Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-04-22

which has just been received at re-
lief headquarters here from Miss
/ Pauline Jordan, Of Welchville, Me.
/ Miss Jordan writes:
! Our orphan population is divided
into what I might describe as three
suburban towns Of six to seven thou
sand children each. They are housed
! in groups Of stone buildings, former
/ ~ Russian army-barracks. Each Of
these orphanage towns Is directed by
/ a group OF five or Fix Americans.
/ Their task Is the general supervision
of the large staff of Armenian doctors,
nurses. teachers and helpers who are
/, in immediate charge Of the children.
"All the orphans at Seversky. which
is the name of the orphanage town
where I am stationed, are hospital
cases, suffering from trachoma. This
malignant eye-disease. the greatest
scourge Of the Near East, is COM
monty contracted by living in crowded
barracks with diseased refugees. The
disease ends in complete blindness
unless promptly and carefully treated.
As all OF Alexandropors orphans who
develop trachoma are sent to Sever
sky, 1t Is fair to say that am work.
ing in the largest children's hospital
in the world.
"Once daily each orphan patient re-
ceives treatment, spending the
rest OF the day at school, where the
native teachers are striving to make
, up for these children the seven
schoolless years that were inevitably
wasted during the war. Moreover,
these long years Of hardship and mall
nutrition have so affected many of
| them that it will take months of care
full feeding to reinstate them so that
they could compete mentally with
normal, healthy children.
"Of Seversky's so buildings, some
huge, stone dormitorics, accommodate
| ing often a thousand children reach,
! provide for sleeping arrangements.
! Few of these buildings contain beds,
yet the majority of the children are
notsaccustomed to such luxury, and
do not mind having their mattresses
laid on the stone floor. The school,
rooms lack desks and chairs, the pu-
pills squatting upon straw mattresses
which are placed around on the cold
flooring. Pencils and paper are too
scarce for common use, so each child
uses slate made of tin. Their cloth
ing Is just as rough and ready as the
schoolroom equipment, Near East Re-
lief orphans being clad in American
cast-off garments, Of which nonde-
script and often i'll fitting raiment
they are inordinateIy proud. Meals
consisting of such staple foods as
bread. -grits. stews Of potatoes,
onions and beans. are served three
times daily in the big dining halls. AS
food Is very expensive-most Of it be-
ing shipped from the United States
our daily menu Is cut close to alb
solutely scientific requirements, fig
ured in calories.
'"These 10000 orphans will go out
into the world at the age of Is. by
which time they will have had fair
schooling and sufficient knowledge OF
some trade which will render them
self supporting. With a few years OF
peace in Armenia, the Near East Re-
lief will have accomplished q truly
great work. This years harvest-time
will be the crisis for Armenia. With
a yield of sufficient seed for an aver
age crop. the country will improve
enormously. If the seed proves insult
ficient. dread to think of next win
ter. Meanwhile we strive to make
every dollar do the utmost good to
the greatest possible number. One
who sees at first hand the Near East
Relief work in Armenia, can have no
doubt as to it's being worth while"