The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-01
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN. Director.
Washington. D. C.
FREE MILK FOR FRANCE.

French Babies strolled into the
headquarters of the committee on
free milk for France and looked about
inquiringly for q milk counter. They
found only a young lady behind a
desk.
Amy milk for sale?" asked one.
"OnIy for France replied the
young lady briskly. would you care
to make donation for providing
milk for little French children? You
see, they haven't got much milk over
there."t
For a second the two soldiers looked
trifle crestfallen. Then they grinned
symRathetically. Yes. we know,
said the taller one, who did the talk
ing 1--WE know all about that!' Do
you remember, Jim he added, turn
ing to the short soldier, the time We
caught that French COW and kept her
in the dugout for three days? Before
We caught that cow we hadn't had
milk for six weeks
well, let's be sports" said the SOL
der named Jim, suddenly rendered
articulate by the young lays sympa-
thetic smile. Lets buy 'em some
milk. God knows, they need it,"
And between them the two men con-
tributed the two dollars and sixty
cents necessary send five pounds
of milk to France.
This incident is self-explanatory. If
American soldiers come back from the
in desperate need of milk, you can
believe it, even if there were not such
a lot of pitiful evidence The files of
the committee on free milk for France
are full of it. But it takes a long
time to translate these letters and get
them before the public So the COM
mittee on free milk for France is ask
ing you to take them for granted
when you hear some of the awful
facts of Frances condition, and be
To her rih 10 a ~ H.
mittee has been sending ton of milk
to France every day. but it cannot
! keep this up indefinitely without the
help of every patriotic American:
milk from an American dairy to
French baby. F'ifty-two cents will
send a pound; $3.50 will send five
pounds; $500 ten pounds. and $50
will send hundred pounds.
The milk is sent in dried form, be-
cause it is easier to snip 1t is scien-
tifically dried by subjecting fresh,
pure, full-cream milk to rapid
evaporating process which kills every
disease germ, makes the milk safe,
and preserves all the nutritive solids
in dry powdered form. 1t is the best
known substitute for fresh milk, and
has the great advantage of keeping
without ice for six months. Only the
addition of hot water is necessary to
make it ready for use.
Everybody knows that one of the
greatest aids to con Taleseence is milk.
Thousands of Americans are now re-
lying upon it to help them back to
strength after having the ''fu." For
tunately, they can get it, There is
| plenty of milk in this country.
France and Belgium are now con-
valescent nations. For four years
| their vitality has been Slapped up by
that greatest of diseases-war-an
now that it is over they need milk as
they have never needed it before.
They need it for their babies and
young children, who are dying from
the lack of it. They need it for their
wounded soldiers, for their tubercu-
losis patients and for the young
women whose health has been broken
/ down thru overwoFk in the munition
! factories. But they can't get it. They
are facing a milk famine famine.
In this country milk is expensive
! enough, but the increased price is due
| to the increased cost of labor and
| transportation which the milk deal
! ers have to pay; not to any scarcity
of the product: England, too. is fair
ly supplied with milk. But neither
England nor the United States are in
vaded. France stood between them
and invasion. And in SO standing she
| lost a great deal that was valuable,
| and even necessary to her existence
among other things, cattle. In re-
treating from the occupied territories
| of France and Belgium, the Huns
drove all useful domestic animals be-
| fore them The people returning to
| their old homes found only cats. This
! robbery, together with the increased
demand for milk cows and beef in the
army, caused a tremendous shortage
In the nations milk resources. But
| there wasn't time to make it up.
| When a nation is fighting for its life
it cannot stop to lead the cows to
pasture.
As a result, France is now produc-
ing only one gallon of milk where two
| and oneNhah were produced before
| the war; in Paris milk is selling at 80
| cents a quart, and even at this price
there is not enough to satisfy the de-
| mands of ordinary consumption
Hotels. restaurants and all forms of
| public eating places are now forbidden
! to serve milk or cream for any pur-
pose whatever after o'clock in the
/ morning, and in private homes the
supply is voluntarily restricted to
| young children and sick persons The
| government is doing everything in it's
power to conserve the supply. A herd
! OF milch cows is under civic care in
Paris, and vigorous measures have
been taken to see that every mich
cow in France is well taken care of.
| 1t is a matter of hilarious celebration
! when two or three at a time are oc-
! casionally led back from the woods,
where they strayed during the bonn
bardment of town, and a farmer
! who kills his COW with the excuse that
he cannot afford to feed her, is treated
| with bitter contempt by his neighbors
The situation is desperate. wounded
men, brought back from the field hos
| pitfalls. are dying for want .~of milk.
! Nothing can take the place of milk in
| fever IT is most nutritious
| liquid food, and broths and soups,
which are being fed the wounded men
of France. are only poor substitutes.
\ 1t is absolutely essential to the health
| of infants. Yet many French babies
/ are being fed on soup and weak tea, in
! the absence of milk. with sad conse-
/ quences. From the. humanitarian
| standpoint alone, it Is appalling. but