The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-11
WAR PLUNeES THREE
PEOPLES into WANT
Besxians, Poles ana Serbs Are Driven
to Doors of Charity During
w Year.
ALI HAD BEEN PROSPEROUS
Belgiums Tragic Condition Best
Known Of Three-Poland's In some
Ways Greater-Servia Suffers Least
from Invasion.

the BelEtans, Pole6 anu 0oh Vs. -
door or charity. begging for bread ana
fine first 10 suffer, and because Of the
marnitude OF her need and the un-
nrecedented spectacle of an entire in
dustrial nation, hard working and eff
ficient plunged suddenly into want
nv \ hostile army, has received far
more attention from the world than
the cases of the Poles and the Serbs.
BEFORE the invasion Belgium boosted
Of a population of approximately IT,
SEQ. 200. about e57 Inhabitants to the
square mile--more than twice the
density OF population of Germany.
Her people depended for food largely
on wheat. 70 per cent of which was
imported, and potatoes and turnips.
practically all home grown. She i'm
ported 80 per cent Of the barley CON-
sumed. 10 per cent Of the peas and
beans, and Al per cent OF the rye.
Her people ate relatively little meat.
producing practically all they rel
CURED
The German armies entered the
country at harvest time. and even
the insufficient food supply which
would have resulted had the Belgians
been permitted to harvest their crops
was denied the unhappy people.
The ravages of war and the requisi-
tions OF the conquerors soon exhaust
ed the food on hand, the country was
completely cut off from the rest OF
the world. all railways were taken
over by the German military authori-
ties and the industries by which the
nation lived, dependent upon import
ed materiaIand upon coal supplies,
stopped.
F1<aH4A
A large part OF the available ami
NAL fodder either WAS reQuisitioned
by the Germans or was destroyed snl
military operations, and great num-
bers of the cattle which had not been
seized by the Germans had to be-
slaughtered. Although for a time this
made meat plentiful and cheap. II cut
down the supply OF milk and laid the
infant population open to the danger
of starvation. Early last spring tnt
meat supply began to be exhausted.
4 A whole nation faced the necessity
OF getting food from the outside or
starve. since even the 100000 of the
population whic.a still had the means
with which TO buy could not buy what
did not exist In the country. and p
10000 were destitute.
ON the Initiative of Brand Whit
lock. American minister at Brussels.
and the Marquis de villalobar, the
Spanish Minister, cooperating with
beading Belgians. conferences were
held In London late In October, at
which the Commission for Relief In
Belgium was organised. with n mem
bership of seventy-one Americans and
four Spaniards. and at the same time
The local Brussels Relief Committee
was expanded into the Comite Ma
tiosai de Secours ct Authorization.
Herbert c.. Hoover. an American min
Ing engineer resident In London. who
had organized the work OF getting
Americans out of the war xone--an
organised effort which handled 42,oos
refugees. 10 per cent Of whom were
destitute-was chosen chairman of the
commission and proceeded to organize
The greatest commissary undertaking
the world mas ever known.
Food was purchased by the commits
zion throughout Canada, the Missis-
pippi Valley, the Pacific Coast. the
Argentine ana India, and large gifts
In kind were received. Steamers were
chartered until the commission had
forty-four steamers under It's flag.
with . cargo capacity Of 100000 tons.
These carried the food to Rotterdam.
where IL was transshippad to a large
feet of lighters. also under control
OF the commission BY early spring
the commission was importing food
stuffs at the rate of $7.soo,o 600 worth
per month.
Figures of Commission's Work.
~. iThg commissioners work asvses& into
two branches, one the importation and
distrfbution OF food TO be bought by
those Belgians who can pay for It:
the other the feeding Of those who.
through Unemployment and other re-
suits OF war. cannot pay. The outlay
for the destitute 10 about $500. 600
4 month
From Belgium the commission sent
investigators into the territory in
North France occupied by the Ger
mans and there found 100000 In dire
need. who were relieved.
Figures issued under date OF April
10 showed that the commission had
delivered 40o,06s tons OF foodstuffs.
valued at s2s,s74,335. and 27f,7fs
tons more, valued u s2i.Ss0.sSo were
on the way or had been arranged for.
The provisioning department Of the
commission has . working capital Of
SO, 900. 600. advanced by banks and
Belgian institutions.
The tragedy OF Poland in some
ways has. been greater than Bel
gium's. The great armies OF the Aus
fro-Germans and Russia have swayed
back ana forth across the country
20 that by spring II was estimated that
800 towns and 5000 VILLAGES had been
submerged by the tide Of war. 5000
Of the villages being raxed to the
Rround. The material damage at t.nat
hme was estimated ut more than $780,
eO0.00o. all stores Of corn and forage
HAD been seixed or destroyed. l.000. 900
horses ana 100000 cattle had been
taken for the armies or had died for
want OF pAsturaxe, 100000 rural
inhabitants had been reduced to beg
gary, ana cities ~ large as Kaiicx.
with 10000 inhabitAnts. suffered ter
rsbly. The $4,000, 900 annual indus
trial production has been stopped and
400. 900 workmen are out OF employ
ment. The majority Of the 5000, 900
living IN towns and cities are fes-
tftute And to add to her tragedy.
poland has furnished 1.500. 0O0 OF SOL
diers about equally divided between
fl1s twu hostile lines. fighting In what
IL 10 fh~ms fratricidal war.
9SOO,OOO 4 Month for Poland.
Relief IN Poland has been IN the
hands OF the citizens committees In