Deming Jarves August 14, 1918
[Original]
Since the following article, "Our War Work," was written, Mr. Deming Jarves has been decorated by the French government with the cross of the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur.
The Jarves Family were represented in the Great War by Mrs. Jarves' brother, Capt. John P. Jackson, U. S. N., commanding American transports bringing soldiers to France, and the following great-nephews of Mr. Jarves:
Captain Francesco Marigliano, Duke Delmonte of the Cavalliera di Udine, Italian Army, received two of the highest awards for valor in the Battle of the Piave.
Count Pio Marigliano (his brother), First Lieutenant in the Italian Navy, killed in the blowing up of the battleship Leonardo di Vinci.
Captain Howard Kerr, 11th Hussars, British Army, served through the War on the British Front in France and Belgium.
Captain Graham Lindley of the U. S. Army.
Eric and John Higginson (brothers), petty officers in the U. S. Navy, served on destroyers on the Irish Coast.
Charles Higginson (youngest brother of above), took an intensive course at Annapolis, and then received his commission from the U. S. Navy as an Ensign, on a Cruiser doing convoy work.
Mr. Jarves' father and two uncles took part in the War of 1812, and his grandfather in the Revolutionary War.
(From the Paris Edition of the New York Herald of May 12, 1917)
When the wounded from the Marne began pouring into Brittany, there were no adequate hospitals to receive and care for the thousands of gravely injured men. Everyone was called upon to give money, supplies, beds and bedding, lamps and heating apparatus, surgical instruments, bandages, dressings, hospital garments, all the paraphernalia of great military hospitals, to be installed immediately. The confusion was great, the goodwill endless, but the material lacking.
Upon these tragic circumstances everyone, from peasant to American pleasure-seeker, gave of their best.
Twelve large hospitals were opened in Dinard alone; in the two large casinos, in the hotels, and in private villas in the neighborhood of Dinard.
From St. Malo, St. Servan, Paramé, St. Briac, St. Lunaire, all within walking distance of Dinard, came urgent calls for help.
From remoter convents, where everything had to be provided, came even greater demands.
Mr. and Mrs. Deming Jarves, seeing the necessity for immediate help, gave very largely personally, and wrote to relatives and friends in America for assistance. How generous the response was, is indicated in the following list of friends who responded at once:
Cases were sent by:
The Red Cross Society of Washington.
Philadelphia Emergency Aid Society.
British War Relief Association, New York.
Vacation War Relief Association, New York.
Junior War Relief Association, New York.
Surgical Dressing Committee, Philadelphia.
Princeton Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Detroit Drug Company.
Princess Louis of Battenberg.
Mme. Jusserand (wife of the French Ambassador in Washington). Mme. Ekengren (wife of the Swedish Minister in Washington). Lady Swettenham.
Lady Wolseley, of Wolseley.
Miss Martha Codman, Washington.
Mrs. Morehead, Washington.
Mrs. McGowan, Washington.
Miss May Moulton, New York.
Major Louis L. Seaman (President British War Relief Association New York).
Mrs. C. Wolcott Henry, Philadelphia.
Mrs. Freeman, Wissaluckon Heights.
Mrs. Norman, Newport.
Mrs. Charles Pike, Chicago.
Mr. W. M. Kozmenski, Chicago.
Mrs. G. H. Rowland, New York.
Mrs. Russell A. Alger, Detroit.
Money was sent by:
Mr. George A. Russel, Detroit, President People's State Bank, Michigan.
Mr. M. F. Barbour, Detroit, President Michigan Stove Company. Mr. J. T. McMillan, Detroit, President Detroit Steamship Company.
Mr. H. H. Campbell, Detroit.
Mr. G. E. Lawson, Detroit, Vice-President People's State Bank. Mr. Angus Smith, Detroit.
Mr. J. Dwyer, Detroit, President Detroit Stove Co.
Mr. H. B. Ledyard, Detroit, President Michigan Central Railway. Mr. H. Russel, Detroit, Vice-President Michigan Central Railway. Mr. R. A. Alger, Detroit, Vice-President Packard Motor Car Co. Mr. C. H. Freer, Detroit.
Mr. J. C. Hutchings, Detroit, Detroit United Railway.
Mr. Howie Muir, Detroit.
Mr. F. J. Hecker, Detroit.
Mrs. R. S. Mason, Detroit.
Mrs. Butler, Detroit.
Mr. Truman H. Newberry, Detroit, former Secretary of the United States Navy.
Mr. J. S. Alexander, New York, President National Bank of Commerce.
