Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-25
BELGIAN STOICISM
HID ES DEEP HATE
People Never Laugh Nor Complain,
but Underneath Calm Mighty
Fury Burns.
THEIR sUFFERINGs TERR1BIE

THEIR SUFFERINGS TERRIBLE
LONDON. Jan. el.--'The Impressions l
take away from Liegc are OF wonder
that people can suffer 20 much In az
ience and Of admiration for the bravery
which enables them TO DO it."
This statement was made today by Dr.
p. n. williams OF New York, who at
the suggestion OF the Rockefeller founda-
tion volunteered his services TO direct
the operations OF the American commis-
sion for Relief In Belgium at Iiege and
Is now returning to America. Continu-
ing. he said,
THE people OF Belgium never COM
plain. but they never laugh. Their ssoic-
ism for that Is the only word which de-
scribes their attitude. would mIelead even
trained observers into believing that
everything was going on as usual I'm
der the surface. however they feel Inn
placable hatred because OF their untold
mlsfortunes and sufferings.
ChiId's Letter.
"A little girl at Liege who had been
lucky enough to get warm petticoat
among the Christmas presents distributed
~ AtN NRAhAAtoeAoh WiVtN W tiAt aAhANAA-
.can child who sent II. MY country has
been devastated by the sword. our dear
cure Is dead, our hurgomaster. who was
q doctor and gave all his time to the
poor has been shot; my father, was shot
and I am now living with nuns, eating
bread sent from America.
in the province of 1Aege alone nearly
$4,000 out et a population OF 10000 are
absolutely destitute and entirely de-
pendent upon the commission for food TO
keep them alive. In the principal towns.
Liege, Verviers and Spa. distress is most
acute because the iron mills. gun works.
rubber tire factories. zinc mines and
other industries are closed. Practically
the only exception Is found In the coal
mines, which arc being worked three
days week to obtain fuel to keep the
people from freezing.
Covered with snow.
During the month was in Liege II
showed or rained every day and when
left the province was covered with q
thick blanket OF snow.
AT Louvain and other places Belgian
communal authorities are laying OUT
boulevards and other municipal improve
ments planned iong ago. sinply TO pro
vide work for the people, They can keeT
this work going only three days a weeh
and In payment men are given paper
bonds, which are not negotiable outside
the community In which they live. al
though with them they can buy thell
rations of bread and soup.
I'm smaller towns which have been dc
cN Aal.. -. a a.
the same system to pile UP bricks which
atiil litter the streets and tell OF bon,
bardments the world almost has forgot
ten. All these operations are IN tn
hands OF relief committees.
Line Up once a Dny.
"At least 5000 people line up once I
day for bread and souu at twelve can
teens established by the commission n
Liege, You see no young mens there arr
only old women, children and eripplos
tho distribution starts ut $50 o'clock II
the morning and is not finished unit
Ia o'clock. The women place their half
4 pound ioaves IN net baga and old mel
wrap theirs in bandannf handkerchlefs
which they hide under their coats. Thor
they so 20 another canteen to set thei
allowance OF soup.
"Itich and poor all have to send fo
bread and all get ths Same supply
Rich IL a term Of irory, hut I use /
comparatively to distinguish between th'
distressed and destitute. Think OF stee
magnates. university professors and wei
70 do women accustomed TO liying luxur
iously on Investments. which now brlnI
in no income, being obliged to stand 4
a bread line.
soon Distinctions Gone.
Within few months there viii be n
distinctions to make. because practicalll
every person in Belgium will be depend
! ent on the canteens. Every ones pri
vate means will have disappeared.
before the commission got into opera
tion, scores OF small towns had no brea
at all, since ! arrived at Liege we hav
not failed once TO be able to suppl
rations for the people OF the provinc,
but we have had several close shavei
! ! No one is starving now. but the peopl
ARE beginning TO show signs OF the strai
they are under In being kept alive on :
small a ration. Their faces look draw
and they naturally fall easy Victims I
|, any infection.
: work of Physicians,
4 Belgian physicians are doing splendi
q work. both IN relieving distress and !
4 attending prisoners and wounded. tn
! communal authorities have the sanitap
2 situation well in hand and thanks /
r them there has been no really seriou
epidemics. In this, as in other matterl
the Germans do not interfere. In thi
connection / would like to say that 8
far as l know not one morsel OF the zoo
30 generously supplied TO Belgium is bs
ing taken by the Germans. II IS oni
fair TO say the Germans have given u
every assistance not only In the distr
: button OF reiier supplies. but IN clearin
= the canals OF broken bridges 80 ou
barges can reach towns and village
, whose people otherwise would starve."
Shakes GrOund