The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1915-02-05
BELGIUM VISITOR
TELLS OF MISERY
All Industries In Country at
Complete StandStiIL
ONE BREAD LINE OF 225, 600

Americas Offerings systematically
Distributed Where They Do the
Greatest Good-All Old Clothes Rem.
oNated Before Being Given to the
Homeless and Hungry Children.
Pittsburgh. }. Rogers Flannery,
chairman of the foreign trade commss-
sion of Pittsburgh. who has just Re
turned from a three months trip to
Europe, reports that conditions In Bel
GUM have not been exaggerated by
journalists and other American OBJ
servers who have visited 1t since the
famine situation developed.
II entered the country by way of
Antwerp" declares Mr.. Flannery. II
found that Antwerp itself had suffered
comparatively little from the Dombard-
ment. There were only 200 or 800
houses destroyed, but the suburbs are
In bad shape. We drove through town
after town which had been rendered
practically ~unlnhabitable by the fight
ing. The worst damage we saw was
at Malines. which has a population of
about 10000. 1t was in awful condi-
don, and there was great suffering.
Cardinal MERCER is looking after the
interests of the poor there as well as
he can. A few days before we arrived
he sent word to Holland that the peo-
pie were on the verge of starvation.
and the commission for relief In Bel
GUM managed to get a small emergen-
CIV SupDly through to them.
when we got off the cart they
crowded around US, begging for money
and help. This was an unique ex-
perience, ! may say. We were very
little bothered by beggars. The peo-
pie are taking their hunger and des-
~titution quietly and silently. | do not
remember that | saw a single tear
shed In all my observation of Belgium.
They seemed TO stand, numb and de-
spairing. waiting for some one to come
and feed them.
when we arrived in Brussels we
found that 225,0 900 people were being
fed daily from twenty two food sta
tons established under the auspices
Of the commission. This does not BY
any means comprise the entire popula-
ton of greater Brussels. These are
only the mes that are absolutely out
Of funds. All the bread consumed in
the city comes from the commissions
supplies, but those not in the bread
line manage TO pay for it In some
manner. The American wheat is is
sued under a strict system of account
ing to the bakeries. and the money so
obtained Is turned back into the treas
ury to buy more food. However. it
seems to me only a question OF time
when all but the very richest citizens
of Brussels will be supplied by the
bread lines.
81 never saw work so scientifically
done as by the Comite National de Sc
u ct d'Aiimentation, the Belgian
body which is taking charge of the ac-
tual distribution of food Perhaps this
is not astonishing considering that the
very ablest people in Belgium are Civ
ing their whole time TO this work. The
country is divided into provinces, and
each province a its W commission.
which receipts for all goods received
from the general committee. The pro-
vincial commission then distributes
the supplies among the different towns.
each of which has a committee OF It's
own These town committees make
the individual distribution.
Brussels, for instance. is divided
into twenty-five relief stations. Every
applicant must apply to the station
nearest which he lives. The local com
mission gives the applicant IA card.
which states his name. address and the
number of members in his family.
Each member of the family is entitled
TO $50 grams of bread and one-half litre
can of SOUP a day. The rations are dis
tributed at appointed hours wnen the
applicants appear with their cards at
the stations and receive as many ra-
lions as there are members OF the ram
ily. The card is marked or puncned
like a meal ticket. 10 guard against
'repeaters. and the committee also
keeps a record on "A duplicate caro- OF
the number of ratiOns issued TO eacn
applicant
milk is distributed to all ehildren
under three years of age. To prevent
adults from taking the milk meant TOR
the children the children are oronght
to the station and consume the milk
there,
"One of the most interesting sign
I witnessed was the work of the CLOTH
ing department AT Brhsseis- lney
were handling both new and second
hand clothes. Some of the weaithiest
women In Brussels were working at
this lob like day laborers They are
giving work to hundreds OF poor WON
en- by paying them for knitting sha wis
and stockings. They collect all the
clothing possible. and the minute care
with which they inspect it is a lesson
TO American charitable assoclauons.
They 20 over all the contributions ana
throw away those garments which are
in bad condition The resi- OF tue
clothing is repaired by competent wo-
men. II then goes TO the oislhieeuhs
denartment where 1t is rendered com
! ~nletely sterile. Finally 1t is cleaned l
COW niles OF secondhand clothing winch