Evening journal., 1918-03-05
By w. 5. FOREST,

UNITED Press Stan Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES IN THE
FIELD. Jan. . tBy Mail)-workns day
BY day enduring the vlcissitudes Of
Winter in q barren war-swept portion
nf the army zone, aiding homeless war
victims to start again or to better en-
lure their hardships, ministering to
The frailness Of age and the abused
tenderness OF infancy-this, to Miss
Ruth Gaines Smith College graduate
and social worker Of New York's East
side is one Of the greatest pleasures
n life.
Miss Gaines is one of the nineteen
Smith College graduates who have now
spent over four months among the
French country folk in nineteen ruined
villages Of the Department Of the
somme and Oise.
If this can be called social work, -
said Miss Gaines, as I accompanied her
on her rounds through the demolished
village of Hombleux, Somme, ut is a
social workers heaven. After all IL
isn't the kind Of social work we do In
New York, but as a worker who has
had much experience among the poor
OF the East side, ] cant help but COM
pare the two.
ION The East side the people we help
arc the victims Of ignorance and COM
mon poverty, many Of whom live under
conditions as bad As can be found to-
day In the French war zone. Their
poor. downtrOdden, unsanitary lives
are all they've known. To elevaS
them. make their lives more worth liv-
Ing Is something better than they've
ever known and they cannot and dc
not appreciate and never will.
In these villages Of France the peo'
ple are victims Of war. They are livins
Under New York East side conditions
because 10 Is one Of the tragedies o.
having been under the iron heel OF q
merciless invader. Their thrifty com
Portable peasant homelife has beer
snatched from them and they are strlv
ing 90 re-cstablish 10. Our work her
isn't charity. its cooperation. Ever,
bed. stove pot or pan we bring int
the village is received with a ful
knowledge Of what IT'S an about ant
is appreciated.
shaking tho heavy mud from he
stout boy-scout shoes, Miss Gaines en-
tered a little makeshift dwelling eigh
feet by ten. the home Of a middle-age
woman and her two small daughter.
the eldest eight and her sister, three
When the Germans evacuated HON
hlcuX iu March, 1917. they blew up th
pretty little stone dwelling. q singl
wall OF which standing now. support
fhe mskeshift lcanto room. 10 wa
Miss Gaines and the Smith girls Re
lief Unit who furnishes the roofing TO
this m0keshifi which was built alone
mostly Of waste timber from the ruins
by the thrifty mother. A baby crib, m
raculouslv saved with its shiny whit
enamel ~ ouched. holds the place G
honor on the dirt floor Of the refug'
4 long narrow piece OF galvanized cor
rugatad iron extends from the roof a
sharp angle directly over the crib.
keeps the water OF the little three
year-old when it is rainy and the roc
leaks Another bed, as primitive as tn
DWELLING, occupies much Of the remair
ing space Two chickens nervousl
perched themselves on the baby cril
The little eght-year-old. bright-eye
little brunette, sat on the damp lo'
playing with a piece Of paper twistt
carefully 10 resemble what might hay
been a doll Of happier days.
We found the mother outside, return
ing with some timber she had gathert
20 build another section Of her home.
I'm bringing you a nice new bed &