Evening star., 1915-06-02
WRITES OF RELIEF
WORK IN EUROPE
Dr.. Van Schaick Comments on
Lusitania Horror and
Peace Conference.
E. P. BICKNELL BUSY
OBTAINING SUPPLIES
Worker Arrested as Spy and NAL
treated at Pistol Point-No Com
pensation for Volunteers.

| caused in Holland by the news of the
torpedoing of the Lusitania, upon the
mission OF American women delegated
70 the international peace conference
at The Hague. and upon the relief
work being done throughout the war
worn area of Europe by Americans is
contained In a letter to the people Of
MS parish from Rev. John Van Schaick
1r. read to the congregation of the
Church OF Our Father Sunday.
Tribute is paid to the great general
ship of relief work being done by
Ernest P. Bicknell of Washington, ma
| tional director of the American Red
Cross and executive director of the
Rockefeller Foundation relief work in
Europe.
DR.. Van Schaicks letter, under date
of May ., from Rotterdam, is as follows.
The news of the sinking of the Lusi-
| tania has made a deeper impression
than any other event Of the war. and
yet l have no doubt that, when the
| whole story fs known, there will be
many things as horrible. Strangely
enough. l was advising an American
! girl not to sail on the Lusitania next
Saturday. at the exact moment when
we received the terrible news. 1t has
affected us all very deeply.
AS Dutch army officer said yester-
day: This war is the most awful 1
nave ever read about That is what
we alWays were saying to one another
during the past few years that If a
great war should come. it would be
more terrible than anything ever
known because of the tremendous ad-
vance In scientific knowledge We now
have the contest raging in the heavens
above. the earth beneath and the wa
ters underneath. We find every weapon
employed. from the metal, dart to the
death-dealing cloud of gas
Praises Peace Workers.
Last night. as we were reading the
first authentic news of the Lusitania,
we saw the Rlndam move slowly out.
| most brilliantly Illuminated, with many
friends on board. including fifteen of
the delegates to the women's peace
congress at The Hague was not
able to attend the congress, but / met
many of the delegates, college profess
sors. literary women, social workers,
most of them women of great charm.
with very few cranks among them.
In spite of personal danger and much
ridicule, they came and accomplished
an important piece of work. The ex-
plosion, which was predicted by every
German and English delegates, did not
take palce.
80 far as I understand their work
by talking to them 1 want to take my
place as one of their supporters. Be
cause of the horrors of this war l
want to dedicate my life more effec-
lively to the cause of peace. / want to
work for the arbitration of every dis
pute between nations, even the ques-
tions of so-called national honor
m wit ny m
resist the influence of the jingoes who
always see war. the traders who profit
by 1t, and the professionals who never
get new ship or gun without longing
to try II out and see it work in actual
experience.
'T say all this. however, with the
clear understanding that l am not
peace e-at-any price man. and that l be-
lieve in meeting force with force to
defend the weak and uphold Justice.
personally | am working under
somewhat greater pressure in the last
few weeks. as l have had the entire
responsibility of the work in Holland.
This is the first Sunday that I have
worked steadily in the office all day
am more sorry for the clerks than
for myself. 1t was necessary in order
to catch up for tomorrow.
Il have had to make another hurried
trip into Belgium and probably shall
go soon again.
Mf. b1cKnolIS movements,
'.Mr. BickneE has been in Berlin,
Stockholm and Petrograd for tho last
three weeks and Is today in Bucharest,
the capital of Rumania. With him is
Eliot Wadsworth, director general of
the international commission for re-
lief in Poland. They are trying very
hard to buy grain for Poland. 1t is an
almost impossible task.
Il have been paid for coming over
here a thousand times over by my as
sociatfon with the men who are doing
the work Of relief. I know one man in
timately who has become personally
responsible for $3.000,000 In order to
buy grain for Belgium. know about
another man associated with my friend
who has become responsible for an
equal amount.
"A relief worker. whose nane may
not mention. in country about which
you will have to guess. dropped out of
sight for several days. His chief was
country that this man was in prison in
distant city, accused as spy. With
some dimculty he was released, and
then 1t was found that he had been
threatened with a loaded pistol at his
head to make him confess that he was
not what he pretended.
Most Of the chiefs Of this work get
no salary, and some of them pay their
own expenses. They are neglecting
their own business interests because
Of the enormous responsibilities placed
upon them for other people.
Work Without Compensation.
s.volunteers in the different countries
affected come to the front in large
numbers and render invaluable sery-
ioe without the slightest thought Of
compensation.
I'm all the horrible record OF death
and destruction involved in the war
which tell Of the services of the heroes
of peace. My part In it all is a very
minor one, and SO I can speak nv mind
freely concerning the men who are
rendering the service. 1t is not that
their impulses alone are right hut
their acts are right; they think
straight It would be strange IL one
or two black sheep did not Green into
a fold so big. but they do not stay
long or do much damage.
~Plans for coming home are yerv in
definite. 1 want very much to 20 to
the general convention of our church
upon tho San Francisco exposition for
a few days. 1t Is doubtful. however.
if get back in time. ! shall not coma
aa long as I feel that I am espeotalIv
needed on this side.
Il can hardly realize that the winter
has past and another summer is al
most here. What will this summer
bring? We do not know. All I can
say is: The Lord watch between ma
and thee while we are absent one from