Norwich bulletin., 1915-09-28
STORIES OF THE WAR
Report of Belgian Relief Commission.

Report of Belgian Relief Commission.
The first complete report of the
commission for relief in Belgium, COW
ering the first eight months of its ex-
istence reveals that in income and ex-
penditure >the organization forms the
greatest relief movement of history.
The commission has collected and dis
bursed fifty million dollars, fifteen
million of which has been contributed
in the form of money or gift food by
the people of the United States and
the British Empire and Belgium it
self. The bulk of the income ha come
from other than purely philanthropic
sources, but the raising of this enor-
nous sum has been exclusively the
work of the commission. which by
financial arrangements with Belgian
individuals and institutions, exchange
of currency with Belgium and a sys-
tenn of providing the solvent Belgian
inhabitants, has maintained the entire
population of nation for almost a
year.
A remarkable feature Of the report
which has hitherto received but little
notice is the effort being made by the
| Relgians to help themselves. Over so
per cent. of the money expended by
the commission in benevolence is be-
| ing furnished by the Belgians abroad,
and large amount also is being sup
piled by Belgians in Belgium.
In discussing the report Herbert
| G. Hoover, chairman of the commits
/ sion, said: TT may cause more sur
prise among Americans, who believe
that the United States is provisioning
the Belgian and French people in the
track of war, that only something
! over six million dollars in food, clothes
and money have come from the Unit
| ed States. However, the American
public should realize that the commits
| sion in its organization, working per-
sonnet and political aspects is dis
tinctly American. The American
| charitable support, so early and
ception of the movement when such
backing was vital to the success of
the organization in giving it time to
| build. This support gave the commits
sion its foundation from which it ac-
qu1red the moral prestige that enabled
it to secure vitality necessary conces-
| sions from the various belligerent
governments. Nor is the necessity Of
this valued support at all over. The
problem becomes more difficult every
day, for the number of destitute las
increased from 100000 last October
to 2,750,000 in June and now grows
at the rate of 100000 a month. And
our resources, large as they are, can
not keep pace with the need If the
charitable public loses interest in oul
work. Moreover, the continued sup
port of America is necessary to pro-
vide the commission with the mora
; prestige as an American institution
which it now possesses in the sight o1
the warning powers, and the mainte.
nance Of this prestige can only be Sc.
cured by the continued sentiments
and practical backing of the American
people"
/ The report includes detailed state
ments of the commissions work, sucl
as complete accounts of the DISPOSE
ton Of 1855 cargoes of foodstuffs ant
clothing, and other statistical data, a.
well as a general survey of the situa
ton in Belgium. Tt is pointed out tina
] the organization as 1t stands now
o the result of constant upbuilding,
feature of which has been the organ
| ization of local relief committees Il
4 practically every commune with a fed
n eral system of district and provinces
committees with the Comite Nations
:. at the apex. The relation of thi
i structure to the commission is one c
: joint endeavor and the membershi
of Americans entirely interlocks tn
organization.
: The relief operations are divided in
a to three classes, one to provision til
X entire population another to conduC
y financial relief and exchange opera
tions. and third to care for the des
titute.
The provisioning department" say
the report, lis charged with the dut
: Of revictualling the entire 7,oo0,0'
Is people with necessary imports, and l
j. to June 80 had either dlivered or hs
,r in stock over 500, 900 tons Of foodstuf
. for the Belgian section to the gro
y value of over $45, 000, 900. The who
D of these foodstuffs are resold toll
noDulation through a broad system