The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-24

On day In last month the iodo
ing of the ship "Massapequa" was
Al steamer. over three hundred fest
in length. and her freight was = 5es
tons OF foodstuffs
This cargo was packed and slowed
With such skill az to arouse special
admiration, not only IN New York, but
in Europe Captain McCardi has
detailed plan OF all of it. SO as To IA
cilitate unloading. Captain McCardi,
who has never sailed for European
waters before. cast off his moor'ngs
amid the acciamations OF a people.
FITS first voyage across the Atlantic
vas full of adventure and peril and
once owing to stress OF weather he had
to lay to In mid-ocean for several
days. AT length, he arrived at tue
Hook of Holland. and the news that
his ship was sighted threw the whole
citv of Rotterdam into a vast fete-,
The American naval attachs from
Berlin travelled 10 Rotterdam to meet
this wondrous ship. and other Amerf-
can diplomatic officials Joined him.
Before the vessel was made fast to
the quay. at Rotterdam. 500 Dutch
stevedores had jumped aboard and
started the work of unloading. They
worked day and night for nifty hours.
and easily surpassed all the records
OF the port.
And while they toiled, speeches were
made, fun OF enthusiasm and graft
tude, banquets were held, and the
Burgomaster OF Rotterdam invited all
the official world to be his guests,
amid the music Of the American Ma
tional Anthem. Everybody felt with
deep emotion that tremendous inter-
national deed of charity was being ac-
complished.
In due course the ship was ernptied
and the canal barges were filled, and
the ship departed again. while the
canal barges. drawn by express tugs,
and manned by crews, each individual
of whom had a special pass from the
German authorities. swung forward
with the $500 tons of bacon. rice,
beans and flour for Lmberg. Charlie
roi. Mons, Client and other places
where the representatives or Ameri-
can good will were ready to distribute
it. The vast business was successful
ly done.
A Ship a Day.
But let IL he noted that Nd. Rolin,
the Belgian official who. in the speech
making at Antwerp returned thanks
TO America on behalf Of Belgium ut
tered the sentence;
There Is Just enough stuff on this
ship to feed starving Belgians for one
day."
This sentence should be daily re-
memhered by the charitable of all
countries. II the miracle of the
"Massapequa" were repeated every
day throughout the winter until the
end of the war. the starving Belsians
would just get enough to eat
Holland. England and France seem
TO he swarmtug with Belgian refugees
who are being fed and clothed and
housed But between them the three
countries accommodate only a mil
lion; and this million is the fortunate
minority of the victims.
There remains and will remain, in
Belgium. seven millions of tragic in
habitants. In the country districts
eighty per cent OF them are women
and children, who. as though hypno-
tized by disaster. haunt hopelessly the
ruins in which they can scarcely rec
ognize their homes
Many districts are nothing but
graveyards. There is no seed to SOW
There are 10 implements. There Is
no money. There is no credit. There
Is no means of transport, There Is
no work And there is very little
heart. save in a small corner of that
once prosperous land, the corner still
dominated and inspired by the cour-
age of King Albert and his soldiers.
No modern famine was ever like this
famine, because II is universal. The
entire population has TO be FED. ana
those whom charity does not reach
Will die. Over a thousand appeals for
succor are received by one committee
in one day.
Where the Kind Heart Is Needed.
There are whole districts utterly
without grain. flour, beans. peas. and
even salt. For three weeks in Ternae-
gen there was absolutely nothing edi-
BILE except potatoes. In Brussels alone
400. 900 meals per day are being
served: the theoretical price Of each
meal is one sou. and few can pay 1t;
the poor and those who were rich stand
side by side waiting the dish that Will
keep them alive. Women beg at the
street corners for a centime (the tenth
OF penny. In Antwerp thousand
women. ill-clad, wait shivering in the
snow for the hour of the free meal.
The condition of the Belgium re-
fugees In certain parts OF Holland Is
appalling. At Rotterdam you can see