REPATRIATED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 117, 4 February 1918, Page 3

REPATRIATED

VICTIMS OF, TEUTONS RUSHED HOME HELPLESS AND HOMELESS Paris, November 10. They are coming back to France, the aged men, old women, and young children who wero caught in the net of tho Teuton onrush, and for three years have been within tho enemy's linos. Every day an average of 1000 non-pro-ductive French people are now being sent buck by tho German authorities. Collected ■ from >all the occupied districts, they are bundled off to Switzerland, where no time is lost in getting themVto tli6 border, and they enter Franco'through the gateway of repatriates, Evian Ids Bains. It is tho only porb of liome-coming for these wretched people who have suffered every description of privation, fallen the victims <>£ ill diseases, and lion', being so many useless mouths to feed, are no longer of'any value to tho invader.

There is no instinct, of humanity or philanthropy in. the German programme "So many less for mo to support; so many more tot France to sustain," runs his reasoning. There are no young Or middle-aged men or women among tliese repatriates, the German sees to that, but France opens her arms'to her suffering children, and makes them ieel that they aro welcome without distinction.

One thousand repatriates are returning through Evian every day, some to seek what were once their homes, but which aro now heaps of small particles of stone, brick and plaster; holes filled with ashes, broken glass andychina, rusty iron rods and bedsprings,' And not all those who return can yet be sent to these ruined one-time homes.

In one morning 'there arrived 316 men, 500 women, and 160 children. Almost all of them were from tho neighbourhood of Laon and Saint Quentin. Although the French offensive of this week penetrated within six miles of Laon, and Saint Quentin has been within sight of the French lines for some time, these people could not be sent homo as yet, and were forwarded to the south of France, where they will remain until after- the Germans have been thrown out of the two regions mentioned. ' Another party came from the mining regions near Lens, and they, too, must wait before returninghome. ;

The most, distressing feature, however, of the return of these repatriates is their physical condition. Some are so feeble that they are carried front the train in which they arrived at-tho Swiss frontier on stretchers and taken directly to temporary hospitals. Out of ouo trainload of 500 persons, sixty children wero immediately taken to a detention hospital and more than 100 old persons to a permanent hospital, from which probably somo will never emergo alive.

One entire family who came from a coal-mining centre of Lens were suffering from skin trouble, duo to conditions in which they were compelled to live while in the German lines. Others bore the unmistakable signs of tuberculosis, also contracted in the course of the privations and sufferings to which they had been subjected.

To care for these wretched refugees Evian. has been turned into a great hospital centre. Many of the hotels, a. few of the villasj and even a former Capuchin convent are being utilised for this purpose. Tho work is in charge of the French Repatriates Aid Society. A hospital for tuberculosis cases has been established high up in the mountains. There is a separate refuge for children who may show tubercular tendencies. The American Red Cross is at work preparing a hospital at Evian for acute mnladiies!, while another hospital is given up entirely to those suffering from skin diseases.

In tho Casino of Evian the work of caring- for the future of these unfortunates goes on, in., which tho military and civil authorities co-operato. Employment is secured or those who.arc capable of performing manual labour, whilo those unable to work and yet not so weak as to need medical treatment are sent to the South of France, where they havo opportunity to regain their strength. In the Casino there is also an organisation which endeavours /to put the refugees in communication with relatives and friends who may be willing to provide for them.

Not all the refugees are wholly with-, out moans, though these are largely in the shape of paper money issued by their home towns, which they have retained. This money is being purchased by the French Government in order to provide the refugees with a supply of currency that will pass anywhere in France.