The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-05
Chairman of American Re lief Commission Returns From Inspection Trip to Belgium
DIFFICULT TO GIVE REAL CONDITION OF
 CIVIL POPULATION
7,O00,0OO Starving People Are Utterly Unable by Any Effort of Their Own to Save Themselves

London. December 4-tS,4s II. w, American commission for relief in Hell gium. returned to London today after n weeks trip of inspection In Belgium, He reported that distribution of food Is we'll under way hut declared famine still thrcntens the population nnd that on account of the attitude of the bei- Iigerents the Bclsinns must stin ap- peal to the people of the United states for relief.
 'lt is difficult to state the position of tho civil population of Belgium with out appearing hystercal.s said MT. Hoovers statement "1 do not know that history presents any parallel of popu- lation of 7,000,oo0 people surrounded by ring of steel and utterly unable by any conceivable effort of their own to save themselves.
 What Germans Say
 From the nature of things 1t Is im- possible for the commission even to possess an opinion of tho rights and wrongs which have created this situa-
  people of Belgium are normally de- pendent on the importation of food- stuffs for nve-sixths of their subsist- ence; that the Germans have not the slightest objection 10 the Belgians or any one else importing food Into Bell gium, that it Is not the Germans who have blocked the overseas supply, and that there is no obligation upon them to feed the civil population which could, through tho normal course of trade. oh- tain subsistence The allies, on the oth- CT hnd eontena si,at free port for the Importation of foodstuffs into Belgium virtually would amount to an enrreport for food supplies for the Germans. It is enough for us that there are 7.00o.0o0 people ground between two gigantic millstones.
 No Obstruction
 "We are meeting with no obstruction from the military authorities in Bel gium. Not one loaf of bread or one spoonful of salt that we have intro duced has been taken by the military. The most stringent orders have been given that we shall have no interference and our members meet with assistance Tn all quafiefS
 There are considerable quantities of vegetables available in certain dis tricts. In some localities there is still 6 supply of cereals for two or three weeks, but in certain other localities there has been no bread available for more than Q fortnight. Every soul will be dependent on us for bread within 30 days
 "So far our efforts necessarily have I been devoted to provisioning the larger centers. 1t requires organization and patience to penetrate the outlying l towns and villages. It will be difficult | for the people of the United States to comprehend the difficulties which we meet with in purely executive matters I in the elaboration of this work.
 "'rhe clock has stopped in Belgium. | An industrial country. dependent on the overseas before. k walled up with 40 per cent of the people idle. There are no telegraphs telephones, railways or postoffices, except for military pur- poses The Belgians. of military ne- cessity, are not allowed to pass from their own towns and consequently there lis no communication throughout ths l country except by personal visits of our | own members
 Transportation by rail is possible in | only d few directions and then must await | military necessity The wonderful canal l system is blocked in many places by the destruction of bridges. and some canals had been allowed to run dry. Therefore | it becomes part of our business to get | these cleared and to stimulate the sub | sidiary transport services of the ccun- 1 tContinucd on Page Tvo)