Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-12-05
CONDITION
OF BELGIAN PEOPLE
NO PARALLEL IN HISTORY
SAYS CHAIRMAN RELIEF
COMMITTEE
100000 ARE STARVING


II oNDoN Dec l-N:45 p. ny
H Herbert Clark Hoover. chairman
OF the American commission for re-
lief In Belgium, returned TO London
! today after a weeks trip Of nspec-
| ton In Belgium Mr.. Hoover re-
| ported that the distribution of food
stuffs sent In care of the American
commission Is well under way but
stated that the condition of famine
which threatened the population stll
! Is desperate and that on account Of
| inc attitude of the belligerents, the
| Bclsldns still must appeal 10 the peo-
/ pie OF the United States for relief.
'It Is difficult to state the position
! OF the civil population of Belgium
without appearing hysterical," said
! Mr. Hoover I'm his statement
Il do not know that history pre-.
sents any parallel OF population Of
seven million people surrounded by
a ring OF steel and utterly unable by
any conceivable effort Of their own
to save themselves
Peculiar Situation
From the nature of things il il
! impossible for the commission even to
| possess an opinion on the rights and
| wrongs which have created this sit
| uatlon. The Germans state flatly that
| the people of Belgium are normally
/ dependent on the importation of food
! stuits for fiye-siXths of their sub
stence, that the Germans have not
the slightest objection to tho Belgians
or anyone else importing foodstuffs
INTO Belgium; that 1t is not the Ger
mans who have blocked the oVersea
supply and that there is no obligation
upon them to feed the civil popula-
uon, which could, through the normal
course Of trade, obtain subsistence.
The allies, on the other hand, contend
that free port for the Importation
OF foodstuffs into Belgium would prac-
tically amount TO an entry port for
FOOD supplies for the Germans 1t
is enough for us that there are seven
million people ground between two
gigantic millstones
I'VE are meeting with no obstruc-
ton from the military authorities OF
Belgium I'm the prosecution Of our
work 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 interfer-
ence and our members meet with re-
spcct and assistance in all quarters.
No Bread for Weeks.
There are cousiderable ouautitios
Of vegetables available i'm certoIn ais
tricts. In some localities tbore la SIN
a supply of cereals for two ar tbrea
weeks. but i'm certain. otbcr lnoaIitics
there has been NO bread available far
over fortnight. Every soul will be
dependent upou MS fnr broad uitbin
thirty days
80 far our efforts bavo nocessar rilv
been devoted TO nroyisioning the
larger crut.rs n rrouiras nrs.,,,i.,a-
tion and patience rn be able tn neno-
uate tho .outIyiup. aJd VILLAGES
"Thc clock has absoIutrI stonned
i'm Bclpium An iudIistri,I ,.,,t,t,,.
which vas deraudcnf IN tho a,,.r
sea countries lnfor. +. p,,v y,,I1od
M. with 10 nor cont Of mo ,.,,,Io
idle. There Arc mo- tolrpr,nbs tllo-
phones. RAILWAYS orr postnffIrns oxcert
for military ui.runses Tho .Reloians
Of a military necessity ara not al,
lowed to p3s. from tbrfr avn towns
and couergurutlv th,ro il mo com
muuicatiou Throughout the countrv
cxccut by pcrsou3l visits Of n,,,' ov,n
members
"Trau,portatIou .by rail is u,esible in
only a few dir.rtious and mon r,ust
await military uecessiN, rho yondrre
ful canal system ts blocl,.d IL, nam,
places by the destruction Of bridpes
and some canals have bnrn aIlnwcd
10 20 dry. Therefore if hecnnes nart
of our business to pet theso rIcared
not ouk, for tbo Trot.rtinr ~ an.
food hui to urrmit Tho trausnorta.ti0n
Of rn,I IRON, no Ealgian nm, r.,
sore urccssit, his u,ir7or
There arc ro co,,rts ana tho nris-
ons have baon rnntird hlt ,ho gnr.
darmcs nav. rorn,i1od ,t tbrir nnets
and arc thotnsol,ls totb n,l,ci,,o,,
Inud mdprs Tbo rennIo ara most
law abidinp Tho rit, ana cn,nr,unaI
poy,rnm,Iits sim avist and tbrnucb
fben tho dist,ihutlou of food - ha-
inc ARRANGED Tbr ReIpians are an
uIyinr themselves with the most ex.
iraordinarv dovotion ia tho pcrfoction
of his organization and If We lackod
any other inspiration one sufficient
lies i'm this devoted work of Inc rich
and moor a yeritable democracy of
famine which 10 vorItine, daj and
3sTht. d,.I 80 ,b. ,,,t..a g. a..