peal for these Serbians n closing and |
q collection was taken. She closed |
ner lecture with series Of stereor.
lican views Of Serbian cities, peoples, !