New Britain herald., 1915-11-18

l llally without payment l "As you know we have set up eco- ! homie measures based on the ability
 Of portion of the population to pay
 for the food which, with the contribu-
 tions of other countries, enables us l for the present to find the bare mini
 mum of food supplies for the whole
 nine million people, but we have no
 reserves, with which to provide cloth
 ing for the destitute. We now plead 1 for help on their behalf
 Could Not Import Clothes.
 "Even if these nine million people
 had money they could not import
 clothes, or the raw materials with
 which to manufacture them, through ! the blockade into an area under mili-
 tary occupation. While the better
 classes have soN1e clothing with which
 they can get along, the destitute are l composed of the working classes 1 which naturally had little reserves of 1 clothing when the war broke out, The
 only additions they have received since then have been the generous 1 contributions from America, Canada
 and elsewhere. By Christmas time all 1 the clothing which we have in our l various establishments will be ex- hausted.
 Tt is certainty that the undue exposure of underclad men, women and children to the bitter winter will greatly increase mortality. The clothing for these people can be pro- vlded only if we receive gift supplies for the purpose. We must depend upon the American people. We have arranged that the cost or transportation of clothes from any central point in the United States to Belgium and Northern France and of the distribution will be paid for out of funds which have been especially pro- Vlded so that the whole American contributions will reach the destitute without one cent of deduction.
 Multitude of Difficulties.
 Tn the matter of the character of clothing for these people, we are sur rounded with a multitude of difficu1. ties. In the first instance the drastic sanitary arrangements made by the governments through whose territory we must pass make the introduction or secondhand clothing, especially in the areas of the operating armies where the want will be greatest. prac- tically impossible.
 We therefore must ask frankly for new clothing and more particularly for 1 material. Not that the desti- | tute in Belgium and nohtren France l are not intensely grateful for second | hand clothing, but as a matter of | necessity, we are forced to ask onlv for unworn stuffs
 1t must be borne in mind that those for whom we appeal are living unoer almost total industrial paralysis: that many millions of them are idle. ana that the cry we have from them aa1ly Is: Give us something to do, slVe us something to work on, so that we may contribute to our support" Lnere1Ore If we can provide them with materials they will make up their own Furthermore the poor of >elg1um and northern France can de- 1se an extraordinary amount of cloth- lg out of given piece of cloth and an work in such materials to patch D their own clothing For this reason 7e are anxious to secure piece goods s far as possible, or, alternately un- 1orn made-up clothing.
 Worlrooms Established.
 We have established work rooms in III tine leading Belgian cities The one n Brussels alone gives employment o over 15,000 people. This clothing s all distributed free through our ocal communal committees after they lave made a careful investigation of he necessities of each recipients. There are today between thirty and orty thousand of the noblest and best Belgian and French people giving , heir whole services in the volunteer conduct of these local committees, en- leavoring with the greatest possible devotion and under the greatest train, to eke out to their utmost use- ulness the meagre supplies which we lre able to furnish.
 What we urgently need is new voolen clothes for women and girls lnd boys, woolen and cotten mater als for babies clothing, shawls, stockings, jerseys, sweaters, blankets, ooots and shoes, underclothing, over- coats, petticoats, and suits of all de- and in fact every article in he gamut of warm clothing.
 Remnant Cloth Material.
 'It seems to us that there must be 'n the shelves of the stores and in the houses of the United States a large of remnant cloth materials and new ready-made clothing which would be contributed or could be pur- chased by the various committees ;n- rested in our work on terms of the great possible economy. !
 ''It seems to me that with the gen. erosity of the American merchant and our local committees rom monies that may be subscribed 0 them for this purpose can purchase such materials at far more advantage