New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-12
European Aid Exhausted
Long Ago, Explains
Distributor.
ALLIES TO BLAME,
is GERMAN VIEW
Deny They Need Do More than
They Have-27,200 Kits
for French Soldiers.

The Commission for Relief IN Bel
9;um has received many inquiries a.
to why Americans, and not the Ger
man. English or French government,
should be called on to feed the starV-
ing Belgians. Captain j. +. Lucey' VINO
recently returned from Belgium, where
for three months he had charge OF the
distribution of food, gave the answer
yesterday.
Captain Lucey pointed out that prac-
tically the only supplies Belgium has
received up to date came from Amer
! lea or were purchased from such funds
as the stricken Belgisns could muster.
England has given little, and the BEL
eian government has been unable to
give substantial aid, while the Germans
do not feel obliged under the Hague
convention to do more than they have
done.
1.-THE only food the Belgians can re-
coive il that which comes through the
commission" said Captain Lucey. mo
great financial support has come from
anv government. The British govern
ment gave the commission 100000
sterling and the Belgian government
! c15O. 900. but with these funds scarcely
a weeks food supply could be pur-
/ chased.
"All other sums used by the commits
sion in transporting and buying FOOD
have come, first, out Of the ss,OOO,OOO
which the Belgian people themselves
could scrape together and out OF the
generous contributions made by the
United States and Canada. The Ca
nadians have given foodstuffs worth
nearly s1,750,00O."
Germans Deny Responsibility.
The captain said that the German
government has maintained helpful
attitude toward the commissions ac-
/ tivities, but that il has taken the po-
/ sition that the restitution in Belgium
is due more 70 the Allies than to the
/ Germans. The attempt TO starve out
/ the German civil population, high
: official said according to Lucey, pre-
vented any foodstuffs from coming into
Belgium through Antwerp. whose har-
! Dor was thrown open by the Germans.
Under the Hague convention. this
official declared, the German military
authorities were compelled to do in an
occupied country only what the former
government could and would do in the
circumstances. The Belgian govern
men could have imported five-sixths Of
the country's food supply through Ant
werp, If that were possible. But If
the Belgians could not make such i'm
portations. neither could the German
government be expected TO.
Glasgow has been designated as the
receiving centre for all contributions
for the relief of Belgian refugees
Funds should be sent directly TO the
secretary Of the Glasgow Corporation
Glasgow, and not TO any other agency.
If the kits sent to the French SOL
diers in the trenches, through the
Lafayette Funds, should be placed be-
side one another. they would stretch
from New York City to the commit
tees headquarters in Hartford. II the
bales and cases in which they were
backed were placed one. on tor of an
other. they would reach within nine
feet Of the combined height OF the
Woolworth, Singer, Metropolitan and
Municipal buildings.
Kits Delivered Speedily.
c. l.. Segelken, auditor of the fund.
made those statements yesterday. He
said that 27,2OO kits. containing 5l4,-
SAG articles, have already been shipped.
and 1000 more will be forwarded on
the French Lire steamship Niagara
Saturday. Besides. 1929 rubber
ponchos have been sent. Ealph J.
Preston, Of the executive committee.
reports that the kits are delivered
speedily and safely at the front.
The Belgian Relief Fund, which
plans an Easter Argosy. carrying sup
plies and toys 20 the Belgian children,
received contributions Of SO 0997O yes
terday. Henry R. Towne gave $1,000;
+. Barr, 5000; Mrs. Alexander NJ.
White. $3.50; the Pinafore Committee,
OF Asheville. y. c., 1865, and the Bel
gian Relief Fund, OF Troy, S2731l.
Contributions amounting 70 1910
were received By J. P. Morgan for the
American Ambulance Hosp al in Psr.s,
among them sass from A. D. Club