Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-03-15
SUCCESS
IN EFFORTS TO
ASSIST BELG|ANS
Plans for Completion OF State
Aid Committee Are
Advanced.
snecInI 70 the EvenInr star.

President John Grier Hlpoen, Oh
Princeton University presided. Dr;
Hibben said that success had crowned
the effort at consolidation OF the
various local organizations.
Other officials of the state commit
tee are Albert H Baldwin, vice-pres
ident of the National Newark Bank
Ing Company, and George Megrew, OF
Plainfeld. The advisory committee
are: Everett Colby, of Orange; Fred
erick Frelinghuysen, Of Newark;
Ernest R. Ackerman, of Plainfleld;
Hamilton w Mabie. OF Summit; Wal
ter E. Edge, OF Atlantic City: F. w.
Aver. OF Camden; Oliver H. Brown,
of Spring Lake; Henry c. Moore, OF
Trenton; Mrs. Thomas A. Edison, OF
West Orange; Mrs. G. A. Hobart. OF
Harrison, and Mrs. Caroline Bayaro
Stevens Wittpenn, of Hoboken.
The principal speaker was Pro-
fessor Howard McClenahan. dean OF
the university. His address was
chiefly a description of conditions as
he found them In Belgium ano
France, especially in Brussels, Mons.
Dinant and Louvain. The dean
dwelt at length upon the attitude OF
the Belgians towards America for
what is being done for them. he
said: "The gratitude OF the Belgians
to America is the most touching
thing one can imagine. 1t Is shown
in many unmistakable ways. 1t Is
evidenced by exalted regard for the
Stars and Stripes. which never goes
unnoticed. II is expressed in broken
tones by all classes OF people When-
ever any opportunity offers. 1t was
brought home most forclbly to Min
ister Whitlock on New Years day.
when 5000 callers left cards at the
American legation in Brussels and
some words Of gratitude on every
card.
"As one nobIe Belgian heroine who
risks her life and property every
week In order to hep her stricken
working people expressed 1t. with
tears streaming from her eyes. Oh!
we love America but for America
we should be starving! Next to our
own nag, we love the Stars and
Stripes" Dean McClenahan paid a
fitting tribute to the efficient work"
of the Commission for Relief In
Belgium. In part, he said:
THE magnitude and success OF the
labor undertaken is brought home
overpoweringly to one who travels
about Belgium, whether one 'eats in
the Palace Hotel in Brussels, at the
tel de l. Europe, in Liege, in way
side makeshift cafe in Louvain, or
in the bread line in Charleroi and
Brussels, as / did he ieats of bread
which he could not have except for
the devoted efforts of the Commits
sion for Relief There is no -four I'm
Belgium for the Belgians which has
not been brought there by that COM
mission. To a degree which would
have been unbelievable except for
direct observation, bread Is the stan
of life for the Belgians as no Aneri-
can could conceive It, Absence OF
! bread means literal starvation.
"All the bread eaten by more than
500 900 Belgians is made from -four
which has been imported by the Re-
lief Comm ,ssion-1 500, 900 receive this
bread and the other food which is
given them, wholly. freely, and this
number is growing steadily and
,tartlingly. Charloroi 1900 out OF
20 900 live on the bread line!' In
Liege, 40 per cent. OF the population
would go hungry but for this splen-
did charity. In Mons and some of
the other Industrial centres, this per-
centage rises to between 56 and rs per
,ent. In Dinant and Aerschot 1t
amounts to nearly 100 per cent. In
Brussels itself It's 900 of the popula-
ion OF 900 900 continues to exist be-
,ause OF the bounty OF America and
)ther neutral countries In Belgium
rs whole fully one-quarter of the
whole population owe their lives to
his amazing exhibition OF humanity
| Surely the world has never seen its
| ike"
"The industries OF Belgium" the
| speaker said. "are dead, with the
| single exception of coal mining"
! Some grain" he added has been
| planted and should yield harvest
! Turing the coming summer. but the
Iuantity seems small The outlook
for Belgium seems black as night. II
| America and the other neutra
nations fall her. she will surely sue.
umb to starvation"
Providing for the Belgian refugees
n England and Holland was dis.
cussed by the dean. ''In both coun
tries" he said, "the labor unions lool
askance at any scheme which pro
poses permanent employment OF thu
Belgians. In Holland plans are beinl
worked out To give employment I,
women who ON sew, and to iron
workers and carpenters. In England
the Re'gian railroad men and SOM
of the skilled laborers And work"
"In England and Scotland there ar
about $50 900 Belgian refugees. Home
are provided. where available. bu
these care for but small proportion
In Earl's Court, a huge Londol
amusement place, about 1900 men ar
provided with cots on the main floor
while 500 women and children ar
cared for in small rooms, Hollan
is caring for q greater number @
\ refugees than England is."
Dean McClenahan was preceded b
Captain ]. f. Lucey, who for thre
months had charge of the Distribute
in Belgium of food among 100000
people for the Commission for Relic
in Belgium. Captain Lucey said
part:
"The amazing thing about this 10
is that II began out Of nothing an
4 has been sustained by the unselfis
( spirit OF charity. charity of kinC
4 hearted America, and the charity {
the once wealthy Belgian people. WI
are dividing their last crumbs wit
4 the totally destitute OF their ow
q nation. This spirit of charity, whic
4 has maintained this work Of feedin
4 1000. 900 people, is the only redeemir
factor in the whole war.
"The problem of getting the Il
ounces of food a head per day,
that soup and bread can be distribute
every day in the week, has bet
& solved by the cooperation on boi
sides OF the Atlantic. When we fir
s went into Belgium the canals we
s. full Of debris, and the canal boa
were no longer running. and the raj
& road systems were wrecked. In add
4 tion to the ordinary difficulties we
the military and diplomatic ones.
"The situation of the civilian pop
i lation in Belgium was worse ths
4 desperate. There were bread riots
Idege and in other cities 1t w
under cond tions such as these tn
:. .urn cro4 our first hoa Had nR 20.