Evening star., 1914-12-21
Millions of People on Home
Soil in Helpless and Des-
titute Condition.
RICH AND POOR IN LINE
AWAITING THEIR MEALS
Appealing to America to Speed the
Ship of Mercy-Much Already
Accomplished.
BY ANTHONY HOPE.

a scale. with an urgency and with an
intensity which the imagination can
hardly conceive. Even when aided by
the vivid yet strictly businesslike re-
ports furnished by the representatives
of the commission for relief in Bel
GUM. we find it difficult to grasp what
the situation really is.
A multitude of Belgians have taken
refuge in Holland, and have been re-
ceived with a noble hospitality. An
other multitude has succeeded in
reaching Great Britain, and Great Brit
ain is doing her best for them But
the bulk of the nation is stil on it's
own soil--not merely or mainly for
lack Of choice, but by command of
their king and his ministers. They can
not leave their country derelict; they
cannot let their claim to it go by de-
fault. They must stand by the ship.
however fierce the tempest.
They are non-combatants. these peo-
ple--women, children and men not
eligible for military service. 1t is the
civil population of Belgium which suf-
fers famine and is threatened with
absolute starvation. And their num-
Der amounts to some 100000 souls.
Ships Cargo Days Rations.
Seven millions. To victual them for
a day needs the cargo of a good big
ship. But they have to be victualed
for months For, as matters stand
with her, Belgium can grow nothing,
make nothing, sell nothing, buy moth
ing. Consequently she can eat nothing,
and must die-unless somebody comes
to the rescue. True, she is doing what
al 10 "a n for herself Re1pian relief com
mittees and Belgian men of means
have guaranteed s3.00e,O0O toward the
work Of the commission for relief;
practically every efficient person in
work. Admirable as these efforts are
they are totally inadequate to meet the
case: they do not detract from Bel
GUMS claim on the worlds generosity;
nay, they strengthen it.
Country Cannot Help Itself.
Who is to help, then? Neighborly
Holland is doing all and more than
could be asked of her; herself a small
country, she can do no more. Ger
many, Hungary, France and
Great Britain are all belligerent pow
ers; that fact sternly limits both their
means and their opportunities. For ex-
ample, Great Britain, though she well
a position to give assistance in money,
finds herself obliged, for military rea-
sons. to prohibit the export of food
stuffs to Belgium. Who is to help,
then, and who can help in a measure
really adequate? That question was
asked some weeks before l started to
write these lines--asked and answered.
The answer came with all the charac-
teristically national clearness, prompt
tude and, onfldehce-"Why, America,
of course!' i->
Mr.. Whitlock, American minister in
Brussels, set the ball rolling. He en-
listed the keen interest and powerful
aid of DR.. Page, ambassador in Lon
can citizens in London was formed;
the British and Belgian governments
promised their aid; the German gov
ernment gave its sanction-so neces-
sary and essential to the work: Italy
and Spain declared their eagerness to
help to the extent of their ability:
the cooperation of the native Belgian
relief committee was obtained and or
ganized. Thus--not more than four
weeks ago from the day on which 1
Belgium came into existence and, quite
simultaneously, set to work. 1t might
well have been appalled, at the task
before it-even paralyzed, unable to
see how even to begin, how to set
about so vast a job. 1t showed, in fact,
no sign of such a state of mind. on
the contrary. it showed every indica-
ton of an intention to make good"
What Americans Have Done.
Wonders have been achieved 1t -is
not to my interest to eXaggerate, and
am not exaggerating. A network of
organization covers Belgium from the
capital to the remotest districts. Thir-
ty-eight steamers, aggregating 150,-
900 tons. are, or shortly will be-no
doubt they will be by the time these
lines are read-carrying about f2S.O00
tons of relief supplies, valued at more
than SS,000,0"o and involving an inn
mense expenditure in transport. Very
large sums of money have been re-
ceived. In Brussels alone 100000 meals
day are being provided. An organi-
Zation has been built up in the United
States capable of dealing with and
forwarding into Belgium about 1.oo0.-
900 pounds worth of food every month,
while at the other end the Belgian or
ganization is adequate to secure its
proper, honest and careful distribu-
ton. Such results, achieved in so brief
a space of time, prove that for once,
anyhow. a committee can act not only
wisely and energetically, but-quickly!
A matter of moment when famine is
the enemy it fights.
Well begun's half done! In true
sense we may comfort and encourage
ourselves with the old saying. Pre-
liminary difficulties-internatio and
diplomatic-have been overcome. The
organizatio is there. The men and
women to work it are there. The thing
which looked impossible has been
shown to be possible.
Hurry the Fleet of Mercy.
If you glance through the reports
which the commission receives from it's
representatives in Belgium you come
on striking facts simply stated. In
Brussels rich and poor stand in line
waiting for meals at half penny
head-to those who can pay so much
A deputation from Terhaegen states
that for three weeks they have had
only potatoes to eat there. At Wetter-
en-an Industrial town of about 1000
people-above 11.0oe are without re-
sources"
At Hamme. flour is hardly to be OBJ
tained, meat and corn will not last out
the month, petrol and coal are unob-
tainable-with winter coming on; the