Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-12-23
countryhcan't Help Itself.

Great Britain are all %belligerent pow
ers; that fact sternly limits both
their means and their opportunities.
t'cr example, Great Britain, though
she welcomes refugees, and Though
she is in a position to give assistance
in money, finds herself obliged, for
military reasons, to prohibit the 5ex-
port OF foodstuffs to Belgium. VINO
is to%help, then, and who can helplin
a measure really adequate? Tha:
question was asked some weeks be
fore / started to write these lines
asked and answered. The answer
came with all the Enthusiastically
national clearness,. promptitude anu
confidence -'Wny, America, OF
course!" -, a+
;[Mr. ,Whitlock; American minister in
Brussels, set the ball rolling; he en-,
listed the keen interest and powerful
aid ;of; DIR. Page, ambassador in Lon
dom a committee OF prominent Ann
ertcan citizens in London was form-
ed. The British and Belgian govern.
ments promised their aid;a the Ger
man government gave its sanction
so necessary and essential to the
work: Italy and Spain declared their
eagerness to help to the extent Sfof
their ability; the cooperation of the
native Belgian relief committees was
obtained and organized. Thus-nOt
moregthanafour weeks ago from the
day on which | write-the commits
sf0nf for relief in Belgium came into
existence %and-Aqhite simultaneously
set to work. It might well have
been appalled, at the task before IT.
even paralyzed, unable to see how
even to%tbegin, how to set about SO.
vast "A job. 4 It showed, in fact, mo
such state Of mind. On the contrary,
IT. showed every indication of an in
te1ltion to make good" .h>'*4aN Il,
What Americans Have Done. iS
Wondesgs ffhhtlve been achieved-it il.
not to my iateresA to exaggerate, ant
! am not ex~Iggerating. A. network
Of organizatf0n covers Belgium, from
the capital to the remotest districts.
3Thirty-eight ,t,t steamers, a~ggregating
10000 tons,a are---or shortly will he
mo doubt they will be by the time
these lines are read-carrying about
128;000 tons of relief supplies, valued
at over $8,O00,O00 and involving an
immense expenditure to transport.
Very large sums Of money have been
received. In Brussels alc'.e 10000
meals. ardaysare being ,pro,ided. An
organization has been buile. up in the
United States capable ofsdealing with
and forwarding Into Belgium abonus
SIS, OOO,,OOOworths0Bai bod every month
while, at&the other end. the Belgian
organizations adequate to secure its
proper, honest and careful distribu.
ton Such results achieved in so
brief a space of time, proves that Tor
once 2nynoWyI q COMMITTEES can act
not only wtselysaM theoretically, but
,Quickly!-aSmatterS:of moment when
famine IS the enemy It fights! SEl
We'll begun 5 half done!1. IN true
sense we may. comfort sndt enconr-
age ourselves with the old saying.
Preliminary, ,difficulties-international
and diplomatic---haye been overcome.
The organization liz there. The men
and. women to work 1t are there. The
thing which looked impossible has
been shown to be possible, &.
IT, Hurry the Fteet Of. Mercy. a
If you glance, through the reports
which the commission receives, from
its representatives In Eelgium,ra4yoE
come on striking facts simply stated.
In Brussels, rich and poor stand in q
line waiting EfOrsmealsJ alta ~halflpenny
a ,head-to those who can pay so
much. A deputation from Terhaege1
states that for three weeks they have
had only potatoes to eat there. At
Wetteren-an Industrial town OF
about 1900 people--above 11,00o are
without resources"
At Hamme, flour ID hardly to be
obtained, meat and corn will not last
out the month, petrol and coal are
Observation-Disclosures winter. coming Oh;
the soldiers, families cannot get their
allowances paid; work cannot he re,
sumed at the factories. u
ysAt St. Nicholas 10000 people are
without bread and without work"
At Charleroi men, maddened by hun
ger, attacked a German military train
laden with provisions. AT Namur, Di-
nant and Malines the poor have no
shelter,
AT Malines above 10000 mouths
have to be fed every day, and "the
children come, to the German soldiers
and tear the bread from their hands
the soldiers divide the bread with
them"
(F1ats off to the German soldiers
who do this!) The lburgomaster OF
Liege sends thanks on behalf of 60O,-
900 people for the temporary relief
Of "a desperate situation
R%russelat itself ia nthe saddeSt Mace