Figure 1.-- Towns and villages throughout Picardy had been badly damaged in World War I. The deadly Trench Line ran through Picardy in northern France. The Morgan and Dike's Committee for Desestated France opoerated from the damaged Chateau Blérancourt provided by Marshal Pétain. Morgan and her 350 volunteers made it their business to help the people of Picardy put thrir lives back together. One caption says that here Anne Morgan is delivering food to needy families. It looks to us more like one of her young women volunteers who all had to learmn to drive. Motor vehicles were still not common in France outside of Paris and other large cities. And the ones that existed were all driven by men. The appearce of the Committee vans driven by women with food and , were a real revelation.
If Morgan had done nothing else before began working in Picardy, her life as a progrssive woman and philantropist would have been notable. Here work om Picardy was extrondinary. Picardy is part of Hauts-de-France, a historical region of northern France. It streaches from the northern suburbs of Paris and vineyards of Champagne to the beaches of the Bay of Somme on the English Channel. Regional capital Amiens is a university city known for its Gothic cathedral and floating gardens. After the French stopped the German drive toward Paris on the Marne, the Trench Line which developed ran through Picardy. Towns and villages were destoyed and most of the population fled or was evacuated. The Germans withdrew from some areas of Picardy and emply a scotched earth policy (1917). After renewed gains in the last German offensive (Spring 1918), the Germans were driven back and defeated by the Allied Hundred Days Campaign, (August-November 1918). The Germans asked for an armistice and withdrew from France and Belgium The Germans were gone but Picardy looked like a moon scape. Those who complain about the Versailles Peace Treaty, need to look at Picardy after the Germans left. Morgan's work in Picardy is one of the most successful philantrophic undertakings in histoty. She and Dr. Dike set to work in Picardy before the War was over. She worked with The American Friends of France, financed in part by Morgan. She recruited young American women help the people of Picardy. And she sought out donations on speaking tours across the United States. Morgan found an American artist in Paris to shoot used documentary photographs and moving pictures to show the devestation and terrible condiutions as a result of the War. She understood the power of film from an early point. We suspect that as progressive fmiliar she was aware of the work and impact of Lewis Hine and others. She set up shop near the front line, close to Soissons and the 'Chemin des Dames' at Blérancourt--the ruins of a Chateau. Here she ran her a formidable help organisation. She told her volunteers to prepare to travel to a warzone and had to speak French. They also need to know how to drive a car and when they arrived they had to learn how to maintain and repair cars and trucks--this alone astonished the local mpopuation. Her courageous group of some 350 young women set out to rebuild the region and bring aid to the few French civilians still living there. They helped povide soldiers and refugees with healthcare, food, and housing. Morgan insisted they wear uniforms so they were easily recognizable and were basically all equal in their effort. Much of the population of Picardy was returning refugees, but even the people who reamained were living in bombed out hovels with out sanutary facilities and water. (The Germans had poisined wells as they retreated.) As a result of the fighting, the region looked like a desolate moonscape. There were many different projects such as mobile libraries in an area in which libraries were not readily available to the population. (Americans of course can thank Andrew Carnegie for the Library Movement.) The liberated youung American women besides their many valuable projecrs, were a real eye opener in culturally conservative Picardy.
Earlier Work
If Anne Morgan had done nothing else before she began working in Picardy, her life as a progressive woman working oe woman's issues and worker's rights as a activist and philantropist would have been notable. Her work om Picardy was extrondinary.
