St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1915-02-13
BELGIANS ARE STILL FACE TO
FACE WITH STARVATION.
Former Kansas Congressman Tells
What He Saw in the Ruin
ed Land.

London, Feb. 1.-THE situation
remains acute. II the food supply
is diminished Belgium will starve."
Former Congressman Charles f..
Scott of Kansas, who is returning
from an inspection of relief work in
Belgium and France, telegraphed
this message today to former Gov.
Walter r. Stubs Of Kansas.
Mr.. Scott visited Cardinal MERCER
at Maine and heard the story Of the
new famous PASTORAL letter.
1.-THE Cardinal obviously enjoys the
dilemma in which he has placed the
Germans" said Mr.. Scott" His eyes
twinkled as he told of his latest adj
venture. AT six o'clock one morn
ing said the cardinal, a German Of
ficer and two soldiers brought a com
munication from the commander ask
ing him to deny statements that he
had been deprived Ct his personal
liberty. The denial had been pre-
pared and consisted of four Or five
typewriter sheets.
Cardinal Arrested.
Cardinal Mercier said he request
ed his callers to return in the even
ing for an answer but the officer
declared they must await a reply in
the cardinals room. At the cardi-
nars request telephone confirmation
of this order was received. Describ-
ing his subsequent experience, the
cardinal said:
It is true no manacles were used
to restrain me, but was to have per-
formed service at Antwerp and was
not permitted to go there. For three
days l was restrained in my palace.
Two days later was asked to modify
my letter and wrote another. II the
Germans are clever they will publish
my first PASTORAL
$50 far as / could see Cardinal
MERCER was free to come and go.
subject, presume, to the usual re-
strictions imposed on Belgians. Men
were at work bracing the damaged
walls of the cathedral and tearing
down the parts which must be re-
moved. Although terribly battered
it now appears that the beautiful
building will be saved. Th edamage
is estimated at 100000.
"The people in and around Malines
appeared as depressed as any s7w
in Belgium. They wander aimlessly
through the streets where bands of
wretched, ragged children beg from
every one in sight. Elsewhere was
struck with the courage Belgians
show in efforts to rebuild their homes
and resume their normal life, but Of
course they ere utterly dependent on
supplies brought in by the commits
sion.
Wars Grim Pathway.
when you have seen Vie snd its
population of $500 now reduced to
a hundred odd families existing in its
almost total ruins; when you have
seen once beautiful Dinant, now a
heap Of jumbled debris; when you
see for miles only women in the
fields then you begin to realize what
war is.
with q German general / motor
ed through large part Of France
now occupied by the Germans, every
foot Of which has been fought over.
We drove for miles through acres OF
partly harvested wheat. What was
left was trampled under the feet of
two army corps. Almost within the
sound of firing the Germans have
thousand or more of their own sol
diers at work with gang ploughs
drawn by gasoline tractors farming
1885, 900 acres Of land which was
battlefield few weeks ago.
Throughout this region the Ger
mans have been giving the inhabi-
tants enough bread to keep them
alive, but they told we they would
not continue this work after active
operations ere recommended. In
my trip saw enough to convince me
the Germans are treating the COM
mission with perfect fairness, help
Ing out with absolute good faith
Food is going to starving Belgians
and French. We have done well as
! country, thus far starving on ac-
tuaI famine. but more food is es-
Iential. =