Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-06

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people. and life is reduced to Its barest
| elements. Straw, boards and Few
blankets and dishes for rations-thae
constitutes the menage.
Children are born in the hugger-
mugger of such conditions, but tho
good Holland citizens see that the emil
dren are cared for and that the babies
have milk. Devoted priests teach the
sanization illuminates the whole pan
oply of misery. Yet the best OF the
refugee camps would seem to American
citizens like the dark and dreadful li1e
work. purpose nor opportunity 1t Is
a sight repugnant to civilization
Tho eaddest, most heartfending tning
have ever seen has been the patience
have met. Among the thousands Of ref
ugees l have seen in Holland, in the
long stream that crossed the frontier
at Maastrfcht and besieged the doors or
no man. no woman rallied or detained
against the horror Of their situation. The
pathos of lonely. staring, apathetic en-
durance is tragic beyond words. So
grateful. so simply grateful. are they,
every one, for whatever is done for them
None Of the Refugees Beg.
'None begs. none asks for money, and
yet on the faces Of these frontier refu-
gees I saw stark hunger. the weakness
come of long weeks of famine.
One man, one fortunate man from
Verviers, told me he could purchase
as much as two shillings and eight
pence worth of food for himself. his
wife and child for a week.
Think Of 1t, American citizens! Sixty
six cents worth of food for a man, his
wife and child for a whole week, il he
were permitted to purchase that much
erage American citizen pays for his din
ner in his own home. He cannot get
breakfast, he can only get half a break
fast. for that at the Waldorf or the Plaza
In New York.
This man was only allowed to pur-
chase that much food II he could. be-
cause If he purchased moro he would
be taking from some one else, and they
were living on rations for the week
which would represent the food of an
ordinary man for a day. A rich man
can have no more than a poor man. 1t
Is democracy Of famine.
There is enough food wasted in the
average American household In one
In health and strength. They want in
Belgium 100000 tons of food a month.
That 10 their normal requirement. The
American relief committee is asking
for 5000 tons a month. one-quarter Of
the normal requirements, one-half Of a
soldiers ratfons for each Belgian: The
American committee needs $5,o0o,ooo a
month until next harvest 1t is a hugo
sum. but it must be forthcoming.
Only United States Can Save Them.
"Of all the great powers of the
world the United States Is the only one
not at war or in peril of war. OF all
the foremost nations of the world the
United States is the only one that can
save Belgium from starvation If she
will. She was the only nation that Ger
many would allow a foothold for hu-
GUM. Such an opportunity. such re-
sponsibility. no nation ever had before
in the history Of the world. Spain and
Italy join with her. but the initiative
hers.
Within that ring of steel are disap-
pearing and for eyer e;'t disap Pc
that were of 10000 people. have now
1000, and in Dendermonde 1900 houses
have fallen under the iron and ire of
camp Of the desolate only the United
States enters with an adequate and re-
sponsible organization uNon the mis-
sion of humanity.
Great Opportunity of United States.
mo such opportunity was ever given
to a people. no such test ever came to
la Christian people in all the records of
time. viii the American nation rise to
the chance given to it to prove that Its
civilization is a real thing and that its
acts measure up with its inherent anu
D., Z: t-n:5 sti;tEity?
II am profound believer in the
observation-disclosures oi the United States.
and there is not an American Of Ger
man origin who ought not gladly and
freely to give to the relief OF people
who, unless the. world feeds them. must
be the remnant of a nation. and the
world In this case is the United States.
She can give most.
''The price of one good meal week
for family in an American homo will
probably the United States has
Is. o0o. 900 homes. How many of them
will deny themselves a meal for mar
tyred Belgium? The mass of the Amer
lean people do not need to deny them
selves anything to give to Belgium.
The whole standard of living on the
American continent, in the United
States and Canada, is SO much higher
than the European standard that II
they lowered the scale by one-tenth
problem would be solved.
II say to the American people that
they cannot conceive what this strain
upon the populations of Europe is at
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winter. hundreds of thousands will
agonize till death or relief comes. In
Australia in drought times vast f1ocks
of sheep go travelling with shepherds
looking for food and water. and no
flock ever comes back as 1t went forth.
Not in focks guided by shepherds, but
lonely, homeless units. the Belgian peo-
pie take flight, looking for food and
shelter, or remain paralyzed by the
tragedy fallen upon them in their own
land.
Majestic Heroism.
Their sufrerings are majestic in
simple heroism and accomplishing en-
durance. So majestic in proportion
ought the relief to be. The Belgian
people are wards Of the world. In the
circumstances the Belgian people are
special wards of the one great country
that is secure in its peace and that by
its natural instincts of human SYM
pathy and love Of freedom is best suit
ed to do the work that should be done
for Belgium. If every millionaire would
give a million If every man with 800
a month would give $40. the American
committee for the relief Of Belgium,
with its splendid organization. its I'M
rivaled efficiency. through which flows
a tide of human sympathy. would be
able to report at the end Of the war
that a small nation in misfortune had
| been saved from famine and despair by