Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-02
FRIGHTFULNESS
MORE THOROUGH
THAN BELIEVED
Hoover Finds Germans De-
Stroyed Every Means of In
duStry Before They Were
Driven From France,
ny HoFwDse JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WIRE

Washington, Jan 1,-Relief work
being carried on in northern France
by the commission for relief in Bel
GUM and the pitiable condition of
the 100000 inhabitants OF that sec
ton who escaped the German inva-
sion are described in a cablegram re-
ceived at the headquarters of the
commission here from Herbert c.
Hoover in Paris.
Mr.. Hoover's message. made public
tonight, revealed that the work of
relief and rehabilitation in France
will fall more heavily on the COM
mission than had been expected. The
destruction wrought by the German
army was so complete, Mr.. Hoover
said, that the relief work must ip.
Clude not only food and clothing, but
housing over a considerable area.
An enlarged organization to handle
the situation is being built up and
supplies have been obtained from the
quartermaster's department Of the
American army. A large amount of
second hand barraCk material also has
been taken over and $50 volunteers
from the American navy are snperin-
tending the construction Of barracks
near ruined villages for the inhabi-
tants.
Industrial life in the invaded re-
gion haSlbeon almost completely par
alyzed Mr.. Hoover said. Railroads
have teen rendered almost hopeless
of reconstruction for many months,
the ceal mines nave been destroyed
and there is scarcely a single factory
, that can be operated without very
large portion OF new equipment
France Is POwerlcss.
"The commission for relief in Bel
gum" said Mr.. Hoover's message,
had hoped to surrender the task of
relief Of northern France TO the
/ French government Immediately upon
| the German retreat. 1t has been
| found impossible, however. for the
French government to undertake the
| food supply of this area for some
months to come, and upon the urgent
| request of that government, the COM
mission has decided to continue.
i After the four-year paralysis of
/ wholesale and retail business, with the
! destruction of the principal towns
and shops, these trades have disap-
/ peared and the people today are de-
/ pendent upon a ration issued directly
| to them Just as before the German
/ evacuation. Until transport and trade
! can be rehabilitatAd the present sys-
| TEN must go on, for the French dis
| tribution is done by the trades. These
arrangements necessitate some reor.
I ganization of the relief work and Its
/ entire separation from Belgium.
Twenty members of the COmmts'
| sion for relief in Belgium who Joined
the American army as officers have
been released hy General Pershing tt
unde' take this work.
THE population of this area at the
moment of the retreat was about l.
500, 900, there being also about 500,
600 refugees in France, all of whom
are anxious to return to their native
soil.
Hundreds of Villages Ruined.
THE destruction of some twenty
principal towns and literally h',1
dreds of villages renders the return
of these refugees a stupendous prob
lem. Every effort is being made t
restrain them from going back unit
some systematic provision for shelte
-can be completed. but they evade al
official urgings and the roads are ;
. continuous procession of these pitiahi
bodies Thousands of them reacl
their villages to find every vestige o
setter destroyed and finally wande
into the villages further back iron
the acute battle area, which are them
selves already overcrowded to heart
breaking degree.
I'm order to remedy this situation
TO some extent the commission for re
lief in Belgium has obtained the serV
ices of $50 volunteers from the Amer
, lean navy. and is taking over q larg
amount of secondhand barrack ma
terial from the navy and army. Thos
, barracks are IN course Of erection ad
! iacent to the destroyed villages, un
! Ter the superintendent OF the nav
, volunteers.
"A large amount of boots and shoe
, and war clothing has been taken owe
, from the uuaTtermaster' s supplies an
, these are being distributed to the pee
: pie. The French government Is en-
, deavoring to obtain some cattle froi
, | Switzerland, and horses from tn
, various armies. which together wit
, the meager supply Of agricultural in
: plements may enable the populatlo
|, to get in some portion of next year
! crops in such of those areas as are ne
too badly destroyed by battle.
, "The entire industrial life of III
/ region has been destroyed by the Gel
9 mans. There is scarcely single fa'
i
n very large portion of new equipmen
The coal mines are totally destroye
and the network of railways in tn
( region has been rendered almo
! hopeless of reconstruction for man
+ months. The German method of az
struction was to benG every sing
+ rail by exploding hand grenade VI
q Ter il. rendering it useless for a
9 time. The Grand Canal Du Nor
Z which connects this section of Franc
= with the Belgian canal system and
, the natural entrepot for goods fro
4 Antwerp or Rotterdam, was itse
practically the fighting line f
:, months and is so badly destroyed thu
4 it Will take fully a year for its con
4 plete reconstruction.
. The relief is based upon the a
: lowance of food to the value of abol
35 cents ner day to the destitut
I those having any resources or en-
O ployment being required to pay. TT
whole extent of destitution is not v
Il known but appears to be fully 60 pt
n cent of tho people"
:
Only One "BROaiO QUININE"
n To get the genuine, call for full nan
o LAXATIVE BROMO QUIN1NE Tai
= c.. 81 NJ