Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-11-14
Without Home, Place to Sleep, Seed
to Sow, Tools to Work with or
Heart to Struggle.
HAS FORGOTTEN HOW TO SMILE
Women and Children Huddle for
Refuge in Roofless Houses.
CAN'T ExAGGERATE THE MISERY
New Yorker Says 1t is Unbelievable
War Gould Have Produced
such Complete and Tragic
Paralysis.

LONDON, Nov. 12--Jarvis f. Bell Of
New York, who on behalf Of the Anerl-
can Commission for Relief in Belgium.
assisted in tine distribution of the first
cargo Of relief supplies sent to the Bel
Rians has given the Associated Press a
description of conditions in the stricken
country. Mr.. Bell said:
Nothing that has been written could
exaggerate the misery OF Belgium We
drove for miles through grave yards.
Stakes, on some of which were soldiers
tattered coats and helmets, were the
tombstones-deserted fields are ceme-
teries. AS we entered the villages women
and children sought refuge In the ruins
of roofless homes. terrified lest we were
some fresh visitation of war. Their
faces were drawn and lined and If you
could only see the gruesome surroundings
in which they are struggling for exist
ence you would not wonder that they
fail to smile.
Has Nothing.
''The Belgian peasant has in many dis
trtcts no home in which to sleep, no seed
to SOW, no implements with which to
work, no transport to reach market,
and finally, no heart to struggle against
the inevitable. IT is unbelievable that
war ever produced such a complete end
tragic paralysis as we saw in many parts
of Belgium. 1t cannot be attributed to
lack of courage on the part OF the civilian
population, or to the lnhumanity OF the
conqueror. 1t is simply war up to late;
civilized. Christian war.
'"rhe American relief steamer Coblenz.
carrying more than 1000 tons OF food
stuffs, arrived at Rotterdam from London
government with great kindness made an
exception to the rigid yule against work
ing on Sunday The labor unions made
equal CONCESSIONS with the result that
on Monday morning eight barges towed
by four express tugs left Rotterdam
enroute to Brussels with relief supplies.
On eRoh barge was large printed notice
certifying that the cargo had been sent
by the American commission In care of
the American minister TO Belgium. On
the door of the captains cabin in each
barge was a copy of General Won der
Goltz's proclamation instructing all Ger
man officials to give safe conduct and
assistance to the American relief cargo
General Won der Goltz IL German military
governor Of Belgium
Proud of Order.
'"rhe crews of tho berges and tugs
r tWere Dutch and each man carried with
Sno little pride an order for safe conduct
from the German authorities permitting
him to go to Brussels and return un.
smoiested TO Holland.
Accompanied by NJ. NJ. Langhorne
secretary of the American legation al
Brussels, and Mr.. Wyman. an American
resident, in an automobile, I followed
this odd fiotilla Of mercy as it threaded
4its way from canal to canal and from
lock to lock. At Hanswert, a town OF
the Belgfan-Dutch frontier, I anticipated
some difficulties as to this first con
signment OF relief On the contrary tn,
German officials were fully informed
and there was no delay whatever"
Thence to Brussels the German ar
engagements for getting our cargo through
expeditiously were perfect. The sealed
matches OF the barges were never opened.
The country people came running to
the banks OF the canal. where they stared
at our flotilla as IL It were a mirage
For a week not single barge had
passed. where formerly there were a
thousand a day.
"GOd-Sent" Dream.
TO the Belgian country folk 1t was al
first just God-sent dream to remind
them OF the peaceful days preceding the
nightmare of war; When they found
Continued on Page Two. column one.