The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-14
BELGIUM VISITOR
TELLS OF MISERY
All Industries In Country al
Complete StandstiIl.
ONE BREAD LINE OF 225, 600
Americas Offerings Systematically
Distributed Where They Do the
Greatest Good-AlI old Clothes Rem
ovated Before Being Given to the
Homeless and Hungry Children.

Pittsburgh. j. Rogers Flannery,
chairman OF the foreign trade commits
sion OF Pittsburgh, who has just re.
turned from a three months trip to
Europe. reports that conditions In Bel
GUM have not been exaggerated by
journalists and other American OBJ
servers who have visited 1t since the
famine situation developed.
II entered the country by way of
Antwerp" declares Mr.. Flannery. II
found that Antwerp itself had suffered
comparatively little from the lombard
meEt. There were only 200 or 800
houses destroyed, but the suburbs are
In bad shape. We drove through town
after town which had been rendered
practically ~unlnhabitable by the fight
Ing. The worst damage we saw was
at Malines, which has q population of
about 10000. 1t was In awful condi-
ton. and there was great suffering.
Cardinal Mercier Is looking after the
interests Of the poor there as we'll as
he can. A few days before we arrived
he sent word TO Holland that the peo-
pie were or the verge OF starvation,
and the commission for relief In Bel
GUM managed to get a small emergen-
cy supply through TO them.
When we got off the cart they
crowded around us, begging for money
and help. This was an unique ex-
perience, | may say. We were very
little bothered by beggars. The peo-
pie are taking their hunger and des-
titution quietly and silently. / do not
remember that i saw a single tear
shed In all my observation of Belgium.
They seemed to stand, numb and de-
spairing. waiting for some one to come
and feed them.
when we arrived In Brussels we
found that 225,OOO people we're being
fed daily from twenty-five food sta
tons established under the auspices
Of the commission. This does not by
any means comprise the entire popula-
ton OF greater Brussels. These are
only the mes that are absolutely out
Of funds. All the bread consumed in
the city comes from the commissions
supplies. but those not In the bread
line manage to pay for 1t In some
manner. The American wheat Is is
sued under a strict system OF account
ing to the bakeries, and the money so
obtained Is turned back into the treas
ury to buy more food. However, it
seems to me only a question of time
when all but the very richest citizens
OF Brussels will be supplied by the
bread lines.
Il new saw work SO scientifically
done as by the Comite National de Sc
c0urs ct d'Alimentation, the Belgian
body which is taking charge of the ac-
tual distribution Of food. Perhaps this
Is not astonishing considering that the
very ablest people in Belgium are Civ
ing their whole time to this work. The
country is divided into provinces, and
each province has its own commission,
which receipts for all goods received
from the general committee. The pro-
vincial commission then distributes
the supplies among the different towns,
each Of which has a committee of its
own. These town committees make
the individual distribution.
Brussels. for instance, is divided
int twenty-five relief stations. Every