American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-05-09

great aim In life: They want to get back
20 their lands and they are willing to, surfer
%prlvatlun in order to get re-establlshed III their
broken-up homes. They are numerous, numbering
more than two million. | have seen ana talked 10
hundreds in the devastated country around Sois-
sons, where scores of towns are wiped off the map
una found not Il single soul starting life over again
with Il crouch.
There Is no doubt that much needless suffering
was cnused by the eagerness of the peasants to
get back to their homes before the French gov
eminent had fully organized its relief machinery.
Each peasant. however, knew that the 1919 grow
ing scnson, in order 20 be productive of fair re-
suits, must begin wish the spring blowing In Fehru-
airy with the disappearance of the SHOWS. so
each family head made great effort to get back to
his land in the bitter weather of January ana early
February IN order To get some kind of II shelter
ready in which he could sleep and eat, before
ais DAYS were given over to work ON the land
and the production of food.
Most of the refugees were the very old or very
young. During the early weeks Of the peace con-
ference there were very few soldiers returning to
the land. Eighty per cent Of the French army
consisted of men from the farms, and the demobl-
lization rate was comparatively slow.
AT scissors an American organization, with n
French name, was rendering valuable assistance
To the people. This committee, which was known
MS the Comite American pour les Regions De
yastees dc In France with Mrs. a. M. Dixie of
Baltimore as president and Miss Ann, Morgan Of
New York MS vice president, had branches in 20
surrounding villages where supplies we're being
lun,r sven away or sold, depending D.. the tinan-
cial condition of the farmers. II the returning
mnn or woman had money with which to buy
Goods. y charge ~ "coSt pluS>l0 per cent" was
made. The 10 per cont profit went to the French
man or woman running the store, Funds TO con-
duct the organization came from America and
were raised by popular subscription.
cutry, a Typical Village.
Not far from scissors, which is %peppcred with
machine gun fire and shattered by big shell explo-
slons, Is the little hillside town of Curry, a typical
destroyed village. with only about 10 per cent OF
lsthe houses remaining hahitahle. The American
women of the committee peddle supplies in Cutry
once or twice n week. Twice n week Il Suman
doctor from the committee visits the race. In
Cutry - peasants live with the most cht ,rful out
look ON life. Twelve OF them sleep In a big cave
on the hillside. Rough boards hove been placed
In the cave entrance 10 keep out the wind. Inside.
I'm the dark, n small stove serves To keep the place
fairly wnr1n,
one old woman, one Of the happlest creatures in
the world apparently, was living alon, in one sec
ton of the cavern. Adjoining her temporary home
was an improvtSed stable, where she Kept her
donkey and four chickens and Il two-wheeled cart
She had fled before the advancing German army
with the donkey and cart and four chickens; had
kept them for four years In the south of France
and on returning to Cutry rode back In style in the
|, donkey cart.
Down the street, In n house that had suffered
. severely from she'll fire. were Nine. and NJ
Crlmean war, was bent and feeble. His eighty
years OF life on a small French farm had left hin
almost doubled up with the inhrmities CO ags. III