Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-20
MAXINE ELLIOTT PLAYS
ROLE OF ANGEL OF MERCY
Famous Footlight Iavorite Is Minis
tcring to Starving Belgians
In Flanders.
GETS THERE BY "MIRACLE"
She Personally Conducts Her Expedi-
ton by Barge lowed Through
Canals to Fighting Front, Where
Women Are Not Permitted.

CAIRO. March 1o.-Maxinc Elliott
las met with remarkable success in
Getting provisions TO starving BclEians
ia tho fighting zones of Flanders.
personally conducting her expedition
~ barge, lowed through the canals OF
France and Flanders, she penetrated
that little corner where the Belgian
standard still nies between the guns OF
lhc allies and German armies.
1T is n miracle TO have got here"
said Miss Elliott 10 an Associated Press
correspondent. who recently met her
and two women companions III the
midst OF their work. II is against
every rulo for woman to be at the
actual front. and Miss Elliott succeeded
in her project only after weeks OF
'Machiavcllinn schcming and slavery"
The American actress enlisted her
expedition as a part OF the services OF
tho American comm ssion for Relief in
belgium. but financed IT largely her
self, and personally conducted it, in
the hope OF reaching the destitute in
tho country where the fighting still
RACES. for these receive little or no help
from the big funds administered
through Brussels.
We had on board $4,000 worth OF
food and dozen enormous bales Of
clothing when our homcly barge, the
Julia. left Calais" said Miss Elliott.
Besides herself there were only three
members OF the party. with the eXcep-
tlon OF three Belgian soldirs. who
looked after the barge Two Of the
party, besides Miss Elliott. were
women intimate friends of the actress
we set out from Calais on February
81 she said, after overcoming innu-
merable petty annoyances that one
cannot foresce. because In peace time
there Is no precedent for them For
Instance. II was Impossible for us to
buy mattresses IN Calais. We had TO
beg four OF the base commandant. so
that the sailors would not have 10
sleep on tho floor
we also succeeded in borrowing
from the army commissariat 10000 tins
OF milk, two tons OF potatoes. 500 bar
rrls OF sugar. and hogshead after hogs
head of salt pork TO supplement our
cargo
The barge. which the correspondent
VAS invited TO Inspect. was spic and
span from the scrubbinR which Miss
Elliott had given II. ITS just AZ
comfy here az at Iiartsbourne." she
said. except We do all the manual
labor ourselves. We scrub the floors
do all the cooking. make the beds. and
work like cooks. housemaids and odd
men combined. We have cooked for
the soldiers and the tug crew as we'll
If you please. and We drop into bed
each night, exhausted, but content
Ny feet are done up in cotton wool
but ono doesn't mind. ! am going TO
wear sabots like the peasants after
This, with WOODEN stockings under
meath. And my poor hands, Any cook
in the world would be ashamed to own
them"
HER PARTY RECEIVES
IT'S BAPTISM or FIRE
AZ Dunkirk the party had its bap-
usIn OF fire. IL saw house blown 10
bits nifty yards in front Of me- said
Miss Elliott None OF our party was
hurt. but seven people were killed {,
lille further on.
Il must have been mad not TO have
brought camera-for IL has been
thrillinBly Interesting country through
which we have passed. We have seen
!aubes lying overhead. and heard the
hoom of cannon. AS far as the eve
could see, trenches, trenches. trenches
There were funny little observation
y
barbed wire entanglcments. and swarms
OF soldiers living like half-drowned
rate. poor things. in sea of mud
I They saluted our flag as we passed, and
/ Gazed In amazed wonder ut the spec-
\ iacle or women in these forbidden
/ places,
! Near Adinkerque a gunboat fun of
\ English officers from Admiral Ayres's
squadron steamed down TO meet u.s.
\ They were overjoyed to see us 1t was
/ nice to be greeted so cnthusiasticallv.
| though we couldn't natter ourselves
| there was anything personal in it, lr
! was only because they hadn't spoken
| 10 woman for over three months. md
ihey were longing for news from home
There were several men ] knew
4 The biggest gunboat OF the SQUAD
ron was lifted clean out of the water
last week by shell bursting under
meath 1t. The warship Topped back
again with an awful smash, hut no
damage done. except the breaking OF
everything breakable
previously, when we passed tb,.
Eunboats in the canal. one of the girls
shouted TO ask if II was an .armored
t"e lou can Imagine what joke
mat is in the squadron now, for the
boat she addressed was none other
ihan tho admirafs flagship. and we
shall never hear the end OF IT,
"All the generals admit that it is
magnificent work that we are doing.
but naturally war opera lions take no
account OF the suffering civilian popu-
lace. They arc bundled away from the
lighting line as quickly as possible.
hut countless thousands are left with
the wrecks of their homes and no re-
lief FUNDS get to their unhappy corner.
aud YOU can imagine what this help of
ours means TO them.
81 hope" she added, 1T may get nv
heNt cargo from America. Any money
contributions -,whch my American
friends care TO make would, of course.
be welcome. Brown Brothers, the New
HorS bankers. Will accept any such