The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-17

tn and children of a brave nation over .
 come by adverse fate, through TO fault | Of its own. Those of us who have the | honor of being in touch with the work | of the commission. know a little at | least about the many problems and complications which have had to be l solved and unraveled in relationship 1 with six governments; and we can only 1 wonder at the splendid persistence and | courage of the commissioners who | have refused to see any lmpossibiiities. | and like for1orn hope, have turned | an impending doom into victory | greater perhaps than any victory in the | trenches of the battlefields.
 Every Cargo Smybol of Hope For the commission for relief does l not only bring food to Belgium. That in itself is victory. But it brings constructive as we'll as alleviatlva help Every single one of these cargoes which has come, or Is coming, is symbolic of hope, of an awakening sense of con- fidence, of rebirth of possibilities, shadowy, perhaps at first, but with outlines ever growing stronger. Be- cause this impossible thing has been achieved, and Belgium has been
 reached, the Belgians are beginning
 to bring out their own barges. And
 once again one is reminded of that great truth that it Is always the i'm
 possible by which the world Is saved.
 These. then, were some of the
 thoughts which passed through my
 mind as I and friend stood on the
 "Orn" together with Mrs. Lucey and
 Captain Lucey, the representative of
 the commission at Rotterdam, who fs
 giving all his time. brain. heart ana soul to the work with ttreless oe-
 votion, inspiring to all around hina. We had scrambled over tho barge lylng alongside guarded by friendly but
 Jou xUh on us The name of this barge, which
 was going to Antwerp with some of the "Orn's" cargo was the Maria Cecilia,
 but I learn that the many of them are called God be with us' God zy met ons). and surely that is the right name
 for all these barges carrying their cargoes
 of mercy into Belgium We greeted the
 barge lady who came out of her green and white painted house to receive us
 took notice of the barge babies and pup
 pies playing about, and so arrived on the
 lowed deck of the "Orn."
 We bent over into the hold rveted by the sight of the vast cargo, 1900 tons of rice, flour, salt, beans peas, wheat and condensed milk. We were thrilled by the thought that this was only one of the many shipments coming into port day by day, and that they would con tinue to come with unfailing faithfulness
 
 New York, San Francisco Montreal Halifax, New Orleans, London, Liver pool and other ports laden with gifts from Nova Scotia. Maryland. Oregon, Virginia, Iowa, Kansas, New England, the Rockefeller foundation, the southern states and many 0 the nearest and most distant states of America, and it was thrilling to realize that all this wonder full machinery had been set in motion in ct. ,t,1xy l,fv,ir nfi ,s,,1r 70 |
 six weeks in which to organize peace fleet of ships and barges to bring food. to negotiate with the German govern ment for permission, to secure that the supplies should be used for the Belgians only, to arrange the centers of distribu-
 tion-and all this at a time when trains were not running. canals were not open, the condition of the canals unknown and
 the probabilities of being allowed to use
 them not definitely ascertained.
 It Sounds Like a Fairy Story It sounds like & fairy story, like some
 fable of magic feat, and yet this magic
 has been transmitted into a work a-day life-and there we were, standing on one of these very vessels themselves con jured into real existence by the magi- clans of the American commission It would be impossible for me to de- scribe how glad l am to have seen this magic myself, and thus to be in a posi- ton N tell the American people of the magnitude of the work in which they are so nobly helping, and to implore them With passionate earnestness to keep these merciful supplies going, week after week. month after month, giving rein to their generousity in the full assurance that each sack of four, of rice, of salt, of peas, will be sent immediately in the right d1rectlon, and used to its uttermost ca pacity by those who need it most cap give an opportune instance of this, which Will, know, appeal to everyone but I especially to the organizations of women In America. On this very "Orn'' we ss " to our great joy 160 tons of condensed
 milk; and that milk seemed like the di- | rect answer to prayer. For that morn ing letter had come in to the commits sion addressed to American mothers by the Countess de Schatetsen-R Raditsly of Mal1nes, in which she implored for milk for the mothers and newborn babes. condensed milk" she wrote, would be very precious to us, but alas, we possess none. Wretchedness augments day by day, and we ask ourselves how
 can be continue to help. Our only re- source is to the American mothers If you could be the instruments of Provi
 dence, you can judge for yourselves the immense good you would do to those un
 happy mothers. of whom the greater pa ri nave their husbands with the army. and are totally without resources to maintain
 their families. The supply of milk ia a
 matter of the first necessity in the un-
 Fortunate times through which we are passing"
 That Milk for the Babies Here, then. Is the milk, sent by Phil
 adelphia; and before day or two ia
 over that devoted woman will have
 the happiness of ministering to the
 starving little ones and their r1others
 Tn the ruins of Malines. Her pathetic request is but one of the many which
 are continually pouring into the offices
 oi the commission. for good ne WIS tray
 eis quickly, and rumors are beginnin.,
 To reach evcn those communes which
 are the most cut off fro maj; com
 muni1ation that help can be had and
 IS forthcoming. The reading of these
 lettelC is enough to stir the hardest
 heart to pits, so acute is the need so
 simple the language.
 sometimes burgomaster writes sometimes priest:
 We beg to call your attention +o
 cur poor country" "
 Come to the help of our unhappy
 and most honest people"
 Eyerything is missing"
 Flour Is hardly to be obtained" Tkb communal funds are fin,she6 and if you come not to help us God fnows what will become of us.'' We cannot even recommence work