The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-10-18
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has examined nearly $4,000 l saw $50 little chill.
dren examined. They ranged in age from three to
twelve years. and of them all there were barely
more than 80 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, land with
each convoy there are more undernourished ones
and more like this little fellow" He indicated a
thin wisp Of a boy-he was ten years Of age-t
tuberculosis.
This explains furthermore, why the American
Red Cross hospital, part Of Its burden.
has been obliged to extend its work into the foun-
dation and maintenance of homes here there and
everywhere throughout France, for these unfor-
tunates whom Germany Is sending back by the
hundreds Of thousands. For they are unable to
work, unable to make their own 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.
II was all new to me when 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, 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 tuhercGlous women whom Germany returned to
France. But l had heard Also of how the repa-
triates, sent through Switzerland by the Germans
arrlVedat Evian, singing, kneeling down and kiss
Ing the soil of France and gladly taking up their
share of their country's work In factories and on
farms. I had looked for scene Of JOY at the
station there in Evian, for cheers and heart thrills
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 1t. But had seen something entirely different
and when inquired II explained to me- 1T
is plainly" was told part of the 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 repatriates.
AT the same time that Germany is hurting her
big shells into Paris by day and air raiding 1t by
night; ut 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 filling 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 it be accounted for
that each succeeding tranoad of repatrates ia
larger contains more sick and completely used I'M
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 a mys
tery--which are unloaded on every day?"
Even at that II seemed rather a difficult task
These people who were coming in-I saw several
trainloads OF them-seemed such hopeless things
What could be done with them? What a 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
minds clear From being liabilities they soon be-
come assets. Germany sends these people In
wrecks. so cowed. so starved that they can scarce
ly tell 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 Tuhsr
culosis seems to have Il firm grip on many of them
and the children are filled with the germs Of ron
tagous diseases. But either by happy ability n,
the French to rise under difficulties or the ioy q,
finding themselves back In their own land tho
rapidlty 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 those
unfortunates. said: The more they send tho
better we like 1t, We can care for all with the
help Of our friends, the Americans. And the faster
they send them back, though their coming so fas,
unQuestionably taxes resources 70 the u,mo.,
the more quickly will France get back her own
people"