New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-04-11
VICTOR HUGO's PROPHECY

Victor Hugo. the great French
novelist. made prophecy III loSo
that France would regain Alsace and
/ Lorraine, and free Germany from
the domination of her Emepror. as
Germany, in the FrancoPrussian
war had freed France of hers. Many
features OF this remarkable vision
have been or are now in process of
being fulfilled:
Then France will suddenly arouse
hers self. She will become formidable.
She will regain Alsace and Lorraine
Is it enough? No! No! She will cap
ture-listen !--Treves, Mainz, Colo
gne, Coblenz. And you shall hear
France cry: The clock strikes my
hourl Germany hear mel Am l thine
enemy? No, l am thy sisterl have
taken all from thee, return all to
thee upon one condition: that we
shall no longer be divided people.
that we shall be one united family
one republic. | will demolish my
fortresses, thou thine-my vendetta
is brotherhood. No more frontier.
The Rhine, mine and thine.
"We shall be the liberty of Europe
And now let US clasp hands. for we
have rendered each a reciprocated
service Thou hast freed me from
my emperor. l will free thee from
thine -"
Shell craters, mud-filled trenches
and dug-outs formerly occupied by
the Hun hordes are the only shelter
afforded thousands of French and
Belgium people upon their return to
the places where their homes once
stood.
OF food they have little, but by
their own efforts and the help Of
various relief agencies they have SO
far been able to obtain sufficient
nourishment to sustain life. But OF
clothes they have practically none.
The head OF the family wears cast
off soldiers tunic, a pair of trousers
patched in half dozen places with
plain burlap; the mothers costume
consists of trousers in many instan-
ces, or skirt made from pieces of
cast-of garments, and in nine cases
out of ten, mans shirt.
Leather shoes are very scarce and
'nderclothes a luxury. The children
go about CARRIED in a Heterogeneous
collection of cloth that could not be
graced with the name Of clothes
Socks and stockings are articles that
have become practically unknown as
a clothing necessity in these regions.
Relief agencies, such as the Amer
! ican Red Cross, have done their best
to supply these people with clothing,
but war necessities came first during
the great conflict and the needs OF
these people had to wait upon the
demands of the fighters. When the
majority Of these refugees were col
!ected in the south OF France, the
clothing question was not so I'M
portant because OF the mild climate,
But now that they have returned
20 the cold climate of Northern
: France. clothing becomes almost as
necessary as food. and especially
when living conditions are such as
, exist today in the devastated areas.
, When they were driven from theie
:. homes before the oncoming German
hordes they took with them only the
. clothes they had on their backs. Ia
returning TO their homes many wear
these same clothes. worn by month";
and even years of weary wander
ing. But even the best of clothes
, with the best of care do not las,
,rever. What's to be done' The
S people of America. laborers. me-
G chanics, professional men all. have
{ 4 good answer Suits. coats. shirts
, underwear, socks. shoes that the in.
e dividual has decided to discard i'll
Q give much better service on the shiv.
e ering and exposed backs OF the un'
n fortunate million Of Europe than al
}. dust cloths or in the family ragbag
e The people Of this region must
/. as they always have. respond to tht
E desperate appeals Of these poor un,
4 fostunates, during the week Of Marci
\ H-3a.