The Cordova daily times., 1919-01-10
HOW AMERICAN CIRLSCAREF0R
 FRENCH POOR

All through the war American wom- on have proved tha they could "X- 1 press their sympathy and identity oi l interest with the allies in deeds bet. l ter than in words. Their latest f the ancient industry of peddlng, ac- . Cordng to q report of the department i of labor Instead of d twO-whccled ! cart, a Ford car makes the rounds and girls have superseded the men 1 who long ago haRglcd over q sou.
 When all the railroad tracks were wrecked and the roads were impass. l able for ordinary trucks, the women of the American committee for devas- tated France thought of the old,fash- l toned method of carrying supplies about tn" country. So they devised the modern peddlng system. Wherever the highways or country sid" admit of tn" passage of a v"hhiCl" there the littl" travelling shops may i be seen making regular trips to tn" almost inaccessible habitations The cars are driven by volunteer Amori- can chault"usns and the supplies are l disposed of by volunteer American saleswom"n. From dawn to long after dark each salcsWoman iS kept busy with her scales for weighing l four her cash box and her pricc-list. | Fifty villages a week are covered by these travelling shops.
 In the ruins of what were once houses and now ar" only cellars tn" people of northern France. who have q little money to spend for the nee essari"s of life. are no better off than the very poorest inhabitants. for there is nothing to buy
 The travelling saops gradually i learned exactly what sort of stocks
 to provide Beginning with an as ! sortm"nt of groceries. other things wor" added, 50 that now, in addition to rice coffee. lard. cocoa, canned meats. condensed milk and other cdi, 1 blcs blankets. sheets. pots and tin plates. knives. lamps and brooms are carried Inasmuch as in certain sec tions there is not store for miles around. paper of pins and d cake of soap are luxurics as well as necessar- | ics.
 Entering ruined town. the chauf, l feusc blows three blasts on her whis- tie. The saleswoman gets her goods out for display. and then from shell holes. from behind broken walls and from beneath improvised shelters per sons of all ages hurry forth to get what they can.
 | Those who can pay are asked one third of the original cost of each article. Those who can not pay are given what they need. Many take their supplies and pay a little at | time. They prefer to be, as far as | possible, self-sustaininE, and the com. mittc" encourages this attitude in or | der to sustain selfrespect and to avoid making paupers of the unfor- | tunate victims of the war
 Regardless of what the weather may be, the peddlers start out on their rounds. Often heavy roads or acci- dents detain them, and it is late when they finally return to their starting point, the base of supplies When darkness settles down on a winters afternoon the Chauffeuse has a difficult task to drive over the uncertain roads. The one light inside each little tray elinig truck is beacon of hope to hundreds. No matter what happens the American peddlers must not dis. appoint the waiting families. To fail to bring rice or condensed milk might mean the loss of child's life. for all depend on the mcagcr amounts dis. tributcd by the American committed
 With all the occupied territory cvac- uated there must be more workers more trucks and more food House.
 hold articles and clothing will be needed Until Germany pays indem- nifty these people returning to their homes must be fed and given employ
 mcnt This Is tle work that has
 been going on since May. 1917. and it will continue until the French gov ernmcnt announces that no more help is needed.