The Washington herald., 1919-04-06

But you can well see they are all
bit dazed by the sudden change and
it is hard for them to accept quickly
the turn of the tide. The only thing
l saw lacking there was grease OF
any sort, but the shops were hlled
with bon-bons. a thing had not
seen here for years. AlthonSh at
prohibitive prices they seemed TO De
sold. / was told a touching incident
of an old woman at scissors, VINO
had refused to leave, and each day
when called upon by a German ofh-
Ger and asked IL ready, she would
reply. Not yet" And she said one
day he failed to come and late that
evening she stole out as far as the
end of her street to see il the Ger
man sentinel was still there and
found him gone. Then her joy early
next morning to see her beloved
blue of three French chasseurs
pass up her street.
They gave her food, a thing she
had not had for days; and to feel
that she could come out of her cellar
and feel free to breathe Gods good
air and not have to see the enemy
in her gates was a relief no one could
understand except those who had ex-
perienced it. We were obliged on
leaving Paris to take sufficient food
with US to lunch daily en- route. as
there was no place we could have
found any on the trip.
At one ruined village OF Bracounes
I found thirteen people had returned
and were trying to begin life again
in the ruins. Where they found shell
ter was a conupdrum to me, but no
doubt in the cellars not wrecked,
as many were. Boches and long guns
were no respecter of any parts OF
houses, and 1 saw houses where even
cellars were blown to atoms. 1t was
strange to stop in the shelter of a
ruined village to lunch. At Apre-
mont 1t was particularly impressive
not a human in sight except hmer-
lean soldiers at the crossroads and
working on the railroads, and stray
cat from time to time would look
out as you passed and no doubt won
der If we were friend or foe: / am
glad to have made this visit. as II
only adds interest to my daily work.
| have seen that the refugees who
come to US or to whom we send are
truly in need of everything-there is
nothing left to their homes and every
thing they have taken years to col
lect wiped out at short notice.
Day before yesterday we had three
women with small babies in their
arms-one eighteen days old. and one
about two weeks, and one only eight
days, The last named mother looked
so i'll, but said she had to get up and
do for her children and Try to get
clothes for the new baby.
We took delight, you can be sure.
in fitting them all out, but there are
cases like this every day. l got of
69i cases to Lille and shall send more
workers up this week. People are
sleeping on straw in the ruins of their
homes in the villages there and they
are minus shoes and anything warm.
Thank God! Clemenceau is on the
road to recovery-he is one of France s
strong and most able men. 1t all took
place just around the corner from US
and We came out just after he was
wounded. The guards all about have
been increased and the place where
the man hid has been removed. Even
the water works are guarded, but
they do not make a hiding place for
any one up to mischief. / had talk
with Mrs House. Our quarter is be-
officials. Lloyd George Is nesr-thc
wallaces will be IL they take the
Sharpe house and now the Wilson's
are only a few minutes walk from us;
a very handsome house. plenty OF
room for entertaining. The papers
say that Paris is more expensive than
New York and London cheaper than
either. They are trying to reduce liv-
ing here and l hope they will for one
dollar for two small caulifiower aud
eggs at l. cents each Is rather steep
Prices of gowns are eXorbitant. Mr..
Benet says that in England he begins
to get beef and mutton in small guam
titles without the ration ticket but
coal is still scarce.
Along this same line OF thought Is
the following which Peggy Shippen
tells Of NJ. de BiIly's recent visit in
Philadelphia:
There is nothing so conducive to a
clear understanding, when unauthor-
lied rumors are spread and unquali-
fed statements are made. than coming
tol ether. The visit of the deputy high
commissioner of the French Republic,
NJ. Edouard de Billy. Sunday last. who
at the invitation of the French war
relief committee of the emergency aid,
very kindly came from New York off,
cially to open the exhibition of sketch
es and paintings by French artist-sol-
diers, mostly drawn at the front, some
even in the trenches, afforded the DIS
tinguished visitor an opportunity to
strike a note of warning about certain
rumors which recently have been cur
rent in this country, spread by propa-
gandists. eager to sow dissensions
among the allies. This propaganda is
not confined to one subject of conten-
ton. According to the mischief max
ers in their search for trouble there
are a number of causes for dissatis-
faction.
You have heard these rumors." t"
said NJ. de Billy to his large audi
ence at the Bellevue-Stratford
France. 1t is said, is richer than
ever; France needs no more help;
France has requested that all Red