The Twin City star., 1918-08-17

The treatment of children during the German
occupation was very terrible Little tots of four
and five, and children on up to the ages OF thir-
teen and fourteen, were forced to work all day
for their enslavers. They were taken Into tne
Aelds at five in the morning and were not ai'
lowed to come back until seven in the eVehihs.
During all that time they were given only on.
meal Their tasks were to dig potatoes. cu'
away the barbed-wire entanglements and PICK up
unexploded Shells After the Germans went away
there was no milk to be got because all the cows
had been either killed or driven away. Al one
district there were 800 children VINO eNiS'e,i ~
months without single drop OF milk. H'e' . Uue
little girl who had been kept for ~ days On u,s.
consisting of nothing but bread and soup, lne
latter being watery and scarcely at all Aoa'''A
ing. ,odo
The destruction of the schoolhouses has p'ade
Il impossible for the young children to gain any
education It is no strange thing to encounter
bow or girl of eleven who can neither read nof
write In their hideOus thoroughness the uei
mans destroyed books, pencils. desks ana ALL No'
a thing was left. After the American rehel "orh
ers came into the devastated regions they eS."o.
lished schools and built little WOODEN ouiiuiAs'
in which to carry on the work. w
At one school they told a story OF nttie
girl who was brought in with >the other shliureh
to learn to read. AS soon as she discoVereo ali
old chair in one Of the corners she lmlnediateiy
got into it and curled up in utter enJoyment anu
relaxation. She could not be persuaded 10 get
out of that chair The teacher Inquirer why she
was so pleased with the chair and learned that
the household in which the child livad had not
boasted a single chair since the first invasion OF
the Germans.
The separation of the children from their par
ents is another very tragic occurrence. In the
months and years before they are reunited the
children grow and change so that they are nor
recognizable to their parents when they meet
again. Some Of them, to be sure, wear on a
chain about their necks little gold baptismal
gifts on which their names are Inscribed. But
this Is exceptional. It is one Of the confessed
schemes of the Germans to divide and scatter
families as much as possible.
Nv heart bleeds for the children Of France!
Oh, that they should suffer this unmerited abuse
and tribulation!
The deportation Of young girls has been sys-
tematically practiced. A German officer comes
to the front door Of house and orders the entire
family to assemble outside on the door step. Then
he picks at random q number OF the younger
women Of the family. II will take you and
you (. . and your" he says, indicating the
chosen ones with his forefnger. At this sum-
mons they must leave their homes at once. They
are not allowed to pack their belongings nor to
carry much baggage. They are permitted only
SO much as they can carry wrapped in hand
kerehief.
After they are taken into Germany they are
put to work cultivating the fields, doing the
hardest and most menial kind of labor They
are forced to live with the soldiers and are
rudely treated by them They can send no word
to their families, and it is almost though they
were dead.
The relief work in the invaded districts has
been tireless. Great credit Is due to the Amer
lean committee for devastated France, organized
by Miss Anne Morgan Over 1000 children have
been turned over to this committee to be cared
for. One of its most useful works has been in
assisting the stricken people to leave their homes
so long as there is danger from the Germans in
the vicinity Pitiful stories are told of the flight
Of these people. One old woman refused to be
separated from her goat in transit, and would
only consent to so when she could be assured
that another goat could be got in csse her own
was lost.
France has been hard-tr;ed, but she is not
broken. Never has the morale Of the French
people been more mistaken than It is today.
France halls with Joy the arrival as the Ameri-
cans 1t is most fitting that these great sister
republics should be fighting SIDE by side in this
hour Of stress. Victory will be won; it is in
evitable! But ah the pain, the woe and the un-
necessary degradation that have followed In the
wake Of the invaders! Will the world ever for
get these? Can the bitter memory ever bs