Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1915-04-01
ss7o,oeo FOR BELGIANs RAISED
BY ONE WOMAN.
Mme.-- Vandervelde Returns Home
With Big Sum For Her
Starving Countrymen


this week for her native country after
q tour Of United States and Canada.
A most remarkable woman is this.
She anne six month ago on a mission
from her King to the American people.
Her task has been to raise funds with
which to feed the Belgians who were
forced into starvation when her
country was suddenly turned into one
terrible battlefield. BY her own efforts
she has succeeded. 1t is largely due
to her that the United States is
sending: one relief ship after another
to BELGIUM, and besides food and cloth
ing has contributed much more than q
million in cash.
Nine. Vandervelde has spoken In
cities In all parts of the United States
and In Canada, and herself has collec-
te dmcre than $27O,0OO.
Though feeling deeply the wrongs
inflicted upon Belgium by being forced
into the war, Nine. Vanderrelde has
succeeded in making her appeal to the
American public so nearly netural IN
its character that even the pro-Ger-
mans have not been offended.
King Albert himself urged Nine
Vandtryelde TO come to America 10
r1ood FOR biS r,aOnlo
From London she sent to the
women Of the Uunitel States an ap
peal, which was widely pcblisled.
Her first engagements were at
such well known summer resorts at
Southampton, L. l., Beverly Farms,
Mass, Dublin, N. H., and Oyster
lay The response to her appeal
I WIS :llufetl'tte and ,eaaous. AT
' Y South i &c e. 70 - ~;
at Beverly Farms an equal amount.
Among those who listened to h'r
when she spoke in Be;e.''1 Farms
was H. G. Fritk, who the next day
sent to Nine. Yandervcida his per.
sonal cneck for $4,000. Her first
extended trip in this country car
ried her into Canada, and her later
trips across the continent, each
stop netting her many thousand
dollars.
81 love America and Americans"
said Nine. Vandervelde, in an in
terview the other day.
You Americans are ingenious
clever hospitable and generous.
The wealth here is marvellous, and
vet you do not permit yourselves
to bind your eyes to the poverty
and suffering in less favored coun-
tries
1.-THE women in the United States
are more respected and are better
treated than are women anywhere
else in the world. When we started
for this country 1 was told that 1
would get sympathy in America
but little money. What "a mistake
that was!
"Only the other day 1 received a
check for $500 from Virginia. had
not spoken in that state and the
donor is quite unknown to Inc. l
have received checks Of thousands
jus as much the small contribu
tions which have come from more
humble sources At one Of my
Lectlngs workingman came en-
l., the, stage and gave me his bank
lnok 1t is contribution Of 81 30
all that he had. The employees Of
a department store gave $500 to NE all
saved from their scanty earnings.
I'm one place where l was work
ing with the local relief committee
q laborer came into the room where
we were, took his coat off and threw
it on the pile Of clothing that was to he
sent to Belgium. THAT is all have to
RlNS. uc puI S''iifO pOVi uSNh
Belgium needs 1t worse than do He
was gone before we had recovered suf-
ficiently to learn his name.
do you wonder that love Americ-
ans when l see their intense feeling so
practically demonstrated? Do you
wonder that l am eager to get back to
Belgium, that may put new heart in
to my people by telling them Of the
fountain Of love that l have found
bubbling forth for them in the Uni
ted States?
after this terrible war has nd
e.! snd after some Of the animosltles
have disappeared the United Statess
will be better understood in Europe.
Your greatheartedness and yonr gener-
osity will be properly apprea 'iat*d'
Even those who are now embittered
because you do not break your neutra-