Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-02-21
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction
in Europe Follow the Great
World War?
IMPERATIVE NEED FOR ACTION
Twelve Months Since the Signing of
the Armistice Practically Wasted
Call for Aid From America
Must Be Needed.
Article v.
Rv FRANK coMEREoRp-

BY FRANK cOMERFORO.
The signing of the armistice ended
the fighting. The signing of the peace
treaty brought peace. but neither of
these acts restored devastated Europe
| The great job ahead is the work Of re-
construction, and when I 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 it is, if is only a small part OF
! the work Of real reconstruction. Hun
! dreds of thousands of square miles
| make up the actual war zone, the
! ground marched over, the territory I'M
| 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 ex-
| pOSives.
Belgium was literally looted. pill
/ lRged 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 diSmanued. Sixty
| thousand square miles in Poland were
laid waste. Italy suffered terribly.
The ground is filed with high explo-
sives uudischarged mines and shells.
! Every day since tie work of recovery
! and restoration began men working
in This zone have been blown to pieces.
Billions of feet of harbed wire and
millions Of tons Of metal make dan
gerouS wilderness out Of what was
once - highly productive area.
cities and villages are jungles OF
twisted. broken torn wood, iron. brick
and stone. have walked through
these villages and have stood stunned
hy the completeness Of the destruc-
ton. The streets are uneven and
lumpy with brick and stone and plas-
ter and glass aiSleS Of wreckage Roof
less HORSES with walls Quilted and torn
heaps and piles Of broken building ma
terial; jagged. ragged pinnAcleS masses
Of debris meet the eye. Had moi known
of the war and come upon one of these
unSightlY. shapeleSS masses of mareri-
al. | should have thought nature had
entered into mad conspiracy, com
bining and concentrating all of the
powers Of a cyclone. tornado nd
an earthquake. and spilled their fury
OH these mangled, dead villages.
Sights to Wiring the Heart.
Picture the refugees returning to
these vIlageS-coming pack home.
What the sight must have meant tn
them. have seen them, their facea
gray as the gray ruins, standing in the
midst of their destroyed homes. |
have seen them picking their way over
plies OF stone and brick through great
openings made in the broken walls.
saw in their eyes Inconsistencies. hurt
Of heart never shall forget old men
and old women and little bare-legged
children; now and again hoy with
"A worn. soled uniform, some limping
on crutCheS, others wearing an empty
sleeve. One thought Surged through
my mind until it almost sickened 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 Is low Hundreds Of miles of
trenches must be filled M. Trees
must he planted, the ground must be
cleaued of shells. cleared of harbed
wire villages. cities must he rebuilt.
sewer systems must be Installed The
mess must be moved. II is bic lob.
One great misfortune is that aI-
though - months have come and gone
since the signing Of the aruistice. no
general comprehensive plan of recon
S'ructiou has been started. Here and
there small sections Of the devastated
regions are being partly reconstructed.
Temporary provision is being made
for the homeless This is am Won and