Picardy is part of Hauts-de-France, a historical region of northern France. It streaches from the norther suburbs of Paris and vineyards of Champagne to the beaches of the Bay of Somme on the English Channel. Regional capital Amiens is a university city known for its Gothic cathedral and floating gardens. After the French stopped the German drive toward Paris on the Marne, the Trench Line ran which developed through Picardy. Towns and villages were destoyed and most of the population fled or was evacuated. Picardy looked like bombing scenes more associated with World War II. The damge in World War I was more associsated with artillery shelling which is why it was largely confined to northern France. Try as they might,the two opposing forced never acvhieved a break out untill the end of the wa, but fior 4 years they pounded away at each other with modern sartillery. The Germans withdrew from some areas of Picardy and employed a scotched earth policy (1917). And then after renewed gains in the last German offensive (Spring 1918), the Germans were driven back and defeated by the Allied Hundred Days Campaign, (August-November 1918). The Germans asked for an armistice and withdrew from France and Belgium The Germans were gone but Picardy looked like a moon scape. Those who compalin about the Versailles Peace Treaty, need to look at Picardy after the Germans left. When the first American volunteers recruited by Morgan, they witnessed destruction beyond belief, Several years of war had ruined not only the towns and villages, but lrgeareas of the countryside as well. Morgan's partner, Dr. Dike write "You can travel in a motor going forward in a straight line for fifteen hours and see nothing but ruins. People had lost nearly everything—not only their homes and livelihoods but a whole generation of young men."
Morgan's work in Picardy is one of the most successful philantrophic undertakings in history. Anne Morgan and Canadian physcian Anne Murray Dike together decided to work together to refugees abd created a new section within the
American Fund for French Wounded (AFFW) to aid refugees. They called it the Committee for Desestated France. They are set up in a chateau at Blérancourt. Here men were hired to do the heavy work. Marshal Pétain, the French Army Commander, threw his support behind the effort. Morgan helped raise some $5 million, a comsiderable sum at the time, for food, medicine, and other war relief work to begin the restoration of Picardy. They managed to relocated more than 50,000 French villagers who left homeless by the war. They built orphanages, kindergartens, and clinics; and had helped restock and reequip farms. Morgan recruited young American women help the people of Picardy. And she with her vsociety connections played a key role in obtaining the needed donations on speaking tours across the United States. The money was vital. But also very important was Morgan's approach to the mammaoth task that France faced. She understod from the beginning that it was not just a question of money. Vital to the sucess of the effort was restoring the sense of self-reliance and self-sufficiency to a demoralizzed abd destitute population. She expressed this in a letter to her mother, Frances Louisa Tracy (July 8, 1917). "There is a very interesting point of view among French people that Americans do not seem to in the least understand the desire not to let their own people feel that Americans are the only ones that are doing anything for them.' From the outset, Morgan and her teamn worked with the French people and French institutions to get the refugees back to being producrive people. And there was a special interest in the children. The Committe worked with the schools that were being restblished. She wrote about the first sewing and carpentry classes at a school, in part because of tools the Committee provided. "The whole future is the question of the children in this country – of the very old and the very young." Anew name came about when the Germans launched their final offensive. They came very close to breaking through. The crisis was such that AFFW had to suspebd civilian support activities. Morgan and Dike refuused to abandon their refugees,. They formned a new group independent of AFFW--the Comité Américain pour les Régions Dévastées de France, usually just called the American Committee. And this time the American Expeditionary Force was added to the Allied side. The Germans were stopped and driven back, finally forced to ask for an Armistice (November 1918). Morgan, Dike, and their volunteers were able to return to Picardy and purchase what was left of Blérancourt.
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Morgan found an American artist in Paris, Harry Lachman, to shoot documentary photographs and moving pictures to show the devestation and terrible condiutions as a result of the War. She understood the power of film from an early point. We suspect that as a progressive familiar she was aware of the work and impact of Lewis Hine and others. The photograhy was essential in the vital fund raising effort, but it has also left us a wonderful historical record. Morgan saw to it that full-page images ran in American newspaper. Exxhibitions were organized in major cities show casing the photograohs. Sets of prints were sold. The photographs brought home to Americans in a way that text could not the toll on real people of all ages and made caer the enormous needs in France. This helped and her speaking tour helped stumulate monetary contributions and donations in kind. And to sign up volunteers. There were also movies shot.
