The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-11-20
FRANCE STILL NEEDS HELP
Interesting Account Of Work in DE
.sststed SECTIONS of France.

The following letter was written by
a woman whose husband IL now con
ns~ted with Princeton University.
Our Dorset and Dandy readers will
remember Madam Cons as a grand
daughter of Lydia Bartlett who Was
born in Dandy in 1927. She is also
related to the Paddock and Phillips
families Of Dorset,
During the war Madam Cons open
"A her home as REST House" for
the soldiers.
She ia very anxious 10 receive mon
ey or clothing for these destitute fam
ilies. She can be communicated with
al 25 Bank St, Princeton, N. j.
25 Bank Street,
Princeton, N. ].
Nov. 18th, 1919.
Ny Dear Mrs. Maxim
When | try to tell you about my
work. II is hard for me to know just
where TO begin, and just what will be
Of the most interest to people here.
Az you know, went to France in
August, 1919, to accompany my hus-
hand. who as loyal Frenchman was
going To join his regiment. From
then on, until the armistice ] WAS
actively engaged in relief work for
men from the invaded regions, that is
from the north of France and Bel
gium. These poor fellows were cut of
from all their relatives, and when they
had no one to help them, were obliged
to manage with penny day tlatcr
on il was five cents) from the govern
ment, and a dollar month from re-
lief committee. They always Of
course had something to eat, but boil
ed beef year after year, macaroni with
no tasty seasoning to redeem it, and
other such uninteresting viands pail
even to the extent of becoming indi-
ges,ble. | undertook therefore to OBJ
tain funds for packages Of eatables
TO exc out these unattractive rations,
and thanks to the generosity of many
friends in America, | succeeded far
beyond my hopes. In addition to the
financial aid, had much substantial
help from various committees, and theI
boxes from here were a JOY to me and
TO the men and destitute families to
whom ! gave the contents. The sol
diers used to say that il was Christ
mas in the trenches whenever box
came from Paris all full Of these good
things. They were more grateful
than can say, and | am glad of the
opportunity to thank the donors for
helping me to help the men. You can
imagine the delight OF a soldier on
receiving gift, when you remember
that some of these men had been for a
year and half without a letter or a
card from anyone Their families
were within the German lines, and
during the retreat before the Marine,
they had become separated from their
friends and comrades and no longer
knew where to address them. They
used 10 run and hide when the post
man came around with mail for their
more fortunate comrades.
But | must not talk too much about
conditions during the war. Everyone
knows that they were heart-rending,
and that this group OF disinherited
men suffered more than any other.
But what people perhaps do 70. know,
is that the need for aid is still press
ing. Just before returned to Ameri-
ca in May, 1919, went for q six
weeks trip through the devastated
regions. A lady said to me the other
day: Il can just imagine how awful
il 10" And | answered: Excuse me,
but if you have not seen it you can't
imagine it." For nearly five years |
had lived in Paris, had daily sen men I
from the front, men who told me Of |
the damage done TO these towns; had
myself seen what bombs and shells
could do in Paris, and ! could not
inns gine the condition Of that once
prosperous country when the German
wave had rolled back. Such unspeak-
able grayness and desolation Miles
upon miles Of one vast scrap-heap!
Piles Of brick dust where large cities !
used TO stand One Of my men from
Souchez Was never able TO find where }
his house had been, because the very
river had changed place under the I
bomban,iment. myself have hunted !
for the site Of large inn that used Q
10 stand on one Of four corners OF a (
country crossroads. How much do
you think remained Of that big rambl- !
ing buiiding7 Jus, two bricks! Nv
could not even tell on which corner il I
had stood. d
Ii was in April when we went n
through that country, up through the s
ss..u lax 4.