New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-18


On II were 800 persons CARRIED as well ..T
would see on Fifth Avenue. They v.r. ], ~ ~
best people Of the fallen city. TS... 49,, u
be sent to the hostels, as we styled "A. -. :.
houses. They were accustomed to trayslII,. m
class They had brought no personal 49,"
with them and husbands wives and chils,., 'n
separated from each other. There wa, ,.,s, ~"
to do but send them to hotels. 's
"The luggage problem was difficult On. ~
of the Antwerp Jews brought the content, a, g..
homes as we'll as personal necessities. Thai, 10
gage was awful. have known a motor ora
to be filed completely inside with luggage h.l,..
ing TO the five Jews who sa. on the roo,
usually found way to get most Of the ,tus.
but the bicycles which some brought ara =
wheelbarrows which others had with them ~
stickers for time. We finally learned to,.
handle even the wheelbarrows. Il wa, as.
caring for those temporarily housed in LopA.
for, naturally, they liked TO 90 about seeing 4.
sights We had plenty 70 do without b..
obliged to serve as guides also. Nearly ever, a.
some would walk down from Earl's Court "a =.
headquarters, a distance Of about FIVE mil.,. =,
then feel too tired to walk back again. We vo,,
have to send them back in the buse,, MIA
were needed for other purposes and at srtr. ~.
pense.
1.-THE health problem was another on. vhlA
had TO be studied and solved. We had two ma.
ternity homes, dspensary and creehs Ia u.
first party of refugees was a family consisting II
father mother and three children in wrstchsd con.
dition. Within an hour after their srr.v,l
fourth child was added 70 the family.
-
men. Most Of them were anxious 70 work. ana
was very desirable, Of course that they .hosn
have employment. The question arose as to 10.
this could be done without sacrificing English
labor. The labor unions did protest nu
finally decided that there could be no objection %
their working II II understood By the En-.
ployers that they were no. 20 supplant English.
men. that they were 70 receive the usual vsg.
for the kind of work done, and that II 1, becsn.
necessary 70 reduce the working force the Bel.
gians would be the first 70 be discharged. II,
Vickers- Maxim Company was very glad to employ
the armorers who had been driven out Of Lee.
and took 5000 men. Work was also found 70,
others
There was an amusing side 20 the work On,
refugee was treated so often that he became II.
toxicated and was taken in by the boobies They
found s92 in gold in his clothes. The fact tia;
refugees had money did not make any difference
in our efforts to give the possessors assistance,
Our idea was that the refugees we're our guests
and not to be treated as il they were psupsn
They would require all their funds 70 re-e'tsblisa
themselves when the war was over Il must be
admitted that few supplemented whatever funds
they may have had by acquiring new Outh. q
clothing at short intervals, the intervals beng
occupied in bargaining with g pawnbroker
among the refugees were many nuns We
used to distribute these TO converts Of their
orders in England. They were the only ones vh'
reached England in an immaculate condition h'E
they kept themselves so clean | cannot imsgas
They always looked crisp and fresh. Among then
were some from a convent in Hpres. They orougs'
with them their Mother Superior woman eighty
two years old who had not left the convent before
within sixty-fve years. When | asked one o.
them in French if they had any friends with when
they could stay, or would like TO communicate, she
responded with the name Of John Redmond. Il
appeared that she was a niece Of the Irish leads'
and that a number Of the nuns were natives Of
Ireland.
zone class of refugees VIC did not want. II was
the kind that came on the Tilbury boat from Rot
terdam. That they we're coming was secret e.
the time, but it will do no harm TO mention Il
now, for the flow has stopped. Every night, about
$50 Begans, soldiers interned IN Holland anl
former German prisoners, would come over WIZ
view to getting back into service again.
1--WE also received one or two doubtful refugees
persons who could not be relied upon TO ssT
knowledge of what they saw away from the '''.
mans. After they came the British goyernnsa'
directed that no refugees should be sent 10 places
within a strip twenty miles wide along the s''
and southeast coasts Of England In peeen0e,
we were called upon 10 care for another els'' v
persons. This was one of the most hesrtors'A,
ing experiences Of our work. They we're men S"'
women who had endeavored TO take care OF 'n'n
selves, but had been forced at last TO ask lo'
assistance. They had reached the limit OF ss'
help.
The extent to which our people we're Will'hs "
make sacrifices for the benefit Of tbs homee''
Belgians is illustrated by two incidents Amon'
the refugees was a family consisting OF mo'n''
and eight children. Before leaving Antwerp 'H'
gave birth to child in house only two dO0, =
from building which was destroyed BY sn''
She was wheeled out of the city on wheeioS'iO'
and taken to Holland. She could not sue"e -.
babe, and it was left with a Dutch COUPE ""'
said they would keep it until the close OF 'hs "a
Naturally she arrived in London IN dis'iS.'''
condition. She was settled with her children 10
quiet place in the country where they eou'' ~
cover from the effect Of their awful experience
Seven weeks later We received Letter Nv
the Dutch family which had the care OF 'ne O',.
saying that the cost Of living had risen so s's'"'
that they could not care for the child any i0ns'
They wanted some one to come for IT, IL vas :.
time when it was especially dangerous 70 CIV,
the Channel or the North Sea by reason o. m'A''