The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-24
|bELG|ANS BEARING
 SUFFERING WITH
 WONDERFUL SPIRIT
P. H. Williams Returns From Investigating Trip to Liege-Hundreds of
 Thousands Destitute

London, January 25.-Q1:10 D. m.)-"The impressions I take away from Liege are of wonder that people can suffer so much in silence and of admiration for the bravery which enables them to do it,"
 This statement was made today by pr. P. H. Williams, of New York who, at the suggestion of the Rockefeller founda- ton, directed operations of the American commission for relief in Belgium at Liege and is now returned to America. 'The people of Belgium never com plain, but they never laugh,'' he said. Their stocism would mislead even trained observers into believing that ev- erything was going on as usual. Under the surface, however, they feel implac- : able hatred because of their misfortunes and sufferings.
 "A little girl at Liege, who received warm petticoat, wrote to the American thid who sent it: My country has been Devastated by the sword, our dear cure Is dead, our burgomaster who was doc Itor and gave all his time to the poor, has been shot, my father was shot. and nm now living with nuns, eating bread : sent from America.
 "In the province of Lege alone nearly 800 900 out of @ population of 9o0,00O. are destitute and entirely dependent on the tcommission for food to keep them alive. kIn the principal towns, Liege, Veryfers : and Spa, distress is most acute because <industries are closed. Practically the only Eexception Is found in the coal mines which are being worked three days week to obtain fuel to keep the people from freezing.
 During the month I was in Ldege 1t showed or rained every day. When left the province was covered with a thick blanket of snow.
 At Louvain and other places Belgian communal authorities are laying out boulevards and other municipal improve ments planned long ago, simply to pro- vide work. They can keep this work going only three days week
 '1n smaller towns, which have been destroyed, men are being employed un- der the same system to pile up bricks which litter the streets. All the opera tions are in the hands of relief commit tees.
 "In the country districts of Idege prov ince farmers are tiling the soil, but they have no horses and selling their cattle for slaughter, as cattle fodder has been requistioned for the cavalry. This has lad two results. Meat Is cheaper l in Iiege than it is fin New York, but
 supply is rapidly disappearing.
 st 5000 people line up once
 read and soup at 12 canteens in
 u see no young men; there are
 women, children and cripples.
 and poor all have to ask for
 l all get the same supply. Rich
 of irony, but use 1t compara-
 distinguish between the dis
 ind the destitute.
 of steel magnates, university
 r-ol1- -fn q xx-n11
 o living luxuriously on invest
 which now bring in no income.
 bliged to, stand in a bread line.
 a few months there will be no
 ons to make because practically
 srson in Belgium will be dependent
 canteens. Everyone's private
 will have disappeared.
 re the commission got into op-
 scores of small towns had no at all. Since I arrived at Liege we have not failed once to be able to sup ply rations for the people of the privince, f but We have had several close slaves. No one is starving now, but the people are beginning to show signs of the strain they are under in being kept alive on 50 small a ration. Their faces look drawn and they naturally fall easy victims to any infection.
 Belgian physicians are doing splendid work, both in, relieving distress and in attenulng prisoners ana wounded. The communal authorities have the sanitary situation well in hand and thanks to them there has been no really serious epidemic. In this, as in other matters, the Germans do not interfere. Tn this connection I would like to say that So far as l know not one morsel of the food so generously supplied to Belgium is being taken by the Germans It is only fair to say the Germans have given us every assistance not only in the dis tribution of relief supplies but in clear ing the canals of broken bridges so our barges can reach towns and villages whose neonla otherriae would starYen n