The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-10-30

are united for the, restoration of their 1 ruined farms, have been formed | through the initiative and with the | hep of the American Committee. L>merican tractors, made available l for the syndicate members through 1 American Committee cooperation, l have played a vital1y important part | ton
 | One constructive help extended by l the American Committee is money, | loaned for farm rebuilding purposes; 1 for fertilizing. machinery and other | seeds. The money is returned by each borrowing farmer as he gets his | farm nearer and nearer to it's pre-war l efficiency.
 The American Committee has brought to France human presences, 1 full of hope and cheer and practical folk of the Aisne to see that restor- ation depends chiefly on their own personal efforts and spirit They have seen the point and are doing The Committees work in the Aisne is changing and developing. It has become a genuine part of the life of more than 100 communities. Its present activities are becoming more ard more cooperation in the French peoples own projects. But American Committees own methods ard ideals for public health. for com munity service and for agricultural Gev elopment.
 The seed is sown; the soil of French community life is rich; but there re- mains peri od of intensive cultiva- tion, without WI ich these new flowers in the soil of France will dwindle and zine.
 Having set our hands to the task of helping these brave sufferers we cannot turn aside with the task in complete.
 ReCOnstructioD of CouY,unitv life Nowhere in the devastated regions has community life become so nearly normal as in the. district served by the American Committee. The great Ar proportion of the acres under cul- 'ivation before the war are producing again.
 Fruit trees have been planted and grain and seed distributed. Schools. hospitals. nurseries, dispensaries have been set uD.
 Community certers have been es- tanIished They house social and ctber activities which no longer-of in the period of reconstruction, any way-cap go on in the homes.
 Classes for boys and girls in sub iects that have always formed part of the French system of education- domestic science and handicraftS, for example--arc conducted in the com munitv centers, which also house well equipped dispensaries.
 In helping the people of the Aisne bring their cGrnnlt nity life back !n normal the American Committee is uoL only helping to reconstruct de- stroyed materia! things but is making a constrU ctiYe contribution to the perpetuation of the civilization which eighty thousand Americans died to preserve
 Public Library Development.
 The library work began in response to the insistent demands Of the peas antry for books, demand that was as ciamurous in the first days of acute hardship as that for more materlal things Before long, the ubrar1es grew so important and thelr use so extensive it seemed advisable io to ond 9n t:l fish them on permanent basis and accclIins, to the most modern AmefI- can public library methods: .
 At the request of the Director Of l. ector of the Municipal Library Ill ris both of whom are tremendous Jv impressed by the work, the Com n, ttee is cooperating in the estao-
 ehnent of a public library in Paris. The library will be managed oy French women trained in AmerlcaI- methods. The state authorities he4t cd by securing the land and buildlns- rTIue Committee undertakes organiZa. ion. administration and direction 'E the library for ona year. .ae efforts of the Committee. have studied ,oodaIu methods of library admins tratiCn m American schools InssS I:brarv students are sent to the ChiI ed Stat es. as are the nurses, on srr.o os SI-5, in connection with a program looking forward to the day when SIneriean direction will be vita G!rawn. . .ho
 Tjbraries exist in five centers in the
 ,,e,9. under American Committee ausrices In addition, fifty travel iI. libraries. which reach even to the remote corners of the Chenln oes 0aT,e es have been maintained Tn tI,o f,,7.ers or corar1u ,ity houses. cir cuiaiion M of travelling library, volumes Lad reached total of ,;s 1s.sS1 in AVS ,ATs- ."S ;n the schools reached d total of S5624 volumes.