The Coconino sun., 1919-10-10
From Faraway France
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 speak word of English. There were only few M. P.'s in the town (Amer- icans) but worlds of French officers and men. Those few days were about the saddest I ever spent in my life. Had been with the hospital five months, knew every member of the staff and saw them every evening, and when they left felt as though I were losing big family of broth CTS. Two days before they left they presented me with a little wrist watch and everyone from the com manding officer to the cook came in the canteen to present it. You can't know how much it really meant to me. Then I came to Paris and was sent to southern France, Department of Cote dor, to another canteen where thousands of men passed through every few days, and about 16,000 sta toned there all the time. We had a large canteen, served meals, sand- wiches and coffee--the latter all night as we'll as during the day. In June I came back to Paris, expecting to be sent home, as nearly all of the can- teen work was closing down, but se- cured a position in the Department of General Relief-my old department and here I am now, and expect to re- main all winter, as my chief has re- gently been appointed commissioner for France. This department has charge of all the civilian relief work in northern France and Belgium and we expect to operate until spring. I believe it is hard for the people at home to know just what the Red Cross has done and is. doing for France. And, too, it, may be hard for them to realize now that there is still work to be done. In northern France there will be undoubtedly great suffering even with the Red Cross, and cer- tainly without it there would be greater distress. The refugees have returned, and during the summer it was not such serious matter; they lived almost happily in old German dugouts, walls with no roof, etc, and cultivated their little fields, etc. But winter will find them with no homes no stoves, very few clothes outside of those which the Red Cross furnishes Of course, the Germans took every COW, horse, rabbit, chicken. Foi a while there was some talk of the R. c. withdrawing in September, bu, am glad to say now they expect tr continue a few months longer. The Junior Red Cross is doing a wonderful work also. We have had free milk distribution, established dispensaries bought farm animals, sent tuberculai | .l:Il.o~ @o tho ooppfr, and hun1rpdS of things too numerous to mention One of our Red Cross nurses told me that all the children in northern France were under-nourished and un der-developed, both mentally ant physically. Some of them had neve, had a drop of cows milk. It is hart to imagine a child growing up to fou or five years of age and never having had any milk, isn't it?
 My sister went home in June anC is now doing Red Cross work in thu Southern states, teaching home nurs ing, etc. I didn't see her at all wher she was over here.
 am starting on my leave today an} came up to the Red Cross on an CT. rand, so decided to write you while have the time and the typewriter Paris has been dreadfully hot thi: summer and am so weary.
 Am trying to learn French, but am awfully stupid. As I have been with the Americans all the time it is hard to learn, but have a teacher now. who exchanges French for English in the evenings and I hope to make better progress. There isn't much time left ! after office hours to study as we work until o'clock. Paris is very hard city to live in. There never seems time for anything. We live thirty minutes ride from the office and so much time is consumed that way. Have taken some rooms with another Red Cross girl and we are now doing our own work and cooking two meals, | ,.~,. oo,. ;,,, o ,r,pa xua haua m fir1p