The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-01-04
Hoover Finds Northern France
IN a Desperate Con-
d1iition.
MILLION AND A HALF
PEOPLE ARE DESTITUTE
Dependent Upon Chariy TO,
Food, Clothing and Shelter
Huns Destroy Everything.

( by TIE C0tltlUlSSlOlI ica. 1O3ACA Ri '-,St
gi1m and the pitiable condition OF the
1,500, ] 600 inhabitants of that section
who escaped The German invasion are
described in cabiegram received at
the headquarters of the commission
here from Herbert G. Hoover at Par
];
Mr. HooEers message, made public
tonight, revealed that the work of re-
Hef and rehabilitation in France will
fall more heavily on the commission
than had been expected. The, destruc-
Stien wrought by the German army
was so complete, Mr.. Hoover said,
that the relief work must include not
only food and clothing, but housing
over "a considerable area
q enlarged organization to handle
the situation is being built up and
supplies have been obtained from the
sdaartermaster department Of the
American army A large amount OF
second hand barraek material also
has been taken over from the army
and navy and $50 volunteers from
{ the American navy are super1ntend-
ing the construction Of barracks near
ruined villages for the inhabitants.
Industrial life in the invaded region
has been almost, completely paralyzed,
Mr. Hoover said. Railroads have been
rendered almost hopeless of recon
struction for many months, the coal
raides have been DESTROYED and there
( is scarcely single factory that can
s be operated without a very large por-
ton ef new equipment.
The commission for relief in Bel
iunn, said 1fr. Hoouer's message,
shad hoped 10 surrender the task Of re-
lief n Northern France to the
French government Immediately upon
sthe sernan retreat It has been
found impossible, however. to under
take The food supply Of this area for
some months to come, and upon the
urgentrequest Of that government the
committee had decided to continue.
after the four years paralysis of
wholesale and retail business with the
destruction of the principal towns
and ships, these trades have dlsap-
peareti, and the people" are today
dependent upon a ration issued direct
~ TO them just as before the German
evaclation. Until transportation and
trade can BE reha abilitated the present
system must go on, for the French
distribution is done by the trade.
These arrangements necessitate some
Reorganization of the relief work and
It's entire separation from Belgium.
Twenty members OF the commission
for relief In Belgium, who joined the
American army as officers, have been
released by General Pershlng to un>
dertalse this work.
The population of this area at the
moment of the retreat was about l.
500, ,0G0, there being also about So0,-
zoe refugees IN Belgium who are re-
turning and some 100000 refugees IN
France, all Of whom are anxious to
return to their native soil.
The destruction of some 20 prin-
cipaI towns and literally hundreds OF
refugees g. stupendous problem. Every
effort is being made to restrain them
from going back until some system
attic provision for shelter can be COM
pleted, but they eyade all official urg-
ing and the roads are continuous
procession of these pitiable bodies
Thousands of them reach their vii
3ages to find every vestige Of shelte,
destroyed and finally wander into the
villages further back from the acute
battle area, which are themselves
pyercrowded to heart-breakinS de-
gree.
I'm order to remedy this situation
to some extent the commission for re-
lief in Belgium has obained the serv-
ices Of $50 volunteers from the Amer
lean navy, and is taking over large
amount of second hand barrack ma
terial fromi the navy and army. These
barracks are in course Of erection ad-
accent to the destroyed villages under
/. the superintendent Of the navy vol
unters.
"a large amount of boots and shoes
and warm clothing has been taker
from the quartermaster's supplies and
these are being distributed to the
people. The French government is
endeavoring to obtain some cattle
from Switzerland and horses from the
various armies which, together witt,
the meagre supply of agricultural inn
plements, may enable the population
to get in some portion of next years
crops in such of these areas as are
not too badly destroyed by battle.
sHThe entire industrial life Of the
region has been destroyed by the Ger
mans. There is scarcely single fac
fory that can be operated without a
very large portion of new equipment.
The coal mines are totally DESTROYED
and the net work Of railways in thif
region has been rendered almost hope
less Of reconstruction for many
months. The German method of de-
struction was to bend every single raj
by exploding hand grenade under it
rendering it useless for all time.
..Tae Grand Canal du Nord, which
connects this section of France with
the Beagian canal system and is the