Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-21
TWO MILLIONS In
EXILE FROM HOME
Brussels Editor Estimates Exiles
from Belgium at that
Number.
THEY WILL NOT COME BACK
Ins Eight cities OF Holland Refugees
Are More Numerous Than the
Native Population.

LONDON, Oct. eO.--The plight of the
Belgian people, both at home and in Hol-
land, England and France g stirring the
hearts and minds already dlstrauEht by
the horrors OF war.
Figures are necessarily vague. but
comparative estimate Is that 100000 Bel
gians, out Of population OF 100000.
have been expstriated. Lord Gladstone'H
committee says 10000 arrived in London
during the last week. and the womens
relief committee. which sent ship to
Holland last week. reports that in eight
cities OF Holland the refugees number
nearly 10000; in other words. they are
more numerous than the native popula-
tion. The Folkstone committee alone has
the names Of 1900 refugees ON its lists,
some among them having little money
and only few winter clothing.
Folkestone already has established a
maternity home and two hospitals, which
are well filled. There are many gentle
folk among these fugitive Belgians, who
are not used to labor and who accept
charity reluctantly.
Many Committees az work.
The London committee has twenty
seven subcommittee in different cities
in England, Scotland and Wales, and
these organizations are placing refugees
in homes as rapidly az possible. Alex
andra palace Is being used as the central
point for the reception work. Lady Nc
Dowell and Lady Emmott head commit
tees for collecting warm clothing, for
which work Is done by boy scouts
Belgian wounded are scattered in Brit
ish hospitals. Their whereabouts has
been registered and this information is
available at the Grand hotel in London.
The pehniless refugees here are suffer
ing less than those in Holland and else
where. Many of them say that the DOOR
tho sick and the aged at home are In Q
condition wore piiiable than is their own
a prosperous Belgian glass manufac.
turer Of chorleroi. an employer Of several
hundred people, may be taken as typical
OF the way most OF these people look tc
the United States for help This man re-
auested the publication in the United
states OF an open letter addressed tc
President Wilson, craving American heir
for the people in Belgium. Their money
soon will be gone" this manrSsctu
said today. "and the payrolls are dis.
continued. Food IL scarce Ny people
must either st0rve or beg"
Two MiIIiOn IN Exile.
rhe editor OF the independence Beige
OF Brussels is now In London. The papel
has been published successfully in Chem
and ostend and II will shortly appear Il
the British capital This man, speaking
To-Day OF the Belgian exodus. said:
There are perhaps today 2.0OOOO0 Bel.
CLANS outside the borders of their eoun.
! try. II Is doubtful which are the better
off. those outside or those inside NIL
lions more would have gone had the,
not been too poor. or too optimistic. /
Is useless 10 urge them 10 return ant
live under German rule. They will re
main away until the war is over. n,
matter what happens. ] came out Will
my family OF four persons. All our bag
gage was In two hand bags. and We has
little money. ] have a city home Il
Brussels and a country home outside.
do not care to see them while the Ger
mans are there"
| The tremendous responsibility OF car
ing for these Belgian refugees presents
problems which are being discussed a
leHgth IN English nswspapsrl