Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-21
NEARLY MILLION
BRLGIANS LEAVE
Hundreds Upon Hundreds Of Thou
sands Seek Refuge from
Invaders
FEEDING OF ExnEs PRoBLEM
Large Proportion 90 Them Looking
Forward TO Making Their Homes
In United states--LilKe M
Srations of Long Ago.

the German armies between 100000
and 100000 persons have fled into
Holland. Equal numbers have
flocked southwark into France, while
more than 100000 have arrived on
English shores and thousands more
are pouring across the channel daily.
Thus the burden OF the tragedy Is fall
ing upon Holland, England and
France.
While the eventual repatriation
OF the refugees or their absorption
into the populations OF other coun-
tries looms on the horizon as one of
the greatest problems in modern Eu-
ropean history, the question of today
is the care of the exiles and the feed
ing of the millions Of persons remain
ing in Belgium, whose industries are
paralysed.
A member of the British relief
committee, speaing today of the
situation said:
would Tax Energies.
10 tax the energies Of the government and
the country even IL we did not have
war on our hands"
Eight hundred Beleisns slept on the
floors OF public buildings in London last
night. Many OF them were people Of re-
finement, accustomed 70 the luxuries OF
life until their flight.
The hospitality OF the people OF Folke-
L. n
limits. while the seacoast town OF Deal Ii
swamped under the wave Of refugees, who
are coming In on schooners, trawlers and
sailing vessels half starved and with their
nerves wrecked from terror and the priva-
tons they have undergone.
An English merchant piloted sioop
across, the Strait Of Dover from ostend
with forty persons on board. They spent
two days and nights on the craft without
food and in heavy sea-
Fan of Officers and Soldiers
London's streets and parks are full of
Belgian officers and soldiers, some of
whom have been wounded. Others among
them became separated from their COM
mands and Joined the exodus Of refugees.
The Belgian legation has issued instruc-
tons to send all the able bodied men to
rejoin the army.
The principal Brussels newspaper. the
Independence Beige, begins publication in
London Wednesday. It's editor says that
the Belgians fleeing from their country
win never return II II remains unGer Ger
man rule.
A large proportion Of the exiles are look
ing forward to making their homes In the
United States when they can obtain funds
to go there.
Refugee stream Less turbulent.
RoosENDAAL. Holland, Oct 10. (vis
London 1.-The stream Of Belgian refugees
an almost endless procession Of panic,
stricken people, which has been passing
without restraint the little red, whit,
and blue posts marking the border OF the
peaceful kingdom OF the Netherlands. al
last is growing less turbulent. Probably
10000 have come rushing into Holland
since Antwerp fell
The little town of Esschen, where the
daSsd Belgisns took a fearful farewell
of their own country. quadrupIed in
population in a week. The four bake
shops were besieged by the starving
fugitives. The diiapidated border station
whore thousands slept was in the hands
of German sailors who were SELLING
locomotives, manned by engineers of the
German navy and by sailors, big fellows
from the harbors OF Hamburg ant
Bremen. The Germans have been en-.
deavoring to induce the refugees to re-
turn 20 their homes and resume theil
vocations. y
Esschen Center of Panic.
Esschen wac the center Of the panic
which followed Antwcrp's fall! A greal
many residents Of Antwerp had been toll,
repeatedly that their city was the strong
est fortress, in Europe. They Remained
peacably In their homes and lustiI,
cheered the British naval brisades, VIII,
arrived with motor trucks and machin,
guns, believing that their number wa.
ten times what 1t was.
Personal Inconvenience, such as tn
absence OF water for ten days the cit!
in darkness after 6 o'clock and the re
fusal OF permission to Belgians outsid,
the city to enter, did not lessen the cheer
full optimism OF the people. Then tn
governor OF Antwerp signed proc
lamAtion which fell like q ,bombshell
History teaches US how some time
fortified cities have been subjected q
bombardment, Therefore. everybody
warned to leave the city. II possible. be
fore o'clock in the afternoon" tn
proclamation ordered.
The ceaseiess flight toward Essche
began Immediately. FrenEied thousand
rushed homeward, packed their valuable
in sheets, towels and bedspread,
strapped children on their backs Q
placed them in wheelbarrows an
hastened to the nearest station. TheT
was no necessity for tickets; the train
gathered In people like cattle.
Freight cars, cattle cars. milk van
bser vans cold storage cars-Anythin
and everything on wheeIs-started north
ward. This lasted five days. Passenger
rode ON the roofs OF cars. the steps {
the locomotives and any convenient foo,
hold they could find.
Trip LASTS sax Hours.
Usually the distance between AntweI
and Essehsn u covered in about tweni
minutes. The refugee trains took 81
hours. Then followed another slow ris
through TO Roosendaal. where by a con
mon impulse the residents carried ever.
thing eAtAble toward the station. II
Dutch soldiers lined up In solid row
pushed the baskets Of food In the vii
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