The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-12-24
BY WILL IRWIN

four dead, newborn babies.
1t was the same story which one
hears everywhere. The mothers were
so reduced by privation that they had
no milk of their own. AS for cows
milk, it was not to be had for any
money. ~
Add another picture, brought out By
an American from Belgium, He stood
one morning by the back door OF
German cook camp, watching a group
Of Belgian women grubbing through
the trash.heap piled up behind the
camp. All these women carried babies
What are they DOING" he asked E.
German sergeant with whom he had
struck up acquaintance.
tScraping our condensed milk cans
said the sergeant. Its the only way
to get milk for their babies. I've seen
them run their fingers round car
which looked as bright as a new coin
and hold them into the babies mouths
to suck My company" he added, "has
been getting along without milk in III
coffee and giving it TO these women
We've received no orders to the con
trary--and we're mostly family men
But we're an exception; and it doesn't
| go very far" '.%
Here is another recent picture from
stricken Brussels, that gay, dainty
| lively city in old times-the city who's,
smiling people called it petit Paris
The scene is the once busy, pleasant
boulevard Bischofsheim. A womal
collapses on a bench set along the
sidewalk after the fashion Of the
Greater Paris. In her arms Is baby
A child staggers along, clinging to her
i apron. The woman's face is blue anC
| yellow; she is on the verge Of collapse
| The baby, surely not over five months
old. has pale, lead-colored skin. 1T
mouth is open as though set that way
Its eyes are closed.
Two women of Brussels pass this
unhappy group. They hurriedly ex
change some words, turn back to the
woman on the bench. Then one stands
guard while the other hastens for
some milk and bread-such as is to be
found in the Brussels Of today. They
force a little milk between the teeth
of the mother They let the baby drink
Unweaned though II Is, 1t drinks as
though 1t had never drunk otherwise.
To the face of the mother comes {
few patches OF color She slowly re
, covers until she is able to eat bit o.
bread The baby opens its mouth
drinks more greediIy. ut has not fee
since two days" the mother whispers
The mother tries to rise from tn
bench but she cannot. The elder chile
drinks the milk that is left 1t look
INV IHy Of N MI NJ
did not know what it was. The moth
er forces it to eat. A crowd has gath
cred, murmuring This sight is no
new, yet each time it draws a little
crowd. Every one would like to give
but no one can Who is not poor a
this moment? Many of them have chill
dren at home who today weigh les'
than the day they were born.
Let US view the situation in COLI
blood. Belgium is shut OF from thu
world-ringed with steel. Her owl
food supply was used up long ago
either by the people or by their con
querors. The cattle were first OF al
to go; even in August / saw the Ger
mans killing mich cows for rations
A COW or a small dairy herd is lef
here or there: but they are the excep
tons.
Again, the sucking baby must hav,
mothers milk or a substitute. Their,
is, of course, no substitute to be hat
in Belgium and equally there is littl
mothers milk.
Every woman knows that civilize
nursing mother must keep up he
strength" She must have nourishin
food-in many cases special food. Ev
cry woman knows that certain pre-
portion of civilized mothers canno
feed their own babies even at that
Nourishing food-special food! Tn
news which filters out Of that locked
stricken country to the American Com
mission for Relief in Belgium make
a sarcasm and a mockery OF thos
phrases.
In many, II. in not most Belgia,
cities, the populace is down to on
large bakers bun a day, issued by tn
municipal authorities. In some places
the authorities have been able to SUI
plement that ration by one bowl Q
cabbage soup a day. One bun and on
bowl OF cabbage soup a day-for
nursing mother!
| Even allowing lot J06 TeuuCLlO0
the birth rate due to the war, Their
must have been forty thousand birth
in Belgium since the Germans came
There will be forty thousand more j.
this winter Of hardship andlprivatior
How many of the newly-arrived fort
thousand have already died unneces
sarily--undecorated, unsung victims G
this war-no one will ever know.
How many of the coming forty thor
sand will die this winter depends vi
on us In America-upon how nue.
food we send to the nursing mothers
how much milk to the babies. ~
No Christmas in our time ha
brought such call for the Christina
spirit as this. Belgium Is starving
America is trying to feed the Belgiani
The best we can do is to give ther
quarter rations this winter - jus
enough to keep soul and body togetf
err. We cannot do even that unless el
cry American helps. A barrel OF fiou
will pull two Belgian adults throug
this winter. A case OF condense
milk will save the lives Of three Be
CLAN children. A few tins OF meat Wi
give. nursing mother the strengt
to keep her child alive. Think OF ths
when you sit down TO your Christina
dinner.
Many organizations are solicitin
food and funds. II there Is one
1 xya,,Y anvo mn atty haln ~ IL khorn 1