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Show tf tf w iTMnpiniin nnn n SOLDIERS TILL FRENCH FRONT, April 12. (Correspondence (Cor-respondence of the Associated Press) The beginning of spring this year has produced the spectacle of thousands thou-sands of soldiers of the French army, together with their comrades of the British and Belgian armies, forsaking the rifle, the bayonet, the hand grenade gre-nade and tho machine gun to take in hand temporarily tho hoe, the spade, the harrow and tho plow In many of the districts of eastern and northeastern northeast-ern France. The reconquest of large tracts of territory from the Germans and the return of the civilian Inhabitants from the places where they had taken refuge ref-uge confronted tho authorities with tho problem of restoring these lands to cultivation. Farming implements to the value of hundreds of thousands of dollars, It was found, had been damaged dam-aged or destroyed since the beginning of tho war in what is known as the "zone of the armies." The young peasants peas-ants wer,e all serving in tho ranks, and the older men, even with tho aid of the women and children, wero unable un-able to fill their places for tho proper pro-per cultivation of tho land. Many Capable Hands. The army decided to stop into the breach. The greatest proportion o the soldiers in the French ranks come from the peasant or farming class. It was therefore an easvtask to find capable cap-able hands. Tho organization was moro difficult, but co-ordination between be-tween the civil and military authorities authori-ties was effected very rapidly. A military mil-itary officer with agricultural experience experi-ence was appointed by each army to consult with the prefects of the departments de-partments in which the troops were stationed and to find out what wort was to be done and how many hands were required to do it. The zone occupied by each army was sub-divided Into small districts, each containing about 25 villages or ham lets. The commanding officer of the troops stationed In each district was directed to got into touch with tho civ 11 official and place at his disposal aj many men as are needed or can be spared for agricultural labor. The artillery and engineering repaii shops of the army were ordered tc men damaged farm Implements and re place missing parts, and army f anion to shoe free of charge all horses work Ing on the land. All Available Land Cultivated. Tho result of these arrangements If that, almost up to the firing lino, al available land in France is now in cul tivation, and soldiers in uniform, wher they can bo spared from the trenches and dugouts and their main task oi destroying the Germans, work cheer (Continued on Pago 8) w SOLDIERS TILL FRENCH FIELD ( Continued from Page 1 ) fully with the women, children and older men behind the lines. The system has been extended to that part of the line 150 miles in length held by the British and Belgians, Belgi-ans, but here the task is a more difficult diffi-cult one, as most of the northern allies al-lies are, in civil life, engaged in industrial indus-trial work in the cities. The Canadians Canadi-ans and Australians, however, have been of immense assistance in restoring restor-ing French land to productiveness |