The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-04-12

Editors Note-In war days
and in the days following the
signing of the Armistice, hundreds
and even thousands of KenoshsnS
contributed to the funds raised
for the aid of devastated France.
For this reason there will be
great interest in the announce
ment made by the officials of the
| American Committee for De-
vastated France of the plan which
has been adopted of closing up
the work there)
! The American Committee for De-
! vastated France has adopted a revolu-
tionary method in winding up its
work in France.
! Instead of announcing its dissolu-
tion, selling out vast stocks in the
conventional way at one-half per cent
of what they cast and leaving the
rest to be carried off by the first-com-
er or rot under the summer sun and
! in winter rains, the American COM
mittee is abandoning its reconstruc-
| ton, its social and health services
gradually and is placing each activity
under French control with little legal
lied clauses in the bill of gift which
4 specify and guarantee the continuance
of the various branches of work.
Could Not Stop at Once.
| When the work of the committee
/ had passed from material emergency
relief to public health, library, agri-
cultural organization and community
| life services, it became more and more
! evident that many of its activities
could not be eliminated for a number
/ of years without disastrous effects on
the population benefting by them.
Local groups, fearful that the COM
mittee might follow the example Of
other reconstruction societies and
suddenly close down its work, asked
to be- initiated into its methods in or
der that they themselves might carry
on after the departure of the COM
mittee. The disproportion between
the object they found has happily
turned out to be as great as in the
| case of Saul, first king of the Jews,
who, looking for his fathers asses,
found a crown: some permanent build
ing will be left in each community
center; libraries, hospitals, foyers,
tennis courts, milk depots, carpenter
shops, and not merely the science of
administering them, will be turned
over to the French.
Tells of One Library.
The other day I visited No. 10 de
Breuil street, in Vicsur-Aisne. 1t is
splendid, large house, blessed with
so many windows that the cheerful-,
ness of the place would be guaran-
teed even without the extensive Ii
brary of carefully selected books, the
furniture and hangings, the kinder
garten room, and many other appoint
ments which make it an ideal social
center. 1t stands on a four-acre
property, with a spacious stone gar
age, park, and vegetable garden.
! That day an officer of the commit
tee and the mayor of Vicsur-Aisne
were exchanging courtesies before the
fireplace in the salon of this pleas
ant home. And no wonder! The COM
mittee had just made a present to the
commune of Vic-sur-Aisne of the use
| for three years of the entire prop
erty-house, lot and appurtenances,
furniture, library and--one might say
servants" if you are willing to
take the etymologic derivation of that
word, and include in it the directress
of the center in charge of all social
service work of the region, Nine
Mazet; the efficient driver of the Ford
truck, the secretary, the trained
nurse, and the kindergarten teacher
Frenchwoman who is to have a lit
tie house all her own on the property.
The committee had added to this tre-
mendous gift-tremendous in compar-
ison with what Vic had modestly ask
| ed fora sort of up-keep pension of
$4,000 francs (s1,000) per year for the
three years to come, and a promise
to Fay the salaries Of the directress,
nurse, and secretary; while the COM
mune, on its part, is. to lodge and
furnish heat and light to the work.
ers named by the committee, estab-
| lish kindergarten and pay the SAL
! airy of the kindergarten teacher.
To be Absolute Gift.
Nor was that all. At the end Of
three years successful apprenticeship,
the commune of Vic-so said the legal
papers signed that day-will receive,
an out and out gift of the entire
property, to be utilized permanently
at the commune's expense for social
service work
Gradually, as this system of con-
version of a committee center into a
permanent community institution is
tried out and proved successful, it
will be adopted elsewhere, and the
American committees work in France,
instead Of being lost like autumn
leaves in wintry blast, will become
permanent in the liberated regions,
and in all probability will be emulated
throughout France. -9 sen