Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-01-20

cording to letter just received at the
American Red Cross headquarters here
from American Minister Henry Var
Dyke, at The Hague. At that intro
duction the children smile and tears
run down the old peoples cheeks he
writes. The helpful spirit of gener-
osity in our country is warmly appre-
ciated here and in Belgium"
Minister Van Dyke informed the Red
Cross that through the winter it would
be necessary to make provision for be-
tween two and three hundred thousand
people who are out of work, out of a
home and out of their country
Distribution of Supplies.
He gives an interesting account OF
the distribution of supplies of food and
clothing among the refugee camps. Mr.
Van Dyke had just completed an in
spection of the various phases of re-
when he wrote his letter. He also had
visited other refugee camps and the
ruined cities in Belgium;
when l returned to The Hague De-
cember % l found my garage was filled
to the brim with the thirty-seven cases
of clothing. blankets, etc, which the
American Red Cross sent by the steamer
Gorredijk, a splendid and most welcome
gift" the minister writes, under date
of December 29.
Enumeration of Articles.
II have distributed the cases as fol-
lows Fifteen cases to the new refugee
camp at Nunspeet, where there are be-
tween seven and eight thousand Belglans
of the poorest class twenty cases to the
central committee for the relief of Bel
gian and other victims of the war, at
Amsterdam; two cases to Mrs. Adolph
Boissevain, $40 Heerengracht, Amster-
dam, who represents the activity of a
number of ladies who are caring Tor
refugees in private houses in that city.
Il spent all day yesterday in the rain
and sleet in inspecting various phases of
the work in Amsterdam; the bureaus OF
registration, the central depotS for the
distribution of clothing, the emergency hos
pitfalls. and many of the private houses
in which refugees have been received and
installed in large numbers. This latter
phase of the work is most interesting,
because SO many Of the best ladies in
Amsterdam are engaged in it, and giving
their personal strength and skill to carry
ing it on. The refugees in these houses
are, of course, much more comfortable
and better cared for than in the larger
general camps, although in these camps
everything that is possible is done for
the welfare of the eXiles. The number
is far too great to take care of them
all in this private way, and through the
winter it will be necessary to make pro-
vision for between two and three hundred
thousand people who are out Of work.
out of home, and out of their country.
They cannot return at present to Bel
GUM, for it is impossible to send people
back to homes which no longer exist eX-
cept as heaps of ruins
For Restoration Of Homes.
1.-The time is coming, I hope, when it
will be possible to put into practical
operation the fund for the restoration of
Belgian homes and households, which l
had the pleasure Of starting here with
moINy which was sent from America
1.-The work of the commission for relief
in Belgium, into which l have made some
careful investigation since my return. is,
l believe, going on very well at present.
Large quantities of foodstuffs are being
sent in from America through Rotter-
dam to the starving land.
Il wish you could have seen and
gratitude on my little tour yesterday
and on my earlier tour through the
refugee camps and the ruined cities in
Belgium. Il is enough for man to
ceived with friendly and thankful
looks. The little children smile and
! the tears run down the old peoples
cheeks.
Tell the Red Cross people that 1 am
grateful for the opportunity of being
| a channel for the good which they are
doing"
In a footnote to the same letter. writ
, ten December 30, Minister Van Dyke
advises that the cases of relief sup
plies shipped by the American REQ
Cross on the S. S. New Amsterdam, con-
signed to Nine. Loudon, Minister Van
Dyke and the Belgian relief committee
had just arrived.
The minister had to procure another
other storing place for the latter sup
plies.
All Deliveries Properly Made.
With a letter, dated January 1, Min.
lister Van Dyke inclosed memorandum
from the commercial attache of the
legation, in which it is made clear that
every single package and article sent
by the American Red Cross had been
properly delivered and all arrange
ments perfected for forwarding.
Fifty-four cases were delivered to
Nine. Loudon December 20. forty cases
were placed in the hands of reliable
agent for distribution among Belgian
refugees and sixty-f1ve cases OF
blankets were forwarded to the Ameri-
can minister at Brussels. Ninety-one
cases of hospital garments, etc, were
at Rotterdam for the Austrian Red
Cross. the Austrian consul general al
Rotterdam later advising that the
| r.oa, ,,aro hajne forwarded Inv him