Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-24
$4,000 AWAITING
FRENCH ORPHANS
City Generously Responds
to Appeal for Father
less Children
"STARS" BEDECK TREES
Adopted Little Ones Send
Grateful Letters to Cod
parents Here
STARS" BEDECK TREES

The Philadelphia committee of the
fatherless children of France is sue.
seeding in its effort to have this Christ
mas season a time OF special giving for
the French children whose fathers were
Killed in the war.
Already the committee has received
100000. and the stars which decorate
the Christmas trees in the public squares
OF the city represent several hundred
dollars already given at each tree.
Though the response has been gener-
Gus, the Philadelphia committee feels
residents of this city have done little in
comparison to those of other cities in
this matter. and wishes to bring up its
quota OF children adopted at this time
to compare more favorably with the
quotas elsewhere
as At the beginning of the present drive
only 5000 children had been adopted
here in comparison to 100000 in Chicago.
10000 Await Adoption
There are in France 100000 fatherless
children for whom the organization
wished TO make provision or this num-
ber 10000 have already been adopted.
so that there are stll i9s,0OO young can
didates for American godparents.
The children correspond with their
godparents and send photographs of
themselves.
Many Philadelphia women have
received interesting and appealing letters
from the little orphans. Groups OF wo-
men, and of girls and boys also, are
adopting the French children and writ
ing letters to them. Yesterday the
pupils of the Philadelphia Normal School
adopted thirteen orphans
Miss Charlotte Sitter, 4l9 South carlisle
street, who is in charge of the lnde-
pendence Square Christmas tree. and is
one Of the most active Of the Philadel-
phia workers. has taken two children.
Raymonde and Rene. from whom she
received the photograph srown above
and the following letter:
Mademoiselle rnd dear benefa ctress-T am
letter and to thank YOU FOR the kindnrsses
which you have done me. I do not write
well and ] am not very learned. But there
Is one thing which I know well. II IL that
YOU are very good. that you have come to
console u.s. to help us In our misfortune. and
we can never tell you enough what our graf
itude is.
We speak of you often with Mamau and
often think that there II. very far away.
I send her In thought my deepest thanks
tits due to your aid that our situation is
softened mademoiselle. Al first we passed
some very bad days.
Papa Was One Of the First to Fall
NV brother and I are among the oldest
orphans of the war. That is to say that my
poor papa was one OF the first ~ fall in
had news from him, because the letters ar
rived very badly at the beginning.
Ny little brother was two years old and
papa very we'll He was sweet and good
fogs and loved him .cyy mnch oc
She did not know what would become Of
her1 alone with two ,ohildren, Maman would
much more to make q living for US. bur the
country is not industrial ard there is little
cssary for Ma man to send ia to board nj =
public home and I was not willing to leave
She had already had enough to bear In
ssfe and to Sase he to 6s If S
ing. US with her and OF bringing us up her
Ny letter is not perhaps very Interestrnr,
but hope. our dear henefactress thai II
MI express at'least. all our most grateful
Your little children.
RAYMoNDE AND RENE.
Julie Klein's Letter Of Gratitude
The French love and sympathy for
'dear Lorraine" Is voiced in the follow
ing letter from Julie Klein to her Amer
lean godmother. Mrs. Charles f.. Dana
OF 2013 Delaney street:
+ Dear Benefsctress and Godmuther-I have
yust received the allotment which YOU have
% our aid during this terrible war hope
that you VIII be so good as to continue to
] hope that verA soon they arc going 10 20
away, again from our, dear native country,
" now our dear French and AmprlCans who
are In our dear Lorraine; should like to
entered. 10 have the JOY OF OF recelving @ them. r
Tor the poor civilians who remained must
y Psd G SFsHS
from % Metz; stS iT bs very EottDr Drettg city. ~ .
SoT wi never so fGrset sRd your dsET Itte god;
shown me and my family.
Receive from your dear iittl" WAT God
brothers and sister send YOU also their hest
y JULIE.
A widowed Mothers Thanks
In France Il appears that little boys
OF twelve years who attend the marine
school already wear the uniform OF the
navy. Little Rene EranboUne has been
adopted by the Philadelphia committee.
Hls mother. on paper with a band of
black half an inch wide wrote the fol-
lowing letter. expressing her gratitude,
10 Mrs. John Markoe, chairman Of the
committed:
Madame;
The American society which gives aid 4
xoui have adopted my child Rene / bes
Won 10 receive. Madame. the EXPRESSION n
nv gratitude and my most sincere thanks
III am happy that my child should hay,
An allowance, for the death Of my hushau,
has left me alone with six children You
protege Madame will be eternAlly grateful
Thib war will end very soon, I hope, b,
thS Victory Of our armies, The French viii
Keen lnipershHble remembrance Of acts o
fraternity and OF the aid which AmerlCs
brought to aHsuage our misfortuneE
send you. enclosed. the photograph o
my eon, He IL standing with his BROTH,
in the marine school, lie II twelve year
old and Eiready wears the uniform OF ou
sailors.
4 thank you very sincerely. Madame an
beg you 10 believe In my most sincere devu
tion