Evening star., 1914-11-18
STR|CKENBE[G|UM
AGAIN SEEKS AID
D. C. Commissioners Decline
to Name Committee to Load
Food Ship Here.
LOCAL RELIEF WORKERS
URGE BIG CIVIC BODY
Believe Appeal for Donations Will
Meet With Generous Response
in the Capital.


organization of a representative civic
committee to take charge of loading a
ship here with food and clothing as the
National Capitals message of sympathy
to the starving Belgians was whetted
today by a new appeal for such relief
made through the Belgian legation
here.
On the ground that sound reason"
exists why favorable action should not
be taken. the District Commissioners
today declired to comply with a re-
quest by the local Belgian relief COM
nlittee that they appoint a committee
of District citizens to raise funds for
Belgian war sufferers
Request that such a committee be
named was made to Commissioner
Newman last week by Arthur C.
Moses and renewed yesterday by a
delegation from the local Belgian re-
lief committee, with headquarters at
42j 11th street northwest This dele
cation called on Commissioner Siddons.
In the delegation were Mrs. John A.
Logan, Mrs. Wyckliffe Rose, Archibald
Hopkins and Medical Director John c.
Wise, L. 5. N, retired.
Reason tor Declining.
The Commissioners considered the
request at a board session and today
addressed the following communication
to Mrs. Logan and Mr.. Moses:
'The COMMISSIONER have given very
careful consideration to the suggestion
that they appoint a committee of citi-
Zens to cooperate with the District of
Columbia committee of the central
committee of the Belgian relief fund,
and they beg to express their sympathy
with the humanitarian purposes of
those now engaged in promoting the
fund; but after a careful review of the
matter they hope you will accept their
assurances that sound reasons exist
why at the present time at least the
commissioners should not take the ac-
tion desired.
The connection of our ambassador to
England and of cur minister to Bel
Sium with the relief work in question
Is, 1t Is believed, confined to diplomatic
suldances only, cooperating in doing
this with the Spanish ambassador to
England and the Spanish minister to
Belgium"
Medical Director John c. Wise. L S. N,
9etlreo, VINO was one O. the committee
that called upon the Commissioners.
impressed upon them that as American
Ambassador Page in London and Amer
lean Minister Whitlock in Brussels
We're active agents in distribution of
this relief for the Belgians from the
citizens of the United States, and as
the former had officially made a public
appeal for relief of the Belgians, the
District Commissioners certainly would
he justified in making an appeal to the
citizens of Washington.
The Belgian Appeal.
The plea issued today by the central
Belgian relief committee, of which Car
tiirral Gibbons is the honorary chairman
and the Belgian minister is the active
director. says:
Nearly seven million Belgian wom-
On. children and no-combatants are
ON the verge of starvation. The food
supply in Belgium has been exhausted
The German government. which has
occupied nearly the whole country. de-
clares that it Is unable to feed the
civilian population, and at the same
time the German occupation of Belgium
has made it impossible for the Bel
German lines. except by special agree
,nent between Germany and the other
governments concerned.
such an arrangement has now been
made through the London American
committee, consisting of Mr. Hoover,
MIR. Page, American ambassador in
London. and Mr.. Whitlock. American
minister in Brussels. England, Hol-
land and Germany have agreed that
foodstuffs may be transmitted to the
OF the above commission, and the Ger
iran government has guaranteed that
supplies sent in this way shall not be
requisitioned for the German army.
Consequently all food and clothing
must pass through the intermediary of
the London American committee. which
has established an agency in this coun-
try to purchase foodstuffS In America
Need Is Appalling.
The need is appalling. They need
clothing. but above all they need food.
Millions of people are facing starva-
ton Milland X. Shaler. agent of the
London American committee. who has
Just visited Brussels. reports that even
there many of the well-to-do people
mad no bread In the districts which
have been devastated conditions are
even worse"
A letter from King Albert of Belgium.
written from the firing line near Dun
kirk expressing appreciation of what
americans are doing is given out today
by the Belgian legation here. as fol-
oiws:
ct am informed that American off,
cials and citizens in Belgium and Eng
land are working to save my people
from the horrors of the famine which
now threatens them. 1t is a great COM
fort to me In this hour of sorrow and
misfortune to feel that a great-hearted,
distnterested people is directing its ef-
forts to relieving the distress of the
unoffending civilian population of my
country.
Suffering Will Be Terrible.
Despite of all that can be done the