The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-10-26
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has examined nearly 10000. ] saw $50 little chill
dren examined. They ranged in age firm three to
twelve years, and Of them all there We're barely
more than so 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
thin wisp of boyle was ten years of age-lt
was tuberculosis
This explains, Furthermore, why the American
Red Cross hospital, as part Of its war burden,
has been obliged to extend it's work into the foun
dation 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 are unable to
work, unal. sAto make their own homes, and the
civilian population Of France bent double with
the pack Of it's own problems, has been increas-
ingly powerless to cope with this, Germany's In
sidious effort to break the morale of France.
1t was all new to me when went up to Eyian
from Paris TO see the repatriates comein. ! 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 its work to caring for the hundreds
Of tuhercuous women whom Germany returned to
France But had heard, also, of how the repa-
triates sent through Switzerland by the Germans
arrived at Evian, singing, kneeling down and KISS
ing the soil of France and gladly taking up their
share of Il cir country's work in factories and
farms. l had looked for a scene of joy at the
station there in Evian, for cheers and heart-thrs
at the casino Here was q people being returned
to the country that 1t belonged to; here We're ban
ners of welcome, here were hands and hearts open
to 1t. But had seen something entirely different,
and when inquired it was explained to me, 1T
is plainly,i was told, part of rhe German plan
OF breaking down French morale of destroying the
efficiency of the American Red Cross, which it has
learned is doing such large part In the work of
handling repatrates.
AT the same time that Germany is hurting her
big shells into Paris by day and air raidng it by
night; at the same 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 new trick during this
offensive
IF this is not so. how can it be accounted for
that each succeeding tranload of repatriates is
larger, contains more sick and completely used up
Individuals than the previous one? How can 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 q mys-
tery--which are unloaded on us every day?
Even ut that it seemed rather a difficult task.
These people who were coming in-I saw several
tranloads of thenn--seelned such hopeless things.
What could be done with them? What burden
they would be on the French! How little result
there would be from anything done for them or
with them!
'"That 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
mails clear Prom being liabilities they soon be-
come assets. Germany sends these people in,
wrecks, 10 cowed so starved, that they can scarce
ly tel where they have been, what has happened
to them in the years of their slavery in the Mines
the mills the fields of their captor country Tuber-
culosis seems TO have firm grip many of Them
and the children are filed with the germs Of con-
tagious diseases. But either by happy ability of
the French to rise under difficulties, or the joy OF
finding themselves back iE their own land the
rapdity with which they rally the queBness with
which their minds clear, is remarkable"
French woman, in charge Of the casino YES
tia.re at Evian, Where clothing Is found for these
upfortunates said The more they send, the
better We like Il. We can care for all, with the
help Of our fri ends. the Americans. And the faster
they send them back, though their coming so fast
,nauestionaply taxes our resources to the utmost
fhe more quickly win France get back her OWE
people"