Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1915-11-18
NEED IS GREAT
IN BELGIUM
AND FRANCE
Over Three Million People in Bel
gium and France Must Be
Clothed and Shod BY Christ
mas Is HoOver'S Opinion.
COMMISSION MAKES
APPEAL TO THE U. S.
Those for Whom Aid Is Asked
Live Within Occupied Zone of
Two Countries; Industry There
Is ParaIyzed.

NEW YORK, Nov 17.-Over three
million persons in Belgium and North
ern France. mostly women and young
children, must be clothed and shod by
Christmas II the garments and shoes
for these destitute people are not
forthcoming at once. their sunerings
during the winter will become des-
perate.
Such is the note of an urgent ap-
peal issued to the people of the Unit
ed States by the Commission for Re
lief I'm Belgium The New York Com
mittee has received from Mr Her
bert Hoover. chairman OF the commit
tee, the following statement:
1T appears TO me that it is neces-
sary for us to go frankly to the Amer
ican people and ask them TO clothe
the destitute in the occupied areas Of
Belgium and Northern France during
the coming winter
There are nine million people in
these areas and Of these over one
third are now either wholly or partial
ly destitute and are today receiving
their food either wholly or partially
without payment
"As you know. We have 1r1 mp econ
omic measures based on the ability
of a portion of the population 10 pay
for it's food which, with the contribu-
tions of other countries, enables US
for the present TO find the bare mini
mum of food supplies for the whole
nine million people, but we have no
/ reserves with which to provide cloth
ing for the destitute We now plead
for help on their behalf
Even If these nine million people
had money they could not import
clothes. or the raw materials with
which to manufacture them through
{. the blockade into an area under mill
tary occupation While the better
classes have some clothing with which
they can get along the destitute are
composed OF the working classes who
naturally had little reserves of cloth
I ing when the war broke out The on
/ Ily additions they have received since
l then have been the generous contribu.
tions from America. Canada and else
where By Christmastime all the
clothing which we have in our various
establishments will be exhausted
| 1T is a certainty that the undue eI-
posure of underclad men, women and
( children to the bitter winter will
greatly increase mortality The cloth
| ing for these people can be provided
only if we receive gift supplies for
( the purpose We must depend upon
/ the American people.
I'VE have arranged that the cost of
/ transportation OF clothes from any
central point i'm the United States to
Belgium and Northern France and OF
the distribution will be paid for out OF
funds which have been especially pro
vided so that the whole American con
ltributions will reach the destitute
without one cent of deduction.
In the matter of the character OF
clothing for these people, we are cur
rounded with a multitude of Difficult
ties In the first instance the drastic
sanitary arrangements made by the
governments through whose territory
we must pass make the introduction
of secondhand clothing especially in
the areas of the operating armies
where the want will be greatest, prac
tically impossible.
I'VE therefore must ask frankly fol
new clothing and more particularly
for unmade material. Not that the
destitute in Belgium and Northern
France are not intensely grateful fol
1 secondhand clothing but as a matter
of necessity. we are forced TO ask on
ly for unwon stuifs
1T must be borne IN mind tha
those for whom we appeal are livinl
under almost total industrial paraly
p sis that many millions of them arr
! idle and that the cry we have from
, them daily is: Give us something Il
, do give as something TO work on, 81
+ that we may contribute 10 our sup
) port Therefore. il We can nrovid
them with materials thew will max
} 40 their own clothing. Furthermore
the poor Of Belgium and Norther
= France can devise an extraordinar
I amount OF clothing out Of a sivei
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