Morgan was wellaware of the power of film, including the power to raise money. She opens a public relations office in New York City and helps establish over 400 branch offices througout the country. Her fund raising activities are legendary. The hosted the New York showing of the Chicago Tribune's groundbreaking war newsreels. Millions of Americans crowding into movie theaters to watch feaure films also viewed war similar footage. A portion of the box office proceeds oftenwent to relief groups, especailly the Red Cross. When Morgan and Dike's Committee launched operations in Pikardy (1917) film footage became one of the most effective publicity tool. At first the films were shot by the French Army's cinema unit, but the Committee eventually formed its own dedicated film operation. Morgan was very creative in raising money. She held a charity boxing match, organizes events like the Freindship Tour, and film openings. Miorgan's society connections gave her the ability not only to stage prmier galas. Hrr boving msatch involved the highest ranked fighters. Abd she got Charlie Chaoplain to host a chariable opening of one of his icionic films--'The Kid'. Morgan had an absolute genious for public relations which was key to the sucess of the American Comittee.
Chateau Blérancourt and American Volunteers
Morgan and Dike set up shop near the front line, close to Soissons and the 'Chemin des Dames' at Blérancourt--a damaged Chateau. Pétain mimself made the arrngements and assigned soldiers to help them set up (July 1917). It was about 40 miles behind the front line and would have to evacuate temporarily when the Germans launched their final offensice (Spring 1918). When they return they set up four other centers. Here they ran there a formidable help organisation with 50 vehicles--all Ford trucks. She told her volunteers to prepare to travel to a warzone and had to speak French. They also need to know how to drive a car and when they arrived they had to learn how to maintain and repair cars and trucks--this alone astonished the local popuation. Her courageous group of some 350 young women set out to rebuild the region and bring aid to the few French civilians still living there. They helped provide soldiers and refugees with healthcare, food, and housing. Morgan insisted they wear uniforms, which they had to purchase ($45 at B. Altman) so they would easily recognizable and were basically all equal in their effort. The volunteers, many of whom had never been away from home before and rarely unchampeoned, were accomodated in barracks. They worked long hours and developed an intense spirit of camaraderie. One volunteer wrote hime about her fellow volunteers, "How Father would have hated these modern independent young women." The 350 Committe women were a small part of the estimted 25,000 Ameticans who served abroad, but they were all concentrated in Picardy. Each volunteer is made the patron of a village. She intoduces herself and meets the villagers and evaluates their needs.
Initial Sitution
There were destroyed buildung everywhere as wellm as shell holes left by the heavy artilleru. Much of the population of Picardy was returning refugees with no homes left standing to return to, but even the people who had reamained were living in bombed out hovels or shacks pieced togetger from the rubble. And the able bodiued men needed to do the reconstruction work were a small part of the returning refugee population. The impact of chemical weapons persisted in the soil. The sanitary conditions were terrible--essentially non existent. There was no running waer. The Germans had actually poisoned wells as they retreated. And then the Germans attacked agaun. Many residents had to be evacuated a second time. As a result of the fighting, areas of Picardy the region looked like a desolate moonscape. And even beyond the danage, there was unexploded ordinance every where. A farmer could be killed trying to plow his field. And the refugees had virtully nothing but the clothes on their back.
Pikardy was essentially a wasteland. Thr area was levekled and not just buildings. The trees were bliterated. The land had unexploded ordinance and the chermical eweapons had damnahed the soil. There was no runing water. An no shops open to buy anything. There were no bakeries operating--very important in France. The task of bringing life back to Pikardy was enormous. Morgans and her volunteers dived into the task with a passion. Amd as part of this effort there were many diiferent projects. There was food to be delivered. And to make sure that there was milk for the nediest families with young children, the Committee set up a dairy farm. They organized seed plnting and also planted 6,000 fruit trees. They began importing American tractors, at first to clear debris. They began repalcing livestock. They also set up a workshop to help the returning refugees repair damaged homes. About 800 families were rehoused. The Comittee set up a store where the population could obtain needed items and clothing. In the destruction there were no perating shops. At first the situation was so desperate that the items were given away and then gradually sold at partial prices. Government payments to war victims helped. The Committee began destributing farm implements beginning with hand tools like hows and sythes. fter 4 years of war the population that remained and the creturning refugees had nothing. The population had virtually nothing. Clinics, kindergardens and orphanages were set opened. The French Government opened the schools. CARD worked to establish Kindergardens for the younger children. They work with the Farmer's Union to set up cooperatives that set up workshops to repair machinery and acquire livestock. One popular project was was mobile libraries in an area in which libraries were not readily available to the population. (Americans of course can thank Andrew Carnegie for the Library Movement.) France before the war did not have a free public library system. Morgan arranged for a U.S. Department of Agriculture to send a group of women to teach home cammning.
