The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-01-15
DELCIUM VISITOR
TELLS OF MISERY
All Industries n Country at
Complete StandstIll.
ONE BREAD LINE OF 225,ooo

Ansriea's Offerings systematically
Distributed Whsrs They Do the
Greatest Good-AIi Old Clothes Rem.
ovsted Before Being Given to the
Homeless and Hungry Children.
Pittsburgh. II. Rogers Flannery,
chairman of the foreign trade commits.
sion Of Pittsburgh. who has just re-
turned from three months trip to
Europe, reports that conditions in Bel.
gium have not been exaggerated by
journalists and other American OBJ.
servers who have visited 1t since the
famine situation developed.
Il entered the country by way Of
Antwerp" declares MIR. Flannery. IL
found that Antwerp itself had suffered
comparatively little from the lombard
nent. There were only 200 or 300
houses destroyed, but the suburbs are
in bad shape. We drove through town
after town which had been rendered
practically uninhabitable by the fight
ing. The worst damage we saw was
at Malines. which has a 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 well as
he can. A few days before we arrived
he sent word to Holland that the peo-
pie were on the verge of starvation.
and the commission for relief in Bel.
GUM managed to get small emergen.
cy supply through to them.
When we got OF 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 ! saw 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 were 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 ones 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 It In some
hN to Tn
sued under 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. 1t
seems to me only question Of time
when all but the very richest citizens
OF Brussels will be supplied by the
bread lines
Il never Saw work SO scientifically
done as by the Comite National de Sc
cOurs ct d'AlimentatiOn. the Belgian
body which is taking charge of the nc.
tuai distribution Of food. Perhaps this
IL not astonishing considering that the
very ablest people in Belgium are CIV
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 committee of its
| own. These town committees make
the individual distribution.
Brussels. for instance. ia divided
into twenty-five relief stations. Every
applicant must apply to the station
nearest which he lives. The local com
mission gives the applicant card.
which states his name. address and the
number of members In his family.
Each member of the family Is entitled
| to 250 grams of bread and one half litre
can Of soup day. The rations are dis.
| tribnted at appointed hours. when the
applicants appear with their cards at
the stations and receive as many ra.
tious AZ there are members OF the fam
lily. The card is marked or punched
like meal ticket. to guard against
'repeaters, and the committee also
Keeps a record on duplicate card OF
the number OF rations issued to each
applicant.
MIX is distributed to all children
under three years of age. To prevent
adults from taking the milk meant for
the children the children are brought
to the station and consume the milk
there
"One Of the most interesting sights
witnessed was the work Of the cloth
Ing department ut Brussels. They
were handling both new and second,
hand clothes. Some of the wealthiest
women In Brussels were working at
this Job like day laborers. They are
giving work 10 hundreds Of poor won.
en- by paying them for knitting sha wis
and stockings. They collect all the
clothing possible, and the minute care
with which they inspect It is a lesson
to American charitable associa tions
They 20 over oil the contributions and