The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-07
CONDITION. UNDER GERMAN RULE
Testifes to Devoted ADJ
miratlon for American
Workers Who Have
Kept the People Alive


Word has Just come from Two fac
tories which are permitted TO run just
.wenty hours a week and no more.
The owners of these faclores have
,een trying since the middle of Au-
gust to get q permit from tho au-
.horities to ship to the borders goods
made for American firms, but without
success to date. The Germans have
:ried. Il Is true. to force the Belglans
to carry on the manufacture If muni-
ions Of war. arms. barbcd wire, &c.
for use against the Began army. I
is certainly not surprising that they
have refused. under great duress AMI
nj the risk OF death. TO perform work
q a most unpatriotic CHI, racter. Nc
other effort has been made by the
Germans TO start up tie mills ant
factories for the production of the
ordinary articles OF. commerce.
The Belgian mine owners lDav" az
tempted to carry on the work Of miI.-
ing regardless OF the loss involved.
| was told by some Of the 'argcs, ami
richest OF the mine oEnI $ ,ha. the
production Of Goa would be continued
Just az long as money could DC pro-
cured in any way to pay the men.
regardless OF the loss involved. And
actually. at that time. tHe mines 81.
the Mons and Charleru. district were
being run on a little less han half
time. although there VAS no possible
way to get the coal to market. Now
the last possible means left to the
Belgians OF carrying IN commerce is
being taken away. for tho Germans
are taking up the rail-; OF the IN
terurban railways. lies chenins de fer
v.cinales," which have been left in the
hands OF the native population up to
this time.
Tic railroads are g'yen over to an
enormous military traffic with tie
corresponding transportation Of tie
necessary supplies and munitions. The
only other type Of is that
carried on by the Belgian Relief Com.
mission. This last had amounted, mp
to July !, to about s2s.c 900, COO arl
had consisted If the transport Of the
veriest necessities rcrnjrHd for the
continued existence OF the Be!gis n
people.
The Germans made Z e,ileut rom
the outset that they had no %irtcnt!un
OF feeding the Belgian. When The
relief work was in it. earliest e'ac.,
one of the high Gerrlln officials -
Belgium interferei and announced
that the relief work was unnecessary
as Germany would care o the people.
At once one OF the officials Of the
Relief Commission, an American. de-
manded that Berlin be asked IL that
represented correctly the attitude of
tba ra,r,ap HUMANITARIAN fov - 10 JiJ
he meant to take the next boat for
/ America. The answer from Berlin
came back stating that the German
official in question did rot represent
the attitude OF the Berlin Government
accurately. And so the relief work
went on.
This relief work is Of course the work
carried IN so brilliantly under the
leadership OF II. e. Hoover, an
American and about which SO much
has been appropriat ely written. Amer
lea has contributed to this worl; gen
erously in money and supplies. but
she has contributed what waa even
moro necessary. the very means 81
carrying on the work which the gifts
OF others might make possible. Ger
many stated that she would permit
food TO go in only II II were under the
control OF the Americans. and Eng
land consented to the importation OF
the food only under the condition that
1t should he under American control
and could thus be guaranteed against
consumption by the Germans. So a
band of devoted Americans has been
engaged In tho care and distribution
OF this food.
The onerous details Of distribution,
OF determination OF the ability OF It's
recipients to pay. OF decision between
necessity and pe~uurousnex. are
handled by tho Belgtans themselves.
This infinitely trying labor In borne by
the bankers. the manufacturers, the
mine owners the business men. the
lawyers, doctors, priests, tho strong