Norwich bulletin., 1919-01-13
PERCY
WITH SMITH COLLEGE
RELIEF UNIT IN FRANCE


At the winter meeting of the Smith
college club OF Eastern Connecticut,
which was held Saturday afternoon in
Park church parish house, q most
vivid account of the work done by
the Smith college relief unit in France
was given by Miss Alice Leavens,
Smith 1903, who worked with this
unit for fifteen months. Miss LeaV-
ems talk was preceded by a social
hour and short business meeting of the
club. The meeting was then open to
the public, ana many awaited them
selves Of of the opportunity to hear of
the work Of reconstruction in France.
Miss Leayens began With a glowing
tribute to those IN America who are
generously backing the Smith unit
with money, surgical dressings
and numerous other supplies.
summer of 1917 and was sent to a
gion, a section over which the Ger
mans had advanced in the early days
of the war, but had later been forced
to leave. When the Germans left,
they deported all the useful people,
leaving only children, mothers. invalids
and those too old to work These were
sent to nearby villages for ten days
and in the meantime the Germans
took whatever they could CARRY with
them, destroyed the buildings and
poisoned the wells. " hen the peas
ants returned they began living in
the ruins. The Smith unit, on it's ar
rival in the villages, found many of
the people in poor health owing to lack
of protection from the rain and cold,
and insufficient food. The peasants
(oo
the firing line, the guns which they
heard continually might be bringing
death at any moment, and they feared
for those who had been taken away
with the Germans.
The problems of the unit was to
make living possible for those who re-
manned. They helped provide shelter,
clothing, and the food which was so
expensive and hard to obtain in the
war zone. Schools and churches were
started again. The sick were cared
for by doctors. The farms We're re-
stocked with animals and chickens.
And perhaps most important of all a
little happiness and play was brought
to the children who had been sur
rounded by an atmosphere of gloOm
and sorrow.
The work of reconstruction in this
French peasants had been found who
| could carry on the work The mem
| bers of the unit were anxiously Won
! dering where they would be sent next
| when all plans were upset by the
great German drive in the spring OF
| 1918 1t was only from eight to ter
miles from the villages to the linden
| burg line, and the French had always
! thought that the Germans would re-
turn. Soon after the drive started
| refugees from villages north Of them
| began to come through. But the unit
could not begin evacuating their viii
lagos until word was received from The
army, as the roads must be kept clean
| for troops. The members of the unit
! helped refugees on their way, and lat
/ er cooked for the English troops who
| reorganized at the units Headquarters
| At last the word came to eyacuate the
villages and two hours later all the
| inhabitants were out. At once the
English burned all the buildings tc
prevent their falling into the hands OF
the Germans.
AS soon as their own village people
were safely started toward towns far
: from the war zone, the unit began
helping other refugees. Then as the
war came nearer, they helped care fol
the wounded, taking them food and
trying to cheer them as they lay in
cold freight houses, waiting to be SEM
to hospitals back from the firing line.
At last the Americans came to the
Montdidter section. They had beer
obliged to walk there, as all the trains
were busy carrying French troops
They went straight into the trenches
stayed there for weeks without relief
and then were. sent to Chateau Thierry
and to the Argonne forest.
! Meanwhile the members of the unit
| helped cheer the lonely American boys
in Franch hospitals, took them Amer
l lean food, wrote letters home, OF