Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-27


or the ship Massapeaua was finished
in New York. She is loo Al steam
er. over 800 feet In length. and her
freight was $3.50 tons of foodstufrs.
Ihis cargo was packed and slowed
with such Skill as TO arouse special
admiration not only in New York put
in Europe Captain McCardi has n de-
tailed plan of all OF it, so as 10 facili-
tate unloading. Captain McCardi, who
has never sailed for European waters
before. cast OF his moorinss amid the
acclamations OF people.
His first voyage across the Atlantic
was full OF adventure and peril and
once owing 20 stress of weather ne had
TO lay TO in midocean for several days
At length he arrived at the Hook OF
Holland. and the news that his ship
was sighted threw the whole city Of
Rotterdam Into vast fete
The American naval attachc from
Berlin travelled to Rotterdam to meet
this wondrous ship. and other Amer
lean diplomatic officials joined him
Before the vessel WAS made fast to
the quay at Rotterdam, 900 Dutch
stcvedorcs had jumped aboard and
started the work OF unloading. They
worked day and night for ffty hours
and easily surpassed all the records
Of ;hr port.
And while they> ,oiled. speeches
were made. full of enthusiasm and
gratitude. banQuets were held. and the
burgomastcr of Rotterdam invited all
the official world to be his guests, amid
the music of the American National
Anthem. Everybody felt with deep
emotion that a tremendous interna-
tional decl OF charity was being ac-
cornplishcd
In due course the ship was empticd
and the canal barGes were filled. and
the ship departed again. while the
canal barges. drawn by express tugs,
and manned by crews each individual
of whom had Il special pass from the
German authorities, swung forward
with the 1850 tons of bacon, rice
beans. and flour for LimburE. Char
leroi. Mons. Client and other places
where the representatives OF Amer
lean good will were ready 10 distrib
ute It, The vast business was sue
cessfully done.
A Ship n Dny.
But let il he noted that VI. Rolin.
the Belgian official who, in the speech
making at Antwerp, returned thanks
to America on behalf of Belgium, ut
tered the sentence:
There is just enough stuff on this
ship TO feed starving Bclgians for one
day"
This sentence should be daily re-
membered ny the charitable of all
countries. If the miracle OF the Mas
sapeQua were repeated every day
throughout the winter until the end
of the war the starving Belgians
would get just enough to eat.
Holland England and France seem
to be swarming with Belgian refugees,
who are being fed and clothed ana
housed But between them the three
countries accommodate only a million:
and this million is the fortunate mi
nority OF the victims.
There remain, and will remain, in
Belgium, 1000. 900 Of tragic inhabitants
In the country districts so per cent of
them are women and children, who,
as though hypnotized by disaster.
haunt hopclcssly the ruins in which
they can scarcely recognize their
homes.
Many districts are nothing but
gravcyards There is no seed to SOW
There are no implements. There is no
money. There is no credit. There is
no means Of transport. There is no
work. And there is very little heart.
save in small corner Of that once
prosperous land. the corner still domin-
ated and inspired by the courage of
King Albert and his soldiers.
No modern famine was ever like
this famine, because it is universal
The entire population has to be fed.
and those whom charity does not reach
will die. Over Il thousand appeals for
succor are received by one commit
tee in one day.
Where the Kind IIcnrt Is Needed.
There arc whole districts utterly
without grain, -four. beans, peas and
even salt. For three weeks in Tcrhaegen
there was absolutely nothing edible
except potatoes. In BRUSSELS alone i0J,-
3 900 meals per day are being served; the
ItheOretical price Of each meal is one
4ou, and few can pay it; the pOor
and those who were rich stand side
by side waiting the dish that will keep
them alive. Women beg at the street
corners for centimc tthc tenth of n
penny. In Antwerp thousand
women. ill-clad, wait shivcring in the
snow for the hour of the free meal.
The condition Of the Belgium refu-
gees in certain parts OF Holland Is
appalling. At Rotterdam you can see
over 400 human beings crowded into
one barge. living on ii like vermin,
and with little more decency than
vcrmin.
They must exist somewhere, and
Holland is doing all she can: she is
indeed performing prodigics. AT Berg
op-IOom there is camp OF 5000 rcfu-
gees living I'm tents amid Il quagmirc
of snow and slush. Two families live
in each tent Their bit OF smoky fire
Is made i'm an old pail. Their diet
IL coffee. bread with little butter,
and hacon-soup.
gcther mon and women, oldstcrs and
youngsters, infants, grandmothcrs and
women momentarily respecting babies.
| And yet they prefer this life to life