The Washington times., 1915-11-09
HOLLAND CITED As
EXAMPLE IN CHARITY
Or. Van Schaick Declares Gifts
Of Old Clothes Lowest
Form" Of Help to Needy.

Reviewing the relief work he Witness
ed and participated IN while In Bel
Gium and Holland during the spring
and summer, Dr. John Van sohaick.
pastor Of the t'niversalist Church, last
night addressed the Central Division
Conference OF the Associated Charities
at the willard Hotel. His address.
which was replcte with sugsestions tor
charity work on stupendous scale
was as interesting rs II was informa-
tive, and elected prolonged applause.
DIR. Van Schaick made some general
observations before going Into the ue-
tails Of the work among the war ref-
ugees. He said Charity In not meas
ured by money. but by pervice." The
minister declared he had seen evl.
dcnces OF much ignorant charity.
such as the indscriminate sending or
worthless old clothes to refugees VINO
wore better clothing than that donated,
but were suffering for food.
Old Clothes As Gifts.
"rhc giving Of old clothes ia the low
est form OF charitable impulse said
DR.. Van setback. "and the older the
clothes the lower the form" This OBJ
servation caused ripple~of merriment
In the audience.
He cited Holland as the exempllfi-
cation of real national charity. In this
but 4y0O.UcO. he said. there were l.CU.-
100 Belgian refugees. The Dutch took
these into their homes. and into tho
family. treating them as guests.
For us to open our homes under
similar circumstances. to an allen peo..
pie. would be a real test" continued
the speaker. '"rhc situation In Hol.
land was handled much as we would
have handled It In Washington. how
over" he said Local committees took
II up. and when 1t became too large
for them. national organizations. and
then the government with Its greater
resources stepped in.
Labor Problem Difficult.
The greatest problem In Holland was
to care for idleness. This had to be
done without disturbing Holland labor
conditions. which were already shaky
because OF the war conditions. Then.
too. the Dutch felt that the refugees
should do nothing that would interfere
with the employment Of a Dutch ciu-
zen. Many suggestions were taken up
and dropped. and finally sewing circles
In tho camps were determined upon as
tho best means to keep the refugees
employed. They made underclothing
for themselves and for those back home.
for. with all the clothes sent In. there
was a great dearth OF underclothing.
''The greatest problem. however" DR..
Nou SCnatCk eInpnaSlZeu. way tTat OF
establishing employment without the
possibility of planting these people on
Dutch soil or getting them colonised.
because 1t was necessary TO protect Hol-
land and to save to Belgium its human
resources. The people were intensely
patriotic. and talked and sang Of the
timd>when their King would come home
and they would all go back to their
native soil.
Horrors Bring Out Heroes.
This phase of the war" the speaker
said. made me think. despite its hor-
rors and bestisiity. that It's brotherhood
in suffering. its sympathies. It's hero
ism. would some day make possible the
cure Of all our social Ills"
Walter s. Ufford announced that the
annual meeting OF, the Associated Chari-
ties will be held at Rauscher's Monday
evening. November %, and that Miss
Mary T. Richmond. head OF the Russell
Sage Foundation. and former sociologi-
cal worker in Baltimore and other cities.
would be one of the principal speakers.
A report prepared by Miss Jean Cole.
vice chairman of the Third district con-
ference. was read by Miss Alexandrine
Fitch. and addresses We're given by F.
II. Jones. n volunteer worker. and by
Chairman Wallace Streeter.