The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-25
BY william III. Tolman,
Legion d'HOpncur,

BY william ii. Toiman,
Legion d'Honncur.
Paris, Aug. 23.--''What does the F.
S. stand for?" has frequently been
asked me. as the monogram on my
uniform CHANGED to attract attention.
But 1t is only from Americans or
Engishmen that such queries have
come; for there is not poilu in the
French army~-~nor a French officer OF
any grade. who Is not familiar with
the Foyars du Soldat and the excel
lent work this unique organization
has done in France.
The Foyers du Soldat has been to
TIE French army what the Y. NJ c. A.
has been to the American army. Its
huts have been managed Jointly by
French and American directors. the
latte- recruited from the Y. NJ. G. A.
From September /. 1917. when
there were seventy Foyers. the num-
Der has increased by February of the
present year, to some 900 in active
operation. There were SCI French
directors, EOS directrices. 900 Ameri-
can directors and thirty seven direc
trice.;. In addition 20 the troops of
France itself there came from the
French colonies 91s. 900 men of whom
$50, 900 were combatants.
Raising the morale Of these as we'll
as al the other troops, and increas-
ing their physical efficiency, was one
task of the Foyers du Sodat: while
others included the running of can
teens the provision of Interpreters for
! the army, an educational program.
and emergency work of alp kinds.
Some idea Of the opportunities for
usefulness in the educational work
alone, NAV be gained from the state
I u tsxl..
men where some thirty six different
languages and dialects were spoken.
| Among these were Tonkinese, Alger
| ian.. Teheques. Moroccans, Annamites
Chinese. indians, Poles. Russians,
| Senegalese. Malagache. Iva b ! s
Greeks. Italians. Serbs and Ruman-
ians. This Is one way In which the
Foyers helped win the war.
NJ. Painleve. former minister OF
war: Petain. Lyautey, commander in
chief OF the French forces in Morocco:
CHIEF OF the allied armies in the
Orient, Clemenceau, Generals Debe-
ney. Gouraud and Mangin have all
| testified to the valued cooperation OF
| the Foyers in service to the wounded
| a >. well as TO the whole. consolation
recreation" as ! like to write that
word. all of which mean in one word
| morale.
In all the periods of storm and
| stress, the Foyers made good. The
| Foyer has procured for our men, ma
| terial well being, as we'll as valuable
moral up building was the common,
of Marechal Fetain
| What are the plans for the future
How permanent Is the work? What
share will Americans have in it?
The director of the Foyers du
| Sol.at, d. A. Davis is also a member
| OF the International committee. sc
| - him / addressed my inquiries.
THE plans for the futureg This
| is a question which vitality concerns
e, cry American In the Foyers, AS
the result of a long series of confer
ences with representatives of the In
ter national committee and with peo-
Pile in France. we can say that the
work OF the Foyers will be carried
on under the name of the Les Foyers,
Union northumberland The pro-
posed constitution provides for a
'Conseil administration consisting
largely of French citizens. In which
the International committee of the Y.
NC, A. win be represented by at least
two members. This new organization
will take over the present work Sep
TENDER !. There will be three cate
gories of Foyers. each with its spe-
cial direction: Foyers du Soldat
Foyers du Marin, Foyers du Civil"
How about the financial support ?"
/ asked.
Since the budget" ne replied "for
the future win be only about one
tenth as great as that for the war
work, the number of Foyers will have
to be greatly reduced. II is expected
that the number for next year will
not exceed 500. Jnasmuch as the
great part Of. the funds will come
from America and as the money was
given for special purposes. II will be
necessary to limit the work for which
this is devoted, that is, to work for
the war or work which has grown
out of war conditions This is wink
the Civilian Foyers will be limited
almost entirely to the devastated
regions Certain Foyevs existing in
the industrial centers will be main
tain ed, and certain others where spe-
cial facilities are offered, will be
opened"
How permanent win these plans
b ~
They are being projected on
three-yAar basis. a French financial
is being built up, which
gradually growing in strength should
be able. Dy the end OF THIS period TO
meet all the financial media
Can you expect French govern
mental backing?"
"A good indication OF what we may
Expect is offered by the tact that
he ministry of the devastated areas
has volunteered TO provide huts In
Iii the devastated towns and areas
where we shall open UP this work.
Toyers already exist in the most i'm
,ortant centers among. which may be
Verdun, Rheims. SCISSORS.
il. Quentin. La Fere, Chauny,. Noyon, !
lam, Nesle. Arras. Amiens ana Lille. /
I liz expected that the Foyers In these
.enters will mean to the people re-
urning to their devastated homes and |
0 the workmen returning to- rebuild
hese places, Just what the Foyers du /
oldat meant TO the soldiers at the I
ront during the war"