Norwich bulletin., 1915-03-19
Terrible Experiences.

Maxine Elliott has met with re- success in getting provisions to starving Belgians in the fighting zones of Flanders. Personally con- ducting her expedition by barge, lowed through the canals of France and Flanders, she penetrated that little corner where the Belgian standard still flies between the guns of the Allied and German armies.
 Tt is a miracle to have got there," said Miss Elliott to an Associated Press correspondent who recently met her and two women companions in the midst of their work. It is against every rule for a woman to be at the actual front, and Miss Elliott succeed ed in her project only after weeks of ''Machiavellian scheming and slavery"
 The American actress enlisted her expedition as part of the services of the American Commission for Relief in Belgium, but financed it largely herself and personally conducted it in the hope of reaching the destitute in the country where the fighting still rages, for these receive little or no help from the big funds administered through Brussels.
 We had on board s10,0Oo wofth of food and a dozen enormous bales of clothing when our honely barge, the Julia, left Calais" said Miss Elliott. Besides herself there were only three members of the party, with the ex- ception of three Belgian soldiers 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 Feb. 4th," she said, after overcoming in nunerable petty annoyances that one cannot foresee because in peace time there is no precedent for them. For instance it was impossible for us to buy mattress in Calais. We had to beg four of the base conmandant so that the sailors would not have to sleep on the floor.
 'fWe also succeeded in borrowing from the army commiSsariat 10000 tins of milk, two tons of potatoes, 500 barrels of sugar, and hogshead after hogshead of salt pork to supplement our cargo"
 The barge, which the correspondent was invited to inspect, was spic and span from the scrubbing which Miss Elliott had given it. "Its just as comfy here as at Hartsbourne," she said, Except we do all the manual labor ourselves. We scrub the floors, do all the cooking. make the beds. and 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.
 My feet are done up in cotton wool. but one doesn't mind. I am going to
  this. with wooden stockings under meath. And my poor hands! Any cook in the world would be ashamed to own them!'
 At Dunkirk the party had it's bap- tism of fire. T saw house blown to bits 50 yards in front of me-" said Miss Elliott. None of our party was hurt, but seven people were killed a little further on.
 q must have been made not to have brought a camera-for it has been thrillingly interesting country through which we have passed. We have seen Taubes flying overhead, and heard the boom of cannon. As far as the eye could see, trenches, trenches. trenches. There were funny little observation houes in the tree-tops. wireless poles barbed-wire entanglements and swarns of soldiers living like half drowned rats, poor things, in sea of mud. They saluted our flag as we passed, and gazed in amazed wonder at the spectacle of women in these forbidden places
 Near Adinkerque, a gunboat full of English officers from Admiral Ayres' squadron steamed down to meet us. They were over-joyed to see us. It was nice to be greeted so enthusiastic cally, though we couldn't f1atter our selves there was anything personal in it. It was only because they hadn't spoken to a woman for ever three months and they were longing for news from home. There were several men I knew.
 "The biggest gunboat of the squad ron was lifted clean out of the water last week by shell bursting under meath 1t. The warship flopped back again with an awful smash, but no damage done, except the breaking of everything breakable.
 Previously when we passed the gum boats in the canal, one of the girls shouted to ask if it was an 'armored tug You can imagine what joke that is in the squadron now, for the boat she addressed was none other than the 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 operations take no account of the suffering civilian popu- lace. They are bundled away from the fighting line as quickly as possible, but countless thousands are left with the wrecks of their homes, and no relief funds get to their unhappy corner, and you can imagine what this help of ours means to them.
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