The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-17
100000 FACING STARVATION IN
BELGIUM
Continued from First Page

| them daily is, Give us something to
do, give us something to work on, SC
! that we may contribute to our own
! support Therefore if we can pro
| vide them with materials they will
make up their own clothing. Further
more the poor of Belgium and North,
| ern France can devise an extraordi.
| nary amount OF clothing out of Civ.
| en- piece of cloth and can work in
| such materials to patch up their own
| clothing. For this reason we are
| anxious to secure piece goods as far
as possible. or alternatively, unworn
\ made-up clothing.
1 1--WE have established work-rooms
| in all the leading Belgian cities. The
one in Brussels alone gives employ
ment to over $4,000 people. This
clothing is all distributed free
through our local communal commit
tees after they have made careful
investigation OF the necessities OF
each recipinet. There are today be-
tween thirty and forty thousand of
the noblest and best Belgian and
French people giving their whole SER
vices in the volunteer conduct OF
these local committees, endeavoring
with the greatest possible devotion
and under the greatest strain, to exc
out 10 their utmost usefulness the
meagre supplies which we are able TO
furnish.
What we urgently need is new
wooden clothes for women and girls
and boys, wooden and cotton materi-
ais for babies clothing, shawls, stock
ings, jerseys, sweaters, blankets,
boots and shoes, Undertaking, over
coats, petticoats, suits OF all descrip-
,ti0ns, and in fact every article in the
gamut of warm clothing
ut seems to us that there must be
on the shelves Of the stores and in
the houses OF the United States
large amount of remnant cloth mater
ials and new ready-made clothing
which would be contributed or could
be purchased by the various commit
tees interested in our work on terms
of the greatest possible economy
st seems to me that with the gen
crosby of the American merchant
and manufacturer our Local Commit
tees from monies that may be sub
scribed to them for this purpose can
purchase such materials at far more
advantageous rates than can be oh
tanned in any commercial transac-
ton.
1T is our hope that we may have
large consigments arriving by Christ
mas and we do not believe that there
is any manner in which the American
people can better show their inherent
instinct OF philanthropy and kindli-
ness than by answering this appeal
from billions of helpless, destitute
people" s. 4
Following is the copy OF letter to
Governor Gates and to the other gov
errors asking that a special effort be
made at this time.
We enclose for your personal infor.
nation the tentative text. which is
subject to some minor change. of an
urgent appeal which will be issued to
the press of the United States for
publication ON Wednesday morning,
November 17th The splendid part
you and your committee have already
taken in the work of the Commission
for Relief in Belgium makes it almost
superfuous for us to commend the
appeal to your sympathy.
Mr. Hoover is Just returning to
London after short visit in the
United States, during which he took
up in detail the charitable work
which was best to be undertaken in
the United States.
Clothes are now needed in Belgium
and France just as desperately as
was food year ago. Under your
leadership and with the cooperation
of your committee we feel sure your
State will make effective response to
this new call for help
AS JDeTe Is llOI Il uHy 10 De lOSU we
should be very grateful if you would
call meeting of your State Commit
tee by wire. In this undertaking the
Commission will be only too glad to
reimburse you for such reasonable ex.
penditures as you may consider
chargeable to the Central organiza-,
tion. tEH
1t is vital that State plan OF cam
paign be put into immediate opera
ton The assembling depots which
were available for the food supplies
earlier in the year can still be used
for the piece goods and clothes. We
undertake to reimburse all expenses
of carriage, either to your assembling
depots or from them to the port of
shipment.
1t has been suggested-and we
mention it for what you may think it
is worth--that the purchase of new
garments will appeal greatly to the
women of each state, while the
,,,r,,nu Gov. ,inca goods will ba hi