The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-09
u S50,D00,O00
EXPENDED FOR FOOD
las1ng Figures In the Latest
1T 81 Tho Commission for
Relief In Belgium.

Relief In Belgium.
c6fpfs from the latest London
r. Of The Commission for Relief
5Iw1um. received at the Offices OF
6mrfdssion In New York, Il
<eay, show more completely than
H16tx hitherto published the vast
& the Commissions work in Hol-
ma Belgium. The report shows
Wn to April 8 the cost OF food
&40xhInR sent by The Commission
He13&f In Belgium 10 Rotterdam
~ Commission ships. and distri-
hr the Commission throughout
I0m. and the cargoSs arranged for
~ United States. amount to S4g,-
Ek19.so. The total Of food and
Mag adready shipped and arranged
uk1pmens is e6s,0 S2 tons, or L.
1ss8se pounds
NJ total occupation Of SO intensely
&oped an industrial state as Bel
5S} depeEdcnt largely dpon imports
tSsfss,st II a situation dnparahele's
IF 1t*rry. and gives rise 10 problems
hitherto contemplated, either In
&aGy or information convention.
railways were necessarily taken
tor military uses; the telephones,
3aphs and posts entirely stopped,
the population largely lnterdicted
movement. The industries are
<&udenf mostly upon imported raw
|<6tfa,l and In asny event unpo coal
&D1IeS. as there Is very little coal
@ being mined in Belgium. Imports
IMPORTS have absolutely ceased.
11tt Id practically non-existent, and
fS11Sc currency has disappeared.
I6refore ii can we'll be said that
Industrial clock has been com
|&ely stopped, and as a result the
1Hntrial population reduced TO prac-
kxly total unemployment
Invasion at Harvest Time.
he Invasion OF Belgium took place
= "a harvest time. and even were
- NO destruction due TO military
ration or consumption by the oc-
<53nK army. the wheat harvest
MIA have supplied bread for the
SXaAfion for period extending not
II than October. The other great
|0ISs Of food in Belgium---potatoes
faarnins--are normally of local
S6uction. but circumstances dimin-
NH these supplies, as it did others,
the supplies were soon exhaust
Ehe amount of foodstuffs required
sEeep the Belgian pap1fatfoq II tive
Eet6adiiy increased since hosttffties
nm. and the present monthly ship
111ke absolutely necessary, aside from
little quantity of potatoes and
Hefabies obtainable, are as follows:
ke4t. or Its equivalent in -four, co.
yf0ns: rice, 10000 tons; peas and
m, 5000 tons: bacon and lard. L.
140ns: preserved meat. 1900 tons,
Smexwed fish. !, ZOO tons. condemned
91k 400 tons
I6ea&ians consume comparatively lit
H meat In time OF peace. their i'm
Nations being quite lew Normally
~ Imported 40, ofn tons of Ash an
&Ily. but they are pre-emlnently a
(cAt and potato eating people. The
xu1al Increase of population from
IN to the middle of August, 1914,
MID indicated population of 7,s0o,-
D when hosfilities broke ont. The
nfnution OF population, due 10 vast
u. refugees and the Belgian popu-
EsUn exterior TO the occupied area Is
Effnatesf at form 500. 600 To l.000,-
N people.
There probably remain in Belgium
lasf 1000 na9 persons. and Of these
moi l,se6, 600 are entirely destitute.
7e nittfI a,oou,V"V stu, i,"Ne $3.50 ,,
ssfees aho from Soeiai' 80 WI a.
ant ~ reasons. y "euao pc Ioo,iSh 70
saNs.ssfii ihs''i wit4iout Pay n'en', ~, ~
stHeN Nlsn ottlei WISE tI'ah W .,
7,afiN. p, 10 pay ioi ~iiae my ae
nc roNieio..ii's uepa, 49,
Y Inc tonaha isHlo'i iuI hlShes 10 "a. !,'s
'issans VINO can ailora 10 pay sSas'.s
60 ne fat'ofls t'at are suppIiee "
0estitutes VINO receive t'eiI ioo"
e9tu1eis Tree ~ charse' ana o.
0M&h .hsaFis one ana one nan t'l,-
n& nk ppnnas 81 Iooa nave peem
5pped by the s@of'li'iissloh' OF wiz
shipped by II al an carry cate
III vast amount OF Voou IN ohis
IIlcien 10 give each person Aoou'
H.Ani3 OF Il sbtdief ration per Gay,