The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-07-11
WAR TRANSFORMS
LITTLE OLD HOME
THE BIRTH PLACE OF A FRENCH
SERGEANT IN PICARDY.
REGIMENT SAVES HUNGRY BOY
Child Only Eight Years Odds Left
Behind in French Town.-France
Has Mothered More Than Two
Million Refugees.
(By Fred S. Ferguson.)

With the American forces in ri.
cardy, June IS. (By Mail "A little
French sergeant came home to Pi-
cardy the other day to see the house
where he was born, where his father
and mother, and his grandfather and
grandmother lived.
At the big fireplace where his grand
mother used to sit, he saw American
officers, warming up from the evening
chill
AS he stood in the doorway, he
looked just to the right, and there
were piles of sandbags in front of the
entrance to the cellar. The floor of
the house was about foot higher
than when he knew it. In every room
unhewn trunks of trees a foot in
diameter were sunk in the brick floor,
and supported the ceiling. He went to
the attic. More sandbags. Two great
layers were piled evenly over the en-
tire top floor. Then he looked about
at strange objects in the corners.
Their were heirlooms, but so wrapped
that he could not recognize them at
first Old pictures, woodcuts, old
glass flower cases-everything that
was dear to him and to his father and
mother had been carefully put away.
The little sergeant smiled. Being a
soldier he knew what-rifrthe sand-bags
the rising of the floor, and the sup
ports meant. The house had been
made as safe as possible from shell.
fire. 1t is just a little house of four
rooms in a village that is now under
the fire of the German guns. The ser
geants people fled when the Boche
thrust forward and captured Montdi-
der. He has been fighting in another
sector, and obtained permission to Wis
it his home to see how things at home
were with none of the family to look
after them When he left to return
to his regiment he was happy-as
happy as a man can be when war has
forced his father and mother to flee
from the dearest place to them on
earth.
Regiment Saves Starving Boy.
Though the American troops have
repeatedly made themselves extreme
ly popular by their open handed gen
crosby to the natives among whom
they happen to be quartered, is has
remained for an artillery regiment to
distinguish itself especially in this re-
spect.
The unit was quartered for some
time in little French town Hohird the
front and on the first eVeniG;s found,
almost dying from hunger. an Swear
old boy. whose mother had been killed
at Verdun. The boy had wandered
aimlossly about until he reached this
town.
He was adopted by the regiment
fed to safety and made the mascot
and idol of the men. The time came
however, very recently, when the artil-
lerymen had to leave for front service.
TO take the boy with them was out of
the question. He had been given the
nickname of Pat" and they had grown
so attached TO him that they felt some.
thing must be done to assure his
future.
SO the men raised two thousand
francs with which Pat" is to be cared
for in home and given at least rl-
education. They have gone
on to the front, possibly never will see
the little town again; but the town,
and Pat, will not soon forget them.
France Cares For 2 Million.
France has "mothered" more than 2
million refugees imposed upon her
while she was engaged in war.
The 2 million refugees have been
handled with system. They have been
distributed over France with as much
foresight, as to their ability to adjust
as possible. Each depart
ment has now within borders from ten
thousand to twenty-five thousand ref
ugees. When a city is ordered evacu-
ated by the military authorities, trains
are made up for the civilian popula-
ton. Groups are formed and the whole |
organized into conveys and their des-
tination determined by the character
of the refugees and the industrial nee
essities of the section of country to
which they are sent.
The work is performed by the cen
tralized French government. The
of refugees from the war zone /
to safe place where they can settle
is conducted much as is the transfer
of the army from one section to an
other. 1t is done with military precis
ion so far as the exigencies of the sit
uation will allow.
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