Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-11-20
,untry. Mr.. Bell said:


gium. We drove for miles through
graveyards. Stakes, on some of which
weres oldiers' tattered coats and hel.
NETS, were the tombstones-desert
fields are cemeteries. As we entered
refuge in ruins of roohess homes, ter
rified lest we were some fresh vista
ton of war. Their faces were drawn
and lined, and if you could only see
the grewsOme surroundings in which
they are struggling for existence YOU
would not wonder that they fail to
smile.
'The Belgian peasant has in many
districts no home in which to sleep,
no seed to sow, no implements with
which to work, no transport to reach Il
market, and, finally, no heart to strug-
gle against the inevitable. 1t is un-
believable that was ever produced
such complete and 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 inhumanity of
me conqueror. 1t is simply war up
to date; civilized, Christian war.
To Brussels by Barge.
"The American relief steamer Cob
LEM, carrying more than 1 200 tons of
foodstuffs, arrived at Rotterdam from
London at 3 o'clock Sunday. morning.
The Dutch government, with great
kindness, made an exception to the
rigid rule against working on Sunday
The labor unions made equal conces-
sions, with the result that on Mon
day morning eight barges, towed by
four express tugs, left Rotterdam en-
route for Brussels with relief sup
plies. On each barge was a large
printed notice certifying that the car
go 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 German
officials to give safe conduct and as
sistance to the American reiief cargo.
General Won der Goltz is German mill
tary governor of Belgium.
The crews of the barges and tugs
were Dutch and each man carried with
no little pride an order for safe con-
duct from the German authorities per
mitting him to go to Brussels ana re-
turn unmoleStcu to Holland.
Accompanied by M. M. Langhorne,
secretary of the American legation at
Brussels, and Mr.. Wyman, an Ameri-
can resident, in an automobile | fol-
lowed this odd fiotilla of mercy as it
threaded its way from canal to canal
and from lock to lock. At Hanswert,
a town on the Belgian-Dutch frontier.
anticipated some difficulties as to
this first consignment of relief On
the contrary, the German officials
were fully informed, and there was no
delay whatever.
"Ihence to Brussels the German ar
engagements for getting our cargo
through expeditiously were perfect.
The sealed matches OF the barges were
never opened or touched all the way to
Antwerp, Malines apd Brussels.
Country People Astonished.
The country people came running
to the banks of the canal, where they
stared at our flotjlla as if it were a
mirage. For week not single
barge had passed where formerly
there were a thousand hourly.
ITO the Belgian country folk it was
at first just a God-sent dream to re-
mind them of the peaceful days pre-
ceding the nightmare of war. When
they found that there were real barges
bearing food their great thankfulness
found ready expression.
"On Wednesday morning, just one
week after the ship left London, we
drove up in front OF the American le-
cation at Brussels and told Brand
WhitlOck, the American minister to
Belgium, that the relief barges were
safely moored in pocket of the main
canal. A few minutes later Mr.. Whit
locks automobile brought the Marquis
de Villalobar, the Spanish minister,
and the heads of the Belgian Central
Relief Committee. The marquis was
all enthusiasm. He grasped my hand,
What splendid news!
You Americans are wonderful When
you take a thing in hand you certain
iy do it and do 1T quickly
"There was no need for the newspa-
pers to spread the report of our ar
rival. In an hour all Brussels knew
and rejoiced. Many people had feared
that we would never get the food into
Belgium, and that if we did we would
not get by the wall of soldiers sur
rounding Brussels.
eve drove back to Holland by way
of Louvain, Aerschot and Thourout to
Breda on the Dutch frontier. We
found several villages in the Limberg
district that had been without salt for
a month. At almost every bridge we
met men with boxes soliciting relief
from travellers from more fortunate
districts. This looks like begging, but
there are some conditions justifying
anything. We met few Belgian men.
Eighty per cent. of the people in these
country districts are women and chill
dren. We saw them eating green veg
etables, beets and apples. They had
little else. ki
"There were thousands of children,
all afraid to laugh. Like their moth
ers, they seemed spellbound by the
melancholy fascination of the ruins in
which they found shelter. The con-
trast between them and the contented,
song-lOying German soldier is appall-
ing"
Mr.. Bell will return to Rotterdam
on Saturday TO continue the work of
rushing the emergency food supplies
into districts where they are most
needed.