The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1920-03-05
Shall Chaos or Reconstructid
in Europe Follow the Gre;
World War?
IMPERATIVE NEED FOR ACTION
Twelve Months Since the Signing OF
the Armistiee Practically Wasted
Call for Aid From America
Must Be Needed.
Article v.
sy FRANK coMERFoRp.

treaty brought peace. hut neltner Oh
these acts restored devastated Europe.
The great Job ahead is the work OF re-
construction, and when | write the
word Reconstruction" ! have not In
mind the mere rebuilding OF the war
stricken areas OF france, Belgium.
Italy, Poland and Russia. Gigantic
and important as this task Is. neces-
sary as II is, II is only a small part or
the work OF real reconstruction. Hun
dreds of thousands OF square miles
make up the actual war zone. the
ground marched over, the territory UNI
der shell fire. Millions Of acres OF land
that once yielded food in response to
the touch OF the pillow have for the
past four years been titled by high eI'
plosives.
Belgium was literally looted, pill
iaged and ravished. Almost the en-
tire state was violated. Nearly one
eighth OF France. her industrial sec
ton, WAS crushed. Buildings were de-
stroyed, factories dismantled. Sixty
thousand square miles in Poland were
laid waste. Italy suffered terribly.
The ground Is filed with high explo
sives. undischarged mines and shells.
Every day since the work OF recovery
and restoration began men working
In this zone have been blown TO pieces.
Billions of feet Of barbed wire and
millions Of tons of metal make q dam
gerous wilderness out Of what was
once a highly productive area.
Cities and villages are 1ungles OF
twisted, broken, torn wood. iron, brick
and stone. have walked through
these villages and have stood stunned
by the completeness OF the destruc>
ton. The streets are uneven and
lumpy with brick and stone and plas-
ter and glass, alsles OF wreckage. Roof
less houses with walls Quilted and torn,
heaps and piles Of broken building ma
terial; Jagged. ragged pinnncles, masses
Of debris meet the eye. Had not known
OF the war and come upon one OF these
unsightly. shapeless masses OF materi-
al. l should have thought nature had
entered into a mad conspiracy, COM
bining and concentrating all OF the
powers Of cyclone, q tornado fnd
an earthquake. and spilled their fury
OH these mangled, dead villages
sIohts 70 Wiring the Heart.
Picture the refugees returning 10
these viilages-coming back home.
What the sight must have meant to
them. have seen them, their faces
gray as the gray ruins. standing In the
midst Of their destroyed homes.
have seen them picking their way over
pixies Of stone and brick through great
openings made IN the broken walls. j
saw Ia their eyes inconsistencies. n hurt
OF heart never shall forget. Old men
and old women and little bare-lerged
children; sow and again boy with
a worn, solied uniform. some llnping
on crutches, others wearing an empty
sleeve. One thought surged through
my mind until Il almost slckened me
War. The land OF the war zone
must be reclaimed. These acres are
needed now more than they were be-
fore the war. The worlds food sup
ply IL low. Hundreds OF miles OF
trenches must he flled ny. Trees
must be planted. the ground must be
cleaned Of shells. cleared Of barbed
wire; villages. cities. must be rebuilt |;
sewer systems must be installed. The
mess must be moved II is big job.
One great misfortune Is that al
though u months have come and gone
since the signing OF the srmistice. no
general comprehensive plan Of recon-
structlon has been started. Here and
there small sections OF the devastated
regions are being partly reconstructed.
Temporary provision 10 being made
for the homeless. This IL all well and
good, but Intelligent. economical. EN-
Gent and speedy reconstruction de-
mands n general plan and an organiEa'
ton big enough TO put 1t over. The
doing Of this work requires vision and
capacity for doing bia things well. II
che physical reconstruction Is left 10
Eurcpe Il will not he finished IN 81
wears. Hero Is chance for America
We have q faculty Of doing things on
q Big scale and in a short period OF
time. Europe needs our help. II we
are TO give Il eventually. why not now
But the clearing M Of the wreckagt
and the rebuilding Is a minor problem
compared with the other greater and
more important question OF reconStrnc
ton, tho reconstruction OF industry
the establishment Of normal life.
The reclamation Of the devastated
area Is, after NIL. only a matter Of
plan, time and money. and notwlth'
standing the fact Tint Europe Is bank
rupt today. the money must and VIII
come. The barbed wire will be rolled
M. the mines and shells Will be dug
from the fields. the vlllnges will be re
built; everything that has been de
stroycd will be replaced. Physical re-
construction Is the feast Of Europes
prob'cmA
The great problem Is the reconstruc'