Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-20
SUBM|TSAREPORT
ON BELGIAN RELIEF
American Commission Tells of
Raising and Expanding
Huge Sums.
BELGIAN PEOPLE BEARING
LARGE SHARE OF BURDEN
Total Collections Amount to $780,.
100000. of Which $6,O00,-
900 Came From U. S.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.


complete report of the commission for
relief in Belgium, covering the first
eight months of it's existence, reveals
that in income and expenditure the or
ganization forms the greatest relief
movement of history. The commission
has collected and disbursed s50.000.0 900.
S15.000.000 of which has been contrib
uted in the form of money or gift food
by the people of the United States and
the British empire and Belgium itself.
The bulk of the income has come from
other than purely philanthropic
sources, but the raising of this enor-
nous sum has been exclusively the
work of the commission, which by
financial arrangements with Belgian
individuals and institutions, exchange
of currency with Belgium and system
of providing for the solvent Belgian
Inhabitants, has maintained the entire
population of a nation for almost
year.
remarkable feature of the report
which has hitherto received but little
notice is the effort being made by the
Belgians to help themselves. More than
80 per cent of the money expended by
the commission in benevolence Is being
furnished by Belgians abroad. and
large amount also is being supplied by
Belgians in Belgium.
Americans in Charge.
In discussing the report Herbert c.
Hoover. chairman Of the commission,
said: 1T may cause more surprise
among Americans, who believe that the
United States is provisioning the Bel
gjah and French people in the track of
war, that only something over $6.000.-
90 in food, clothes and money has
come from the United States. However,
the American public should realize that
the commission in its organization,
poets is distinctly American. The
American charitable support. so early
aud promptly given. came at the very
inception of the movement when such
backing was vital to the success of the
organization in giving it time to build.
This support gave the commission us
foundation from which 1t acquired the
moral prestige that enabled 1t to secure
vitality necessary concessions from the
various belligerent governments.
"Nor is the necessity for this valued
support at all over. The problem pc
comes more difficult every day, for the
number of destitute has increased from
100000 last October to 2.i5O,0OO IN
June, and now grows at the rate OF
100000 a month. And our resources,
with the need if the charitable public
loses interest in our work. Moreover.
the continued support of America is
necessary to provide the commission
with the moral prestige as an Ameri-
can institution which it now possesses
in the sight of the warning powers. and
the maintenance of this prestige can
only be secured by the continued senti- |
mental and practical backing of the
American people,
Well Organized for Work.
The report includes detailed state
ments OF the coYnrnission's work, such
as complete accounts of the disposition
of 1876 cargoes of foodstuffs and cloth
ing and other statistical data, as well
as a general survey Of the situation
in Belgium. 1t is pointed out that
the organization as it stands now is
the result of constant upbuilding. a
feature of which has been the organi-
zation of local relief committees in
practically every commune. with a
federal system of district and provin-
cial committees. with the comite ma
this structure to the commission Is
one of joint endeavor. and the mem
bership of Americans entirely inter-
locks the organization.
The relief operations are divided into
three classes. one to provision the en-
tire population, another to conduct
financial relief and exchange opera
tions. and a third to care for the
The provisioning department" says
the report. lis charged with the duty
of revictualling the whole 100000
people with necessary imports, and up
TO June go had either delivered or had
in stock more than 100000 tons of
foodStuffs for the Belgian section to
the gross value of more than S45.500.-
000- The whole of these foodstuffs are
resold to the population through a
broad system of reticulation, and the
profit earned on these operations is
devoted to the support of the destitute.
Such profits have been made possible
by the volunteer executive, CONNER
cial and transportation services. and
s3.S00.000 to date--is the measure of
the value of such voluntary service"
After referring TO the work of the
financial relief and benevolent depart
ments, the committee states that $780,
600 people who might otherwise have
fallen into restitution have been pro-
vided for through the remittances
made available by this department
which to June 30 totaled about
SEQ 100000.
Worlds Charity Modified.
Through the benevolent department."
the report continues. "the charity of
IRE world and of the Belgian people
themselves is mobilzed to the support
o. the Destitute. and through It over q
6A e1..1