The Committe volunteers were for the most part not doctors or nurses. By the time of World War I, however, there were some 6,000 women doctors in America. This was not the case in France. Many women physician in Ameruca wanted to play a part in the war effort. They were, however, not afforded officer status in the military medical corps. And the concept of female dictors was a whole new concept for the French. Becuse oif the need, they could, however, treat civilians. The American Women's Hospitals (AWH) was formed (1917). The AWH and the Committee quickly fashioned a working relationship, offering a varirty of medical services in the hardest-hit regions. This included dental services. Many Frenvh people had no access to modern dental services, especually in rurl areas. The AWH set up dental clinics offering cleanings, fillings, extractions, and instruction in basic dental hygiene. Many children did not even have tooth brushes. One observer wrote, "It is amusing to watch ... children scamper away down the lane of ruins, each right hand bristling with a brand-new toothbrush." Mary Breckinridge (1881–1965) was one of the most valuavble volunteers. She was a trained nurse and after the devestaing loss of her young children she volunteered for the American Committee. She helped Morgana and Dike set up children's health services, collaborated with the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing in Bordeaux to train the Pickard women in child care. Breckinridge studied midwifery and public health before returning home to Kentucky. There armed with her experiences she became a pioneer in American nurse-midwifery. She founded the Kentucky Committee for Mothers and Babies (now the Frontier Nursing Service) which sent nurses out on horseback to aid women in remote rural, often mountanous areas.
Some of the most moving images that came out of the Committee's woirk were the photographs of the children. The children were among the most tragic population scarred by the War. Children are especially vulnerable in so many ways. They are more vulnerble to malnutrition and cold weather nd are especially vulndrable to disase. sany younger children spent their entire lives or most of their lives as refugees. Many did not hve their fathers with them as they were away at the front. Many were killed there and never returned. Some younger children never met their fathers. Some 1.4 million French deaths were reprted durung the War. The Committees phtograophic record consists of laarge numbers of images of beautiful children. nd from the beginning there was a focus on the children. Committee exhibitiins reprtedly had displays of refugees in shabby clothing next to smartly dressed children in Committee sponsored activities. The images we have found are mostly of well-dresses vhildren once the Commitete efforts having an impact. The Committee volunteers were able to adress many of the children's basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, and medical care). You see that in the many different projects that the Aerican Committee pursued. They Committee supported the return to normal life with schools, libraries, and socialization, experiences like sport and scouting -- the children would never forget. Child friendly libraries were a real were a major relevation to the French. As were the widening intertest in sport for children and youth.
Modern Women
The liberated young American women besides their many valuable projects, were a real eye opener in culturally conservative Picardy. Sporting their blue uniforms and bobbed hair (which would became fashionble after the War), became the embodimnent of the modern women to the people of Picardy, both the yiung and old. Many men did not know how to drive and women drivers were very rare. Yet the Committee women drivers in their destinctive blue uniforms became a common site in Picardy. The fact that the volunteers had to pay their own expenses, meant that they came from if not necesarily well-to-do families at least families in comfortable circumstances. The Committee provided fod anf housing. Everything else the women or their parents had to pay for. This recruitment process meant vthat the Committee volunteers were well educated young women. And Morgan made it clear that this was not a sight-seeing lark, but involved hard work.
