Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-12-10
REAL CONDITION IN HOLLAND
AND BELGIUM OF TODAY

Ambassador Henry Van Dyke OF
Holland writes the following per-
sonal description under date Of
October 26:
ION Saturday and Sunday went
by motor-car to make q personal in
Ivestigation into the condition of the
Belgian refugees in Holland, and
the possibility of repatriating them
in Belgium.
81 visited carefully the refugee
camps at Rosendaal and Bergen op
Zoom, small towns which have en-
tertained from fifty to eighty thou
sand Belgian refugees. In other still
smaller villages along the Dutch
frontier the proportion of reguees to
Inhabitants was even larger. In one
place Of about 5000 population there
were 10000 refugees who arrived
within twenty-four hours; most Of
these, however, went on to Rotter-
dam, Amsterdam or The Hague. At
ROsendaal and Bergen Op Zoom
there still remain about $4,000
refugees In each place.
"The condition of these people Is
most pitiable For the most part
they are without money. They ar
rived-lns great haatau and in q ter
rified condition, pouring into the
country In crowded trains, and in
such carts and wagons as they could
find, and trudging on foot along the
roads. The majority, of course, are
women and children, and there are
many tiny babies, some born during
the flight. There are all sorts of
sicknesses among the fugitives, but
there is, as yet, no epidemic. There
are two excellent emergency hospi- |
tails at Brgen Op Zoom.
"The people of Holland have ris-
en- magnificently to bear the weight
If the great burden which has been
thrown upon them. Many private
in every city and town have
'een thrown open to receive fugi-
ives, and large public refugees have
'een provided. In Rosendaal, a va
ant factory building was utilized.
t has four stories, and on each
tory long hunks, filled with straw,
'ere provided for sleeping accommo-
ations, so that the building alto
ether houses about $4,000 people.
heir food is prepared in an outdoor
ltchen by the ladies Of Rosendaal.
another large building, at the
her end of town, belonging to the :.
atholic Social club, an all-day res y
urant Is run by the ladies, provid- =
g eight series of three meals each. o
"On Saturday evening / motored O.
rough to Antwerp, and on Sunday ~
orning made an examination of eN
a+ c,tv ord ~ Tho snoI, o,t,o. l., &c
! between there and Brussels. My "a
ject was to determine how far 1t "
uld be safe for the refugees to u.
bock ~ orco % pa,o,rr jol
so far as the attitude Of the mil ~
ry authorities is concerned, I be-
70 there Is no danger whatever Do'
non-combatants In returning.
twerp itself is not so much injur-
as to render It uninhabitable for Of'
greater part Of the population.
'ery large majority Of the houses
standing and uninjured, espec- y
? in the poorer quarters Of the "h
. The only serious problems con- OUT
led with the return Of the refu- w.
to Antwerp are the water sup are
the question of employment, pal
the question of food. IsI
In regard to the smaller cities in lsi
neighborhood, the case is entire TINS
ifferent. For example, the towns una
Mechelen, Duffel and DC
are reduced practically to II
s, and are certainly not in a per
Iition to receive back more than DC
third Of their ordinary popula-
There is, moreover, a smell Of
y in the air which probably pro- n
5 from corpses buried in the csh'
}, and which may, at any time. mas
4 a pestfience. The resumptioa the