The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-05-10
Greece's Debt to
America
Red Cross Accomplishes Great
Good by Relief Work

Xanthi Greece, March 80 (Corre-
spondence Of The Associated Press
Greece is indebted to the United
States for many things. but she prob
ably will remember longest the aid
given by the American Red Cross to
the $4,000 or more refugees who have
| been coming back from Bulgaria and
Asia Minor over every road and noun
tain pass. Unable through its own
agencies to care for this immense
number of of homeless and destitute
people. the Greek government left the
task to Americas big relief organlza-
ton. King Alexander, Premier Vene-
zelos and the Greek government have
already testified their gratitude tor
this assistance which was made pos
sible through the generosity OF the
American people.
! Twenty-four hours after the sign
| ing Of the armistice, the Red cross
established relief stations AT every
point in Bulgaria, Turkey and Mace
donia over which these innocent vic
tins of the war were likely to come.
1t dispatched trainload after tralnload
of supplies to the areas in which SUI
fering was known to be worst.
The stream of refugees has not yet
ceased, and the work Of the Red Cross
continues. There has been a serious
development Of typhus among the
refugees quartered in. Kavalla, Drama
and this city.
Edward Walker, of Luray, Va, a
young officer in the American Red
Cross, gave his life in fighting the dis
ease. Three American nurses have
also been stricken but are recover
ing in Greek hospitals.
Some of the experiences of the
Americans in relieving the great mis-
cry among the refu> s have been
tragic. A woman Red Cross worker
thus describes a typical day spent by
Lieutenant Abner Cobb, of Denver,
Colo, at his lonely Red Cross relief
station at xanthi:
with the assistance of two Greek
BOYS he fed from 500 to 1000 people,
administered to the sick, and gave
out rations of bread and soup and
rice, and that day had been able to
aQO Duliy OSSl ~ 1ilo le]SAOAAo'
! 'eThere were 48 cars on the side
tracks loaded to the limit, forty to
sixty persons to the car. These refu-
gees carried with them in the cars
| their donkeys. pigs, chickens. sheep
goats and personal effects. From a
few Of the cars, cows poked their
heads. In this environment one baby
has been born.
Lieutenant Cobb numb he cars
when they come in and co.'s ,e in
| mates. chalking their number up or
! the outside Of the cars. His kitchen
is on the tracks. He selects four per.
sons from each car to. come after the
food, bringing with them their OWL
receptacles. In that way they are
cared for swiftly and without confus
on After everything is served. hi
goes through the train to see that nj
one has been overlooked.
"On this train was the Governor O
Zichni and his wife, both pitifull.
wasted He had been deported eight
cen months before to Bulgaria, to
sether with 81 others from his town
Thirty-seven Of his party died Of i'll
treatment in Bulgaria" The same
observer, writing regarding a visit tc
the American Red Cross station a
Kavalla. says:
To-day there are fewer than 10000
!inha bitants in Kavalla. When the
Bulgars evacuated the town they loot
ed it Systematically, stripped the
stores and banks, took all the food
and swept the homes bare. taking not
only al the furnishings but all the
window glass, door and window fix
lures, electric light wires, door knobs,
ETC.
In the Struma valley, noted for
more than 1000 years as the home of
a peculiarly deadly form Of malarial
fever. the road runs to Drama where
the American Red Cross has another
relief station The plague is raging
| throughout the valley There hats
been al unusual number Of deaths rs
there is q lack not only OF doctors but
of medicines"