Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-05-22
CARING FOR HOMELESS THOUSANDS
FROM RUINED VILLAGES OF FRANCE
That Something oftheSp' Which the Devastating Hun Could
Not Crush Out of the People Makes Them Quickly Respond
to Help Given by the American Red Cross and the
French Charitable Agencies

For them the Red Cross has become
expert in house hunting. Nothing in
the way Of a possibility escapes them,
and now and then they have a tremen-
dous find--like the big model tene-
ments at g. Rue Leibnitz and In the
Avenue du Maine that had to be left
unfinished when the war broke out.
Completed with Red Cross help. these
two buildings alone are now sheltering
In well-lighted apartments about 1900
persons representing 40 families.
Monsieur Peltier made a city within
q seminary In Paris. and Monsieur Mir
man. project Of the district of Meurthe-
et-Moselle, made city within great
military barracks at Nancy. The refu-
gees came from neIghhoring towns
which had seen every form of outrage,
and some of them were from Gerbe-
viller--that town which will be immor-
tai through fits msrtyrdorn. In the
schoolrooms that grew up" In the bar
racks little ones learned not to be ter
rified at any unexpected sound, and
after while even began to play. Girls
and young women learned TO keep
house well and economically. and to
make charming clothes that were also
practical, in preparation for a happy
life after the war. A garage was made
into a community theater another into
a chapel--it Is the French geniusi
More Wretehed People.
While these gloriously brave people
Eplfnns 7hafraealxau fhaYfsth
constant danger Of falling bombs, inf
nitely more wretched people farther
away were clInging TO the ruins OF
their towns. While the mothers worked
In the fields or munition factories. the
chlldren-many of whom were lost
from their mothers or left when these
women were taken by the invaders
grew like wild things-filthy. untanght,
unframed. some of them left half-wit-
ted by the terrors. They were used to
crawling into holes when bombs or
shrapnel fell.
Monsieur Mirman found them
gathered them up into barracks at
Toul-called to the Red Cross and the
American fund for French wounded.
And these two organizations. working
together, fitted up the barracks (there
is n pretty room with gay chlntz there
now and established hospital and
dispensary--a travelling dispensary.
which goes from town TO town, the
doctor and nurses caring for the sick.
and teaching child welfare rs they go
welcomed as angels by those who have
suffered such agencies.
And there is stiil another kind of ref
ugees-whose jousney, IL is no sacri-
lege TO say. has been like the way of
the cross yet sometimes ending at last
in the human happiness of reunion;
| more often In sorrow again, after that
dramatic, thrilling moment when they
re-enter France after long exile In the
hands of the captors. These repatri-
ated from Germany, Belgium and in
vaded parts of France are brought
back through Eyisn. Here the Red
Cross has established hospitals and
dispensaries to care for those too weak
to go farther. and to segregate and
care for those with infectious diseases.
| thus preventing the spread of conta-
gion throughout France.
| So the Red Cross works Wherever
hard-pressed guardians OF French civil
| lizatior-whether official or not-are
| unable to grapple successfully with the
| tremendous problem which. these end
less streams Of refugees bring them.
| then the Red Cross stands ready TO
strengthen their efforts with American
money and American service.