The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-11-06
ONE MILLION BELGIAN
HOMES NOW RUINED
War-stricken People Are Practically
Homeless Nation.
ALL SUPPLIES ARE EXHAUSTED
Practically Every Acre is Swept of
Everything Valuable BY Raw
ages of War.

Brussels, via London, Nov. 1.-The
Belgians are a people almost without
a country as the result of the ravages
OF the European war. Between six
and seven million people are homeless.
The lowest estimate made here places
the number of homes destroyed or so
badly damaged as to be uninhabitable
at one million.
Domestic supplies are exhausted.
Foodstuffs, forage, horses, cattle and
automobiles are Communicated by the
Belgian army when the war began
have been seized by the Germans.
Practically every acre is now swept Of
everything valuable.
Malines, Louvain, Leige, Namur,
Charleroi, Mons, Dinant and a score
of smaller places have been so shat
tered by the artillery fire of the O,
posing armies that less than half of
the normal population are decently
sheltered. 1t is estimated that there
are now 100000 Belgians in England
and 100000 in Holland.
report from Limburg saws that
the supplies for the bread line have
been exhausted and the feeding can
be resumed only when American food
arrives
The seizure of cattle for the armies
has left the country without beef.
milk and cheese. The supply of grain
ordinarily imported from the United
States and CaraGa has been cut off.
For several weeks Flanders was able
to help the eastern portion, but now
that the lowlands have become the
scene of fighting, Bruges, Ghent, Ant
werp and Ostend are sugering the
same distress which earlier bcfell the
| eastern part of the country
AT Liege, the Pittsburg of Belgium
the steel industry has been brought to
a standstill. At Antwerp, the New
York of Belgians, all shipping has
stopped. Hundreds of big steamers
lie idle at the docks along the Schcldt.
| Thousands of freight trucks are rust
ing besides the canals while the
horses are dead in Flemish battle
fields. The drivers and freight hand
lers are in hospitals or with King
Albert's army.
Nieuport and Ostend, the latter
suggesting Atlantic City to an Amer
and the hotels are filled with German
wounded. A row of hotels along the
beach at the resort fly the Red Cross
flag.
Brussels, the deserted capital, has
been spared destruction, but its indus
tries are shut down. Lace workers are
being fed at soup kitchens. The stores
have no food to sell and the public
has no money to buy if opportuni+
offered. Members of noble families
have discharged their servants and
Joined the bread line.
The fear is commonly expressed
that the city with its famous build
ing:s will be destroyed, either by at,
tack or by the Germans themsely2 ,
should they be compelled to retire.
German money is in general use.
Military proclamations in all the store
windows announce that the marx
must be accepted. Brussels has r..
Germany. Everything is censored.
Belgium. Most of the lines are with
out bridges. Canals are the only av-
enues for the shipment of freights.
belglanS here estimate that one
NTH OF the Belglans remaining in tn ,
country have employment of somr
sort. These include farm owners, and
leSsees. The beet crop has been ruin
ed by the armies and sugar factories
are closed. There are no horses or
other equipment for harvesting or
trains to move the small amount of
beets that have survived the devasta-
tionS OF war and few able-bodied men
to assist the women, who are endeav-
oring TO ward off starvation by gath
ering what little remains of the crops
in the field.
Antwerp's diamond cutters are in
the army. Malines's tapestry factories
are In RUNS. Many cotton mills are
In ashes and those that still stand are
| GInSnI a III 4
have been Abandoned. Nearly all phy
scians are at the front or seryine
in the hospitals. Hundreds of priests
and nuns are caring for the sick and
wounded. Few churches are fit for
occupancy as hospitals or otherwise.
| Convent homes have been deserted bv
the sisters. Many are so badly wreck
ed they could afford no shelter.
Canals leading from Belgium to
| Holland and the one railway line be-
tween Antwerp and RoZndaal consti-
tute Belgium's only communication
with neutral territory. There are no
mails or telegraphic service to Dutch
territory. The disheartened Belpians
are unable to communicate with their
relatives whether they are refugees
IN Holland or soldiers on the battle
line. Their isolation is almost com
plete., TO the grief over their dead
and the. exile of their government is
now added the awful spectre of star
vation
Hope from America.
The single ray of hope is afforded
by the American commission for re-
lief in Belgium. The liberalitv of
Holland is described as splendid, but
the country's grain supply is exhaust
ed. Great Britain having limited
Dutch importations, the sole source
OF an adequate food supply is the
United States.
Even the few Belgians with money