The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-09-21

The treatment of children during the German
occupation was very terrible. Little tots of four
and five and children up to the ages OF lhli-
teen and fourteen, were forced to WORK an un!
for their enSlavers. They were taken INTO 'le
fields at five in the morning and were not III
lowed to come back until seven in the evening
During all that time they were given only oie
meal Their tasks were to dig potatoes cu'
away the barbed-wire entanglements ana PICK up
uneypIoded shells After the Germans went away
there no milk to be got because All 'ie Wv"
had been either killed or driven away. III ohe
district there 500 children who eAisteu loi
months without single drop of milk met one
little girl who had been kept for 70 days Oh uiel
consisting of nothing but bread and soup 'ne
latter heng watery and scarcely at all nourlsh-
ing. ,o
The destruction of the schoolhouses has mace
il impossible for the young children 10 gam any
education. 1t is no strange thing to encounter
bov or girl of eleven who can neither read nor
write In their hdeous thoroughness, the Ger
mans destroyed books, pencils desks ana an. W.
a thing was left. After the American reilef WORK
ers came into the devastated regions they estaD-
Iished schools and built little wooden pulolhss
in which to carry on the work.
At one school they told story of little
girl who was brought in with the other chldren
TO learn to read. AS soon she discovered an
old chair in one of the corners she immediately
relaxation. She could not be persuaded to get
out of that chair. The teacher inquired why she
was so pleased with the chair and learned tnat
the household in which the child lived had not
boosted 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 not
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 1t is one of the confessed
schemes of the Germans to divide and scatter
families as much possible.
My heart bleeds for the children of France!
Oh that they should suffer this unmerited abuse
and tribuation!
The deportation of young girls has been sys-
tematcally 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 a number of the younger
women of the family. 81 will take you and
you and you!" he. says, indicating the
chosen ones with his forefinger. 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 carry wrapped in hand
kerchief.
put to work cultvating the fields, doing the
hardest and most mental 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 It's 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 told Of the flight
Of these people. One old woman refused to be
separated from her goat in transit, and would
only consent to go when she could be assured
that another goat could be got In her own
was lost.
France has been hardtried 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 of the Ameri-
cans It Is most fitting that these great sister
republics shsuld be fighting side by side In this
hour Of stress. Victory will be won; 1t is in
evitable! But all, the PAIN the and the I'M
necessary degradation that have followed In the
wake of the invaders. VIII the world ever for
get these? Can the bitter memory ever be
effaced?