The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-02-01
raging bull that breaks into the shop and
smashes everything.
Relief for tho Suffering French.

Relief for the Suffering French.
The war has made sad havoc in France.
The restoration Of peace will reveal vast
amount Of restitution among the French
people. The two millions Of Paris, CON-
pletely eaten out, have now to be fed from
day to day from the limited supplies Of the
German investing army, though very extern
sive arrangements are in progress In Brussels,
and London particularly, for the shipment Of
supplies to the exhausted city. The urgent
necessities of Paris, therefore, will be provided
for; but the whole northern half of Franco,
by the armies Of both sides, has been cleaned
OF Its horses, cattle, swine, sheep, poultry,
flour, grain and vegetables, and gaunt famine
over all those desolated departments stares the
suffering inhabitants in the face. The winter
has, so far, been one of unparalleled severity
In France and Germany, and 1t is only half
ended, and 1t will be five or six months
before any fresh supplies can be drawn from
the soil.
Here Is a field for American charity as
urgent as that of the Irish potato famine of
twenty-five years ago, and 1t involves
probably more suffering people than twice
the whole population Of Ireland. In the
case of the Irish famine the gov
eminent of the United States furnished several
vessels for the transportation Of supplies to
the unhappy island, and our people of all
nationalities generously filed those ships and
others too. Now this widely prevailing desti-
tuition in France suggests q similar plan Of
operations. Charity fairs are good thing in
their way, and our late German and French
fairs In behalf Of their wounded and sick
soldiers from this war were great successes {;
but the general desolation entailed upon poor
France calls upon this city and this country
for something on larger scale than fairs or
for something more than a system of fairs.
The government, as in the case Of Ireland,
should furnish some vessels for transporta-
tion purposes, and in this city and in all our
cities meetings should be held and committees
of responsible men should be appointed for
the collection Of contributions of money, food
and clothing for the suffering French people |;
and, in short, by complete arrangements with
the other side, systematic plan of operations
should be adopted to make sure, as far as
possible, of the transmission of our means of
relief to the suffering French in France We
are glad to see that resolution was intro
dnced in the United States Senate yesterday,
making the same suggestions that we have
made in the foregoing, and requesting the
President to furnish vessel to carry supplies
to France. The resolution, which is still
pending, will, we trust, be taken up to-day
and promptly passed, SO that no time may
be lost in the benevolent work of sue
coring the unhappy people of France. All
the French railroads and rivers are now
open for the transportation Of supplies to Paris,
and doubtless within few days, from the
facilities of the armistice, we shall have some
details from the desolated French departments
indicating the extent of their restitution.
Meantime it is not too soon for an initial
public meeting in this city in view of the ways
and means of relief we have suggested. A
half dozen, more or less, of our influential
fellow citizens, from half hours conversation
over their MONDAY lunch, can put this ball in
motion.