Evening star., 1915-02-15
AMERICAN AID IS VITAL
IN SUSTAINING BELG|ANS
Starvation Would Follow Cessation
of Relief Work-Germans
Support Activities.
OF the Associated Press


BRUSSELS January 29.-Brand Whit
lock, the American minister in brus-
sells. and Henry w. Diederich, the
American consul general in Antwerp
who were sources from whom the AS
sociated Press correspondent soushI
information as to the progress OF re-
lief work. both declared that the Ger
man authorities were cooperating SO
far as possible in the service whlch
outsiders were trying to render 10 'he
distressed Belgians.
Mr.. Whitlock. fresh and alert. not
withstanding the strain of the past
few months. is still actively interested
in the work of the American rehet
committee. and, discussing its impor-
tance, he said:
There are places where the cessa-
ton of our work for wek "ouiu
mean starvation. I believe that its
cessation for three weeks would mean
hunger throughout Belgium. A GER
man officer said to me YESTERDAY Una
to stop it for day would mean SUI
fering in some localities.
Has Large Quarters.
The committee is now so systemat'-
cally established that its headquarters
occupy no less than twenty-five rooms
which, like the offices of an American
skyscraper. are lettered at the door
with the names of the various depart
ments.
Throushout Brussels there is such
magic in the word American that
even the cabman no longer pesters
Americans for tips. Hand him the eN-
act fare. If he knows you are Amer, !,
can he will smile and say Thank you
and appear to be sufficiently rewarded
with the honor of having an i hn,eiiSart S,,t
! for his fare. 1t is a trifling thing, put
in strange contrast to the ante-bellum
DAYS. when a Brussels cabman looked
to Americans for big tips and was
never satisfied. however big the UP
mi ght be-
Although there is much bitter want
in all Belgium. Brussels. to one VINO
knew the city we'll before the war
forms in the street-much as in nor
NAL times. Striking, however, is the
number of beggars mainly Old women
and very young children, ana tne
At night there is the same ceaseless
promenading through the main streets
that has always formed such a charac-
teristic picturesque part of life in the
Belgian capital. but at IL o'clock most
of the street lights are extinSuished
and the bars and cafes are closed.
Evidences of Strict Rule.
This early closing and the fact that
only beer and light wines are permit
ted to be sold are the chief outward
evidences of the strict German rule of
the conquered city These conditions,
however are more apparent than real.
The German soldiers are good pa
irons of the shops. paying for their
purchases in cash. but the buying pow
er of the people is steadily-and rapid
ly-growing less. Industry, except in
some of the coal and iron mines along
the Meuse between Liege and Huys, is
PROSTATE. The better class people re-
naming are living on their incomes or
Bon Marche. for instance. one of the
largest of the Brussels stores. there
appear to be only about a third as
many clerks as before the war, and the
large lace factory visited by the corr
respondent was quite idle
| Girls in the Fields.
There are no more Americans, no
more English, no more SpanIards, vis-
iting u.s." said the young woman in
charge. The girls who worked here
are in the fields"
In Antwerp conditions are far worse.
Business is PROSTATE and actual want
increasing. Along the miles of
wharves of the city's splendid harbor
the idle ships lie rusting at their
moorings. Millions of feet of lumber
are stacked in the deserted yards, and
where ordinarily swarms of working
men load and unload the busy ships. a
solitary watchman makes his deserted
rounds.
The city is overrun with beggars and
NtA che ,nfH
tered about the city are wrecked and
burned buildings, showing where Ger
man shells fell during the lombard
ment of the city.
THE life is most monotonous. COM
planned Consul General Diederich.
with the exception of members of my
staff and of the American relief work
ers, there are, SO far as J know. only
two Americans left in Antwerp"
Returning from a visit to sick rela-
tives. brother and a niece, James
Kennedy, sixty-fve years old. fell from