Evening star., 1922-01-15
Strange Teddy Bear" Gift From
Washingtonian, Thrilled This Refugee

sweaters and warm things when our
sick children and dying mothers need
ed them. These heroic mothers. now
trying to earn enough to pay rent Tor
one poor room and for general family
needs, are frequently college gradu-
ates or p-incesses now scrunoihs'
washing or sewing. We can't sup
port them, but we give aid by allow
ing one can of milk and two loaves OF
bread a week for each child and what
ever clothing is sent from America.
We weigh and measure the children
and only 25 per cent approach normal.
"The baby layettes were all dis
tributed long ago. I know of nothing
sadder than a starving refugee moth
er. children tugging at her rags. hus-
band recently killed, waiting for the
coming of a bay doomed to horrible
suffering unless America helps. Prac-
tically the only smiles we see are on
baby faces before the mothers starved
condition causes natural food to cease
"How terrible the need is we can
not make you understand. Refugees
coming in from Cilicia area we can
not help at all! 1t seems bad enough
here. but in the Caucasus and interior
Turkey reports brought in are un-
belieyable unless one has actually
visited those sections. If one has
lived among these peoples as I have
for many years. before the war ana
knows of their mental and spiritual
abilities, their thrift and loyalty 10
faith, their courage and hope for ma
tional and religious freedom, their
devotion to American ideals. no true
American would hesitate to aid them
"There could be a story connected
with every garment given from your
treasure boxes I wish the giver OF
that fine new teddy bear could have
seen the Joy on the face OF a i've
year-old, ragged. shriveled lad TO
whom 1 gave it! He came with his
sick mother, one of her three little
children, all at verge of hopeless
starvation. But, dirty and half naked
as he was on a bitter cold day. his
spirit was undaunted and his head
was high. We all loved him at once.
sensed he needed something besides
bread. When I gave him the teddy
bear he held it off and backed into a
corner, but when he found it was
warm and woody, and didn't bite, he
was happiness personffied as he
snuggled it against his poor little
cold chest. wanted a picture Of
him for you. The pencil box with
sliding cover fascinated little
schoolgirl, who had never owned
real pencil The warm hoods and
scarfs and baby booties. the pictures,
dolls and books will be used for our
Christmas treat.
"The gratitude of the mothers is a
joy-a gratitude they want to show
by paying a few liras for the cloth
ing. if they have work and are able
to work. One said, I must give
something mejidi (about 10 cents),
all I have And so out OF their pow
erty a group of mothers gave me
about 12 liras ($s). and we used that
to put more refugee children in
school, for this Is a country where
there are no free schools.
1--WE need money for bread, bread.
bread. and milk, milk, milk for the
babies!
"1t seems hopeless sometimes, but
we work on, waiting for the change
in events that surely must come and
bring peace out Of the present agony
and misery. In the meantime Amer
lea is their hope. I am sure our
Washington friends will not fail u.s."
JEANETTE W. ENRICH.
The local committee is appealing
for a reply to Mrs. Emrich's letter
which will give her the practical en-
couragement which she and the other
500 American relief workers deserve!
Gifts of cash or clothing should be
sent to John 3. Larner, treasurer. at
sos Bond building.