South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-09-16
Germany Should Pay Miss Gregory
Declares Upon Return From Trip To
Devastated Region OF Foreign Land


given by Miss Helen Gregory who
has returned 20 her home in this
city after a months tour or shat
country Miss Gregory represented
South Bend IN a party OF 90 con-
Quoted b. the American Committee
For Devastated France. having won
the distinction IN the good VIII con
fost held some time ago IN this city
urder the auspices OF The News
Times
There were so many things oil
interest" she said. That Il is hard
10 know what 90 describe. u would
take hours 20 tel OF all the things
we Jaw.
French Slow.
zone thing that impressed me.
however. was the great difference
between the American and French
people. France is an old country
one or the cathedrals We visited dat
ing back 20 700 3. c. The people
have been fundamentally the same
since that time Their thoughts.
customs. and traditions have been
brought down to them through the
ages and they are slow 20 take up
new things Ou tho other hand. we
are a comparatively young nation
and we are made OF nearly every
ace on earth. We receive the new
with enthusiasm. and IL may or not
wear of in the near future. II is
ms characteristic Of ours that the
French cannot understand. while we
End 80 Just as difficult TO understand
their methods OF doing things and
their ways Of thinking
They are "A home people. They
work hard all day and find their only
recreation in the evenings when the
whole family goes 20 an outdoor cafe
aud drinks wine or beer This Is
one OF their customs. but they are
never drunk.
Germany Should Pay.
They are supported by what they
can raise in their small fields, and
every inch OF ground is cultivated
Much OF the work is done by women
and children. and we often saw them
at shutdown carefully picking up ev-
cry bit OF grain in the Geld. The
country is very picturesque, with its.
small white houses. with thatched
cor tile roofs. and beauty is added by
am abundance of peoples They
grow everywhere, along with some
small white flowers and blue thistles,
making red. white and blue vistas
on every hand.
The eight days we spent in the
devastated region firmly convinced
me that Germany should pay every
cent in the way OF PREPARATION. We
were taken through miles and miles
of country spread over with such
horrible destruction that it can be
realized only when it is seen. The.
site of the forests OF Verdun is now
ike our sand dunes. Great shell
holes form hundreds of little vallies
over which is spread a fine pOwdery
sand There is no vegetation in.
sight. except a little gray sacraggley
vine which grows close 10 the ground
in some parts of the section.
LAS I said before, an overwhelm-
ing majority of the people depend
upon agriculture for their living, so
that IL was and is absolutely ueces-
sary to reclaim as much Of the area
as possible. The work Of reclama |
ton alone has cost thousands of 4
lives. I-nexploded shells are en- I
countered. meaning thar two or
three men viii be killed while clear |
ing up each acre OF ground. Even I
in the fields that have already been
reclaimed and which have been cul- I
tivated for a year or TWO such casual I
ties are frequent when the men are
piowiug.
Americans i'm Paris.
"In Germany there is nothing oil
this kind. Tourists we met fron
that country said the goveruwert
there was spendius large sums o-
money for street auO other improve
ments in their cities
The gay night life Of Paris is CAR
RED on mostly by tourists and mos,
or these We're Americans When we
left there were 10000 Americans i'm
Paris.
The styles. or course. interested
all OF us The skirts reach the ankles.
and the women wear shoes with very
high heels short vamp and round
toe There was very little bobbed
hair. and very few silk stockings. y
pair Of silk hose could be bought foT
$3.50. but they were so poor that they
really weren't worth carrying home
Tn Paris most of the people wore
leather shoes. but leather was so
Ugh that I'm the smaller towns and
.ountrv The women wore felt slippers
aad the men and children wooden
shoes
one thing that we noticed was
that there were very few young men.
Near,y all The people wore black as
mourning FOR the sons. husbands. or
hrothers who had lost their lives
during the war.
shown Courtesy
The work Of the American conn
nittee cann0t be praised too hiEh.y
They are doing most Of their work
now with libraries and health pros
grams. special attention being given
20 the latter Infant morality which
vas very hish over 100 babies out
sf eve~y thousand dying before
reaching she age ~ one year has
bssn reduced SO that an but "a out
e every thousand are saved The
baby Shows held Hy she nurses ana
doctors give the greatest OF pleasure
20 the mothers who bring their chill .
dren decked out in American flags
II that - possible II &c is not pos
slbIe. they make faEs out OF blue
and red calicoe and scraps OF white (
cloth.
We were shown every courtesy /
by the committee and by the French +
irovernrne They held receptions
for US IN every town and we We're
showered with flowers everywhere
we Wen. one OF the most thrilling /.
lines for Us was the night az the .