The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-17

ger attacked = German military train
At Maine about $4,000 mouths
have to bel fed every day. and "the
laden with provisions At Namur
Dinant and MaIlnes the poor have
no shelter.
children come 10 the German soldiers
and tear the bread from their hands
the soldiers divide the bread with
them"
tIats off to the German soldiers
who do thlsIl The Burgomaster of
I.iege sends thanks ON behalf of 500
700 people for the temporary relief
4 of "a desp erate situation"
/ brussels itself is 'the saddcst place
lyou can imagine" shops closed.
every one out of work. nothing but
heggars and distress on all sides"
There is no need to multiply these
sad examples. They tell of whole
country PROSTATE, helpless, lacking
/ the barest necessaries of life.
/ The Many Voyages That Must Be
Made.
4 They are enough to fire the imagi-
nation and touch the heart---enough
to make us understand at once the
imperative need and the extreme
magnitude of the work which the
Commission for Relief has under
taken and so well initiated And it
Is no case of a passing need---of a
brief emergency. The fleet of mercy
iS on the seas, but II must make
many voyages, For seven or eight
months, at least, the etream OF sup
plies must be kept up. 1t may be for
longer; no man can tell. And the
stream must flow in Il great volume.
The commission has to think in mill
Hons--fn terms of millions of tons
or foodstuffs, In terms of millions of
doAars OF money, Five Inillion dol
lars month-in cash or in. kinds
the tgure at which the need is ap-
proximateiy assessed No one who
thinks over the matter will consider
the estimate immoderate. The ma
tons of Europe are spending, we are
told, on war fifty million dollars
not every month, but every day If
anybody wants TO gasp--instead of
helping-let him cash at that
Bot helping-not gasping--is the
role which the commission has chosen
for itself. and there is little fear that
the countries which it represents will
choose any other. Foremost among
them, by force of circumstances,
stands America. She has generous
helpers, The beilgerent countries
cannot send supplies, but their citi-
zens can help with money. Italy and
Spain are helping. Canada and Aus
tralia are helping. notwit hstanding
that they have other very pressing
claims on their resources. But the
limited States OF America stand in
the forefront Of this particular battle.
America is great and rich--and she
is not at war Such a position con-
stitutes in itself an obligation which
America has been swift to recognize,
and creates an opportunity which
with her spirit and her traditions she
was not likely 10 miss She sees that
unless she does this work it cannot
Ice done at all---and Belgium must be
left to starve
The Hands That Reach Over the Seas.
Perish the thought" says Amer
fca--as they used TO say in the old
melo3ramas. Bue being emphaticaI-
" business people as well as a gem
erous people, Americans know very
wen that II is not an easy Job that
they have undertaken TO tackle. On
the contrary, 1t Is d tough job and
long one. A spasm of emotion will
not serve to put it through. The eff
forts of a few charitab BILE societies, or
a few compassionate Individuals can
not cope with il. 1t is a national
work-one wherein every citizen
should have "A part and should not
count that part played until the work
| is done. 1t is in this spirit that the
Commission for Relief entered on Its
task. America has not failed and
surely viii not fail TO justify it's con-
fidence that she would be found ready
and willing 10 answer the call which
IL made on har benevolence This
year will be memorable in the history
! OF the world. For decades and gem
eratfons to come men will recall IL
and speak of It's woes and it's glories
The nations at war will have their
memories Of deadly struggle. of va
1 cillating fortunes, of defeat and VIC
tory; wellnigh every household will
have its hero to honor or commence
rate. The nations that have escaped
! the scourge and have not passed
/ Through the furnace of trial may have
! their memories also--less poignan mt
/ II may be. but more gracious, not less
! honorable, and, turn the fortunes of
war how they may. devoid OF all Bit
I terness.
| A rare fragrance sweetens the
memory of deeds OF mercy. Such a
memory every one who aids in saw
1 ing Belgium is helping to build up for
( his country He is helping, too--and
at a season when such help Is sorely
Ineeded-to keep alive the tradition
/ of brotherly love, of friendship and
! conradeship among the nations of
the earth. The mind of man can con-
ceive no worthier occasion for the
+ rich to give ahundantly from their
abundance, for the humble to spare
something. If not out of their purses
then from their larder. their granary
or their storeroom. For 1t is just
food that is wanted-~that men and
women may not die. and may have
wherew1thal to give TO their little
children when they cry for hunger
But the men and women are n null
titEde-and who shall number the
children II is not safe for anyone
TO reckon that his contribution can
be spared.
But there is no need to strike a
note of doubt. / do not believe that
there is room for doubt. America
does not love failure. With the help
OF her generous allies. out of her own
great resources, with her splendid
power of organization controlling and
directing the impulse of her charity,
America will see that no failure at