The sun., 1919-06-15
SOLDIER TELLS FUND
OF RUIN IN FRANCE
Invaded Country Pictured as
Section of DesolatiOn
Caused by War.
RAIN ADDS TO TROUBLES
Hero Calls Smoke From YAM
kee Tobacco Incense to
Memory of Donors.
RAIN ADDS TO TROUBLES


emit Of THE SUN Tobacco Fund, who until
May 26 was with supply train in
France, gives in a very scientific way
an account of the devastated condition
Of northern France in a letter mailed
f4om Poincon-les-Larrey, accompanied
by figures which ought to bring a picture
Of conditions clearly before one. The
fund passes over in silence the compli-
mentary things he says about its work
and his expression of thanks for the
latest gift of tobacco received by him
shortly before the date Of his letter, in
order to give room to the figures he
sends.
There has been much written about
the moral and physical sufferlngs the
French people of this region endured
during the four and a half years Of
war. and that is not to be forgotten.
but very few have had the opportunity
we have had to learn the extent of the
material sufferings-what has been lost
and what will have to be repaired.
Invaded France included-a reduction
being made for the land built on and
not cultivated, that is. the towns, vii
ages, roads, forests-1.S 39 900 hectares
Of productive lands. OF these there were
l,449,000 hectares Of cultivated fields
and $4,000 hectares of prairie. A heo-
tare Is two acres, one rod and thirty-five
perches.
THE cultivated fields, citing only the
most important in an agricultural point
of view. may be divided into 100000
hectares of wheat, 10000 hectares of rye.
$1,000 hectares of barley, $4,000 hec-
tares of maize, 10000 hectares of po-
tatoes, $1,000 hectares Of beets (fodder).
5000 hectares of fodder, 10000 hec-
tares of clover. hay and sainfoin and
10000 hectares of sugar beets. &c.
These lands were among the best
cultivated and most productive of
France. They have produced nothing
during the duration of the war, and are
only now in small part being cultivated
again. The soil is not only thick with
stones, debris, shells, broken machinery
of war, SC. but the earth itself is torn
up and disturbed in a frightful manner.
Offering innumerable difficulties in the
way of bringing 1t again under cultiva-
ton. For many years the country will
De comparatively reproductive.
Material Losses shown.
Here are the figures which show the
material loss to agriculture In tools and
implements that will have to be replaced
before the country has a chance TO re-
new it's life. These figures were COM
piled by our own officers and revised by
others so they may be taken as fairly
correct. They show the utter poverty
and consequent hopelessness OF many Of
the peasants who would like to work
the ground again but are without means.
The statistics show a very serious
loss Of farm cattle. &c. as follows:
sI, 420 COWS. s44,570 sheep, 424,370 pigs,
35S360 horses, $500 mules and 900
asses.
The Indispensable agricultural ma
chinery that must be replaced is set
down thus: $3.50 cars, 39.350 cultiva-
tors and harrows, 50,750 drills, $4,000
rollers. $4,000 corn drills. $1,000 mowers.
5000 binders, 10000 wagons. 1880
threshers, 10000 harnesses.
II suppose you know that a strong
force of our engineer crews and many
supply trains are doing what they can
10 bring this land, all that lies above
that sinister black line drawn a little
north Of Paris, right across France dur
ing the years of war. into life again.
But until l saw these figures and had
seen the country itself l did not under
stand its frightful condition. That is
Why l send the figures along'
Sergeant d. c. Farnham OF Com
pany 3. 306th Division was at Chatillon-
sur-Seipe the latter part of April and in
a card which he sent over to fund donor
Private Peat to thank him for a gift
of cigarettes handed to him by The SUN
Tobaccon Fund; he also tells in a brief
picture the. awful state Of the invaded
country
The constant rains that we have been
having have added indescribably to the
Lot
traversing. / cannot tell you how the
awfulness of it strikes one cold, and
Y that is SO for us who are here but
temporarily. how much more terror II
must give to the returning people. They
are wise lot mostly and do not seem
70 be too much cast down but are will
ing TO work to restore their fields where
we would be tempted to emigrate TO
some place that offered a better chance.
! have seen a good many though who
have no heart in what they are doing,
believing 1t will be years before they
can make a living again out OF the
ground. / guess that is a fact"
Hard Work OF Troops.
On May / W. W. Hall of the 3O6th
Engineers wrote from Poincon-les
l-aTrey telling Lou Freedman, a fund
doner, something OF the hard work they
mad been doing" We have been clearing
UP fields and making roads. and II is nne
10 see how the French people follow US
ana start right in to planting and get
ing ready to make their fields produce
again. They are a fine race and we
Ike to help them.
want to thank you heartily for the
looacco, and with lots OF good wishes, I
remain your soldier friend" He writes
letter also to the Machinery Club an.
o'her fund donor. from which he had re-
ceived smokes.
Two letters come to Sun Tobacco
FNnd contributors from Company H,
I'oneer Infantry (Regulars). who are
stauoned at Fromezey (Meuse) in
rance. One says: I'VE wish to ex-
press our thanks and gratitude to you
;or "our donation of smokes through our
friend THE SUN Tobacco Fund. The
smoke from this tobacco will always be
Sh incense to the memory OF those who
remembered u.s."
On May &c Sergeant C. e. Smith of
company u, 539th Engineers. sent a
ara Of thanks back to Mrs. A. Soper.
lie said:
Gne tobacco arrived and was warmly
F'ee'ed, We have been smoking IL with
'IFat pleasure and wish you to have our
very sincere thanks for same"
ne above cards are from American
stdIers who are still at work in France