The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-17
Miss Anne Morgan Tells To-
peka of French Conditions.
Here in America We Don't
Realize Suffering, She Says.
400 AT C. OF C. LUNCHEON
Striking Address Was Made by
American Chairman.
Vigorous and FOrcefuI Appeal
for War Regions.

More than four hundred persons
by far the majority of them women
/ crowded the Chamber of Commerce
dining room at noon today to hear a
striking address by Miss Anne Morgan.
chairman of the American committee
for Devastated France.
The parlors of the quarters were
crowded before IL o'clock. Long be-
fore Miss Morgan started to speak
there was not room for another per-
son in the building.
Seated at the speakers table at the
north end of the room. with Miss Nor
gan, were the members of the COM
mittee of women who arranged for
the meeting, Gov Henry J. Allen and
others.
Miss Morgan was introduced by
Governor Allen.
Selling directly upon her topic. Miss
Morgan wasted no time in preliminary
introductions. She is a most forceful
speaker. Her voice is powerful, her
gestures drive emphasis into every
sentence she utters- She speaks rap
idly. but distinctly, with q. message on
her mind and in her heart which is
too deep and too great to be uttered
in the space of a short luncheon ad-
dress.
"War Is Not Over"
1.-The war is not over. Here in
America, where we did not suffer as
France suffered, we like to think that
the war is over. But peace has not
yet come, where the battles were
fought in the homes" she declared.
Miss Morgan vigorously defended
the stand of France in claiming
enough military power to protect her
borders against invasion by Germany
again ''F'orty-five times in the last
two thousand years. France has been
invaded by these same barbarians.
Can you blame her for recognizing the
need of an armed force sufficient to
force peace p
Touching directly upon the question
of rehabilitation nd the liability of
damage caused in the war. Miss Nor
gan declared that France has never
yet touched a penny of the indemnity
paid by Germany, because of the prior
rights granted to Belgium.
More Taxes Than Germany.
France has set aside ninety million
francs from her government funds, |
raised by taxation-'and the French
pay three times as much taxes per
capita as the Germans''-for the re-
work But this sum is
being expended in the revival of ag-
riculture and of other industries. ct /
is not being used to help the women
who return to the land they owned /
before the war. with two or three |
children. feeling the responsibility to /
those children, whose father died for |
his country-and find their homes
their very land-harried and torn be- /
yond possible use. not a vestige of a /
house to shelter them.
1T is IL ese people that the American |
for devastated France is |
trying to help" Miss Morgan declared. |
She charged that America has for
gotten the feeling which existed be- |
tween the two nations in 1917, when /
America owed France a debt.
How does France. today, with the I
lfter-effect of the war not overcome,
ook at the United States? When the /
question which America is asking
France to answer is when will you
pay us what you owe us2' and how
much of that first million francs of the
ierman indemnity are we going to get (
FOR our army of occupation? >" Miss
Morgan said.
Frances Aid First.
THAT question and that attitude are
not American. Because America did
lot suffer as France suffered-we
nave forgotten she declared
She told of the work of assisting the
French peasants to rebuild their shat
cred homes, take up again some oc-
which will enable them to
sarn livelihood. save their children
all of the children-every one of
hem is undernourished and below
The Germans left behind them con-
Continued on Page TenJ