Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-10-07
s5o,ooo,ooo FOR
BELGIUM RELIEF
Oest|tution In the Country Is
Growing AIarmIngIy.
100000 ON ROLL IN JUNE

Over so Per Cent Of Money Expended
In BenevoIence Is Being Furnished by
BeIgians Abroad-Larse Amount Also
10 Being Supplied by BeIeians In
Belgium.
The first complete report Of the COM
mission for relief of Belgium, covering
the first eight months of its existence,
reveals that in income and expenditure
the organization forms the greatest re-
lief movement Of history. The commits
sion has collected and disbursed $780,
100000. $15.OO0.OOO Of which has been
contributed In the form Of money or
gift food by the people of the United
States and the British empire and Bel
GUM itself. The bulk of the income
has come from other than purely phil
anthropic sources. but the raising Of
this enormous sum has been exclusive
ly the work Of the commission, which.
by financial arrangements with Belgian
individuals and institutions, exchange
Of currency with Belgium and a sys-
ton Of providing for solvent Belgian
Inhabitants, has maintained the entire
population Of a nation for almost q
year.
A remarkable feature Of the report
which has hitherto received but little
notice Il the effort being made by the
Belgians to help themselves. Over 80
per cent Of the money expended by
the commission In benevOlence Is being
furnished by Belgians abroad. and a
large amount also Is being supplied BY
Belgians in Belgium.
In discussing the report Herbert c.
Hoover. chairman Of the commission
said: ut may cause more surprise
among Americans. who believe that
the United States is provisioning the
Belgian and French people III the track
Of war. that only something over &c.,
100000 In food, clothes and money
has come from the United States.
However, the American public should
realize that the commission In It's or
ganization. working personnel and po-
litical aspects is distinctly American.
The American charitable support. so
early and 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 CON-
mission its foundation. from which 1t
acquired the moral prestige that ena-
bled 1t to secure vitality necessary con-
cessi0ns from the various belligerent
governments.
100000 Persons Destitute.
"Nor is the necessity for this valued
support at all over. The problem be-
comes more difficult every day. for the
number of destitute has increased from
100000 last October to 2.75OO0O in
June and now grows at the rate Of
100000 a month. And our resources.
large as they are. cannot keep pace
with the need II 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
sentimental and practical backing Of
the American people,"
The report includes detailed state
ments of the commissions 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 or.
ganization as 1t stands now is the re-
suit of constant upbuilding. q feature
Of which has been the organization Of
local relief committees in practically
every commune. with federal system
Of district and provincial committees
with the Comite National at the apex
The relation Of this structure to the
commission is one Of Joint endeavor.
and the membership Of Americans en-
tirely interlocks the organization.
Immense Relief Operations.
The relief operations are divided into
three classes. one to provision the en-
tire population. another to conduct
financial relief and exchange operations
and a third to care for the destitute.
1.-THE provisioning department" says
the report, us charged with the duty
Of revictualing the whole 100000
people with necessary imports. and up
to June 80 had either delivered or had
in stock over 100000 tons Of foodstuffs
for the Belgian section to the gross
value Of over $45.5OO,OOO. The whole
Of these foodstuffs are resOld to the
population through a broad system Of
reticulatioh, and the profit earned on
these operations is devoted to the sup
port Of the destitute. Such profits have
been made possible by the volunteer
executive. commercial and transporta.
uon services and the amount Of these
profts-about $4,sOO,OOO to date-is the
measure Of the value Of such voluntary
service"
Rural Mails Improved.
Statistics were made public by the
postoffice department tending to show