The Washington times., 1921-04-06
FRANCE ENDSPAY
TO WAR REFUGEES
will Stop Pensions to 100000
Persons Made Homeless by
German Drive.
By NEWTON G. PARkE.
International News Service.

hntNHooNAOAAA NeWw SChVhCe~s
PARIS, April S-Nearly 100 900
persons, mostly helpless old people.
women and children. will be thrown
practically upon their own resources
when the French government early
next month ceases to pay "war
refugee" allowances. Instituted At the
beginning of hostilities in the sum-
mer OF 1914.
They are the last of the great
army of more than q million who
were driven from their homes by tho
advancing German armies. Steps are
being taken to obtain aid from the
government in some other way and
to enlist the support of private
charities.
When the first refugees fed from
the battle zone in 1914 the govern
ment arranged a system OF monthly
allowances. The payments were very
small. but at times homeless women
and children from the invaded dis
tricts had little trouble in finding
cheap lodgings elsewhere in France
and the cost Of living was so low
that they managed to keep alive.
The number Of refugees reached its
maximum at about the time OF the
armistice, when nearly 300, 900 were
receiving allowances from the minis
try OF France. This did not take into
account thousands OF others who had
resources Of their own or who made
their homes with relatives.
Early in 1919 the homeward move
ment began. Thousands of refugees
from districts which had not suffered
heavily under the German occupation
returned to their firesides and by the
end OF the year the government was
paying allowances to only 81 800.
During 1920 the reconstruction Of
homes in the devasted area pro-
gressed so rapidly that there were
only 10000 refugees still on the gov
ernment's hands. This number has
diminished gradually since the first of
the year. but 1t is now possible to
ascertain that at least 100. 900 will be-
come permanent charges, dependent
either on public or on private charity.
Thousands OF these have made vain
pilgrimages to the sites of their for
mer villages only to find them blotted
out by shellfre. For instance some
of the little hamlets OF the Somme
and Verdun battlefelds can NO longer
be found, except by the aid of maps.
The location Of a number has been
marked by signposts. but they will
never be restored. The economic
reasons that led to their growth
many decades ago have disappeared
and they will go down in Frances
history as lost towns" Thus the
shop-keeper who returns to rebuild
his crossroads store, finds no indica-
ton of life.
Nearly all these 100. 900 want to go
back to the communities where they
have spent practically all their lives
But there Is no room for them and
no work to occupy them when they
do return. In many of the devasted
towns now under process of recon
struction former residents are living
in wooden barracks and the authori-
ties are discouraging the return Of
everyone incapable of doing q hard
days work.
The government is suppressing the
allowances as a means of economy.
Since the outbreak of the war three
billion dollars has been paid out OF
the national treasury in allowances
to dependents Of soldiers at the front
and to civilian refugees.