The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-09-20
First Complete Report of the
Commission for First Eight
Months of Existence Shows
Magnitude Of Undertaking.
AMAZING SHOWING OF
AMERICAN
Remarkable Feature of Report
Is the Showing Made of Des-
perate Efforts by Belgians
to Help Themselves.

London. Sept. s.-The first COM
plete report OF the commission for
relief In Belgium, covering the FIRST
eight months Of lie existence, reveals
that In income ana expenditure the
organization forms the greatest re-
lief movement or history. The COM
mission has collected and dishursed
10000 600. fifteen million ~ which
has been contributed In the form Of
money or gift food by the people OF
the United states and the British en-
pirc and Belgium itself. The bulk Of
he Income has come from other than
purely phllanthrupic sources. but the
raising Of this enormous sum has
been exclusively the work of the COM
mission. which by financial arrange
mcnts with Belgian individuals and
institutions. exchange OF currency
with Helgium and n system of pro-
viding the solvent Belgian inhabitants.
has maintained the entire population
Of o. nation FOR almost a year.
\ remarkable feature Of the report
which has hitherto received but little
notice is the EFFORT being made by the
Bolgians to help themselves over
hfty per cent ~ tho money expended
by the commission In beuevolencc is
being furnished hy Bclgians abroad,
and "a large amou1t also o. being sup
piled hy BelgIans in Belgium.
In discussing the report Herbert g.
Hoover, chairman of The commission.
said 1T may cause more surprise
among Americans. who believe that
he United states is provisioning the
Belgian and French people IN tho
track Of war. that only something
over six million dollars In food.
clothes and money have come from
the United States. However. the
American public should realize that
the commission IN is organization.
working personnel and political ns-
poets Is distinctly American. The
American charitable support. SO early
and promptly given. came 20 the very
Inception Of the movement when
such backing was vital to the sue
cess of the organization IN giving IL
time to build. This support gave the
commission its foundation from which
20 acquired the moral prestige that
enabled u to secure vitality ncccssarr
concessions from tho various hclligcr-
c1t governments. Nor ~ the necessity
FOR This valued support an over The
problem becomes moro difficult every
day FOR the number Of destitute has
increased from 1.0OO.0OO last October
90 2~.7jO.o0o In June. ana now grows
nj the rate Of 200, 600 a month. And
our resources lnrRe as thcy are. can-
not keep pace with the need n tho
charitable public loses interest in our
work. Moreover. the continued sup
port of America Is necessary To pro-
vide the commission with the moral
prestige as an American institution
which a. now possesses in the sight ~
tho warning powers, and the main
tenanco OF this prestige can only be
secured by the continued sentimental
ana practical backing of the Ameri-
can people,
The report Includes detailed state
ments Of he commissions work. such
as complete oun of the DISPOSE
tion 90 1875 careocs OF foodstuns and
clothing. and other statistical data.
ms VOL NJ "a general survey OF the sit
uation IL Belgium. II Is pointed out
that the Organization as 1t stands now
IL Tho result of constant u~p-building.
q feature Of which has been the or
ganisaticn Of local RELIEF committees
IN practically every commune with a
federal system Of district and pro-
VINO IAI committees VII the fIllllF
national NJ the apex. The rotation
~ This structure to the commission ~
one Of joint ~ondeavor. and the mem
bcrship Of Americans entirely inter-
locks tho organization.
The relief operations are divided
into three classes. one to provision
tho entire population, another to com
duct financial relief and exchange op-
%. Anl "a HNawI g.. 800. 90. tho
destitute.
Tho provisioning department
saws the report. "ia charged with the
duty Of rcvictualling the whole 7.000-
600 people with necessary imports.
and up 90 june 80 had either deliver
cd or had In stock over 5000 IONS
OF foodstuns for the Belgian section
In the gross value of over Si5,5GO. 600.
The whole of these foodstuns are re-
sold To- tho population through a
broad System Of rc~ticulation. and the
profit carlcd on these operations is
devoted TO the support Of the dcsti-
tuto. such profits have been made
commercial and transportation scr-
vices. and the amount of these profits
about StS00.00O 10 date-is the
NNH W. CO." H'AN 100 80 HHNHaN
tury service
After referring 90 the work of the
financial relief and benevolent depart
mcnts, the committee states that half
q million peoplt have been provided
for through the rcmittanccs made
available boy this department, which
to June 80 totalled aoout SEQ. 600. 000.
Through the benevolent depart
mcnt.' the report continues, the
charity OF the world and 81 the Bel
gian people themselves IL modified
To the support Of the destitute, and
through Il over 2.750.OOu persons are
now being assisted IN tome measure
with food and clothing. The total re-
made available To the com-
mirsion from abroad for the support
of the destitute was over f3l ,0OO 600
To June 80. and the expenditure from