New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-09-14
Victory in Deuas-
tated France
By Wilbur Forrest
Special Correspondent of The Tribune

If American folks who have contributed
from time to time toward benefits for dew
astated France, could have witnessed the
show a few weeks ago Mt Coucy Cha teau,
they would have possibly regarded it worth
far more than the dollars they have handed
this worthy fund.
Devastated France, that human portion
of it from this section of the Aisne, hocked
there to-day to celebrate, and celebrate they
did. 1t would have also been gratifying to
a contributing onlooker to have seen Miss
Anne Morgan, daughter of the late J. p
Morgan, of the organizers and promot-
tiers of the Relief for Devastated France,
mingling with some 3,OO0-odd of her
charges, assuring them that the show was
about to begin and they would get their
share if they just held their horses still
and didn't fuss.
Miss Morgan and Mrs, A. NJ. Dixie, vice
president and president respectively of the
Committee for Devastated France, and sun
dry other workers had their hands FULL their
charges ranging from eighty -ycar-od men
and women to excited infants Of tender age
who wondered what it was all about.
Some days ago word was scattered through
many wrecked villages of the Aisne Depart
mcnt that q victory fete would be held at
Coucy lie Chateau Corrcspondingy, the
American committee arranged with the
knights of Columbus in Paris to transport
merry-go rounds, shooting galleries, flying
swings and other things to Coucy for the
f5tp American military outhori+;os f,,ro;sIod
a band and French military authorities fur
nished another band. The committee itself.
aided by the knights of Columbus, bought
great numbers of divers presents for every
body, ranging from handbags for the women
to whistles, confetti, tops, skipping ropes and
things for the children. Some hundreds of
gallons Of ice cream were made, lemonade
was mixed by the barrel and sandwiches
made by the thousands.
Coucy-le-C Chateau is a devastated village
sitting atop small Sawed off" mountain
some distance north of scissors. Some
medieval person who owned the village back
IN the dimly lit days built great chateau
high on the plateau, and from the chateau
the town took the Chateau part of its name.
At noon they began to flock in. Some
as ruined Coucy and arrived on schedule
time. The bands played, the free attractions
were literally patronized and within two
hours everybody had received his or her
present and was out listening to the Project
of the Aisne, highly uniformed official de-
liver speech on how much the Asne owed
to America for its help in reconstruction.
Perhaps the greatest vicisstudes Of the
war have been endured by these peasant
folks in the Department Of the Aisne. The
Germans invaded their homes in 1914 and
stripped them of everything they owned.
even the wool from their mattresses After
the Battle Of the Somme further west, late in
1916, the Germans decided to eyacuate the
Aisne, and they did so in March, 1917. after
blowing up every house and expatriating all
those who might be Of value for work. Some
escaped to other departments Of France. but
the majority were carried off to Germany.
leaving none in the devastated villages but
the aged and the very young. It was in
l9lf that tho French army and government
permitted the committee headed BY Mas
Morgan and Mrs. Dixie to operate in the
Aisne area They worked hard until Nav.
1918, when the Germans came back. Most
OF the people were successfully evacuated
before the Germans arrived but what little
reconstruction had been accomplished was
again destroyed by the enemy When the
area was again delivered by the Allied
armies the peasants went back and started
all over again. The committee accompanied
them, and again helped them to begin again.
One of the victims was farmer more than
seventy years old. His stock had been
stolen, the farmhouse destroyed and the
land crisscrossed by trenches and cluttered
with barbed wire. Completely ruined, he
remained on the farm. all alone, after the
retreat Of 1al7 to begin again He was found
by workers Of the American committee roll