Mr. Myron T. Herrick, New York, former Ambassador to France. Mrs. Helen A. Noyes, St. Paul.
Mrs. Coudert, Washington.
Mrs. Thompson, Washington.
Mrs. Julien-James, Washington.
Mrs. C. Howe Johnson, Washington.
Mrs. Lorthorpe Bradley, Washington.
Mr. Gibson Farnstock, Washington.
Mr. Hudnut, New York.
Mr. John Aspergren, New York.
Mrs. Sheffield Phelps, New York.
Mrs. Moses Taylor Pyne, New York.
Mrs. John Innes Kane, New York.
Mrs. Edward Walker, Detroit.
Mrs. J. J. White, Atlantic City.
Mrs. Barker Gummere, Washington.
Mme. Ekengren and Miss Helen Patten sent a sum of money, being the proceeds of a concert arranged by them.
Villa Transformed Into Warehouse
Mr. Jarves converted two salons of his Villa Val Fleuri into receiving and storing rooms, engaged a secretary and two women for the packing and re-sorting of supplies, and used the garage for opening and receiving the cases. It is estimated that over 97,000 articles have been thus distributed, not to mention tobacco, candies, fruit, cocoa, chocolate, Liebig's Extract, Valentine's Essence, Benger's Food, tetanus serum, etc.
To give a more complete idea of the extent of the work done, it is only necessary to say that 6,393 beds have been installed in the various buildings converted into hospitals.
Besides these immediate demands for medical and surgical supplies, came the call of the homeless, the refugees, prisoners in Germany (Dinard men). From all sides, these appeals poured in from the unfortunate victims of the war.
Thousands of Belgians sought refuge in Brittany. Baronne Raymond de Saint-Gilles, at Le Fretay, has over 4,000 dependent on her for assistance, and Abbé Destroopers at Avranches, and Mlle. Powis de Tenbossche at Rennes, both of whom have over 3,000 Belgians on their refuge lists, all have been supplied with great quantities of garments.
The convents were especially deserving of assistance; many throughout Brittany were of the poorest description. These religious women found themselves face to face with, for them, unparalleled conditions, and were occupied in attending Arabs, Senagalais, Turcos, Bretons, Chasseurs Alpins and Paris "gamins."
The accommodations were poor enough and the medical and surgical supplies utterly inadequate, for they simply did not exist.
To them, Mr. Jarves was able to give a large quantity of necessary articles, including a hot-air apparatus, a full set of surgical instruments, clothing, medicines, comforts and money. The supplies from America have been divided with the conscientious desire to see American generosity help as far as could be.
97,610 Articles Distributed The following list is an estimate of the numbers and kind of articles distributed:
Compresses of all kinds... .. 37,000 Bandages of all kinds... .. 22,000 Pairs of socks .. 4,290 Shirts .. 2,095 Articles of children's clothing.. .. 4,000 Articles of men's and women's clothing .. 2,500 Pyjamas .. 375 Miscellaneous articles... .. 24,500 Cotton wool (pounds)... .. 850 Total .. 97,610
About six hundred surgical instruments have been distributed to various hospitals in Brittany.
Gifts of money have been distributed as follows:
November, 1914—Five thousand francs to the Oeuvre des Belges, Dinard.
November, 1914—Ten thousand francs to M. Crolard (Mayor of Dinard) for the poor of Dinard and the French and Belgian refugees.
The balance was spent in England in purchasing provisions, surgical instruments and dressings for the hospitals.
In December, 1916, Mr. Deming Jarves gave to the town of Dinard the sum of 5,800fr., to form a fund called the "Deming Jarves Fund" (which was increased later to 10,000fr.), which the mayor is distributing to the poor, residing permanently in Dinard and having need of immediate assistance.
All automobile expenses, transport, storage, cartage, distribution and Custom House expenses have been paid by Mr. Deming Jarves. These expenses are estimated at not less than 15,000 fr.
The work still continues, although for the last year, through the courtesy of the American Relief Clearing House, the cases are sent through free of charge from Bordeaux.
France's Thanks
On July 8,1915, Mr. and Mrs. Deming Jarves were notified by M. Julliard, the Préfet of Ille-et-Vilaine, that he would call on them on July 11, at three o'clock, accompanied by M. Lacouloumére, Sous-Préfet of Redon; M. Revilliot, Sous-Préfet of Saint-Malo; General Grillot, commanding the district; M. Crolard, Mayor of Dinard, "en grande tenue," to thank them in the name of France for their generous help in the great crisis of this war.
