The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-06
To His Edninence,
JAMES CARDINAL GIBBONS,
s.. Archbishop of Baltimore.

ArcnD1SnOp OF BalLImOTc.
MY Lord CARDINAL:
Profound compassion Of a father
has again moved Our Heart, whensWe
read an important letter recently sent
to Us by the distinguished Chairman
Of the praiseworthy Commission for
Relief in Belgium" describing in few
words, yet showing proof of most ter
Tfble reality, the pitiab1e situation of
numerous Belgian children who, dur
ing two sad years, have been suffering
from the lack of that proper nourish-
Ment necessary to sustain the tender
existence OF bud ding chill hood
In most moving terms the Chairman
has described how SO many deso1ate
families, after having given everything
humanity possible to, give, now find
themselves with nothing left with
which to appease the hunger Of their
little ones. 80 rs
He has made Us see, almost as If
they were passing before these very
eyes, dfnnrned with tears. the long file,
; continuously increasing, OF Belgian In
]. 1ants waiting for their daily distribu.
Z 416n Of bread: unhappy little ones
whose bodies, ennaciated by lack of
proper nutrition. bear not fnfrequent1y
the impress OF some deadly sickness
brought about by their failure to re-
cefye the food which children Of their
age require.
In his letter the Chairman has told
Us how, in order to ward off so much
fitness. his Commission, displaying
the very best Of good will and stopping
1T no sacrifice, has arranged for the
distribution to the children Of daily
supplementary meal He sorrowfully
adds. however, that unhappily owing
, to INSULT cient means, the Commission
has found itself unable to prepare and
supply such extra food to all the ba-
bies who have need OF it.
In this emergency the worthy Chair
man has turned his thought and his
heaFt to the millions Of children of
your happy, noble, America, who, in
the abundance with which they are
now surrounded, could they be given
an exact idea of the pitiable. and I'M
fortunate condition of their little fell
! low creatures in Belgium-more es-
! pecially if an appealing and encourag-
ing word might reach them from Us
would not hesitate moment to CO.
operate heartily, in accordance with
some. pre-arranged plan. to come
prOnapt1y to- the relief Of those needy
Belgium babies. ,t e..
In. view OF this condition of affairs,
; We have considered the work indicat-
ed so humanitarian. and so holy that,
ia prompt compliance with the appeal
addfesser to Us by those who are di-
feeting the work of the Commission,
! We have decided to approve and rec
OnaHaend it., as We hereby do endorse
it most heartily by these words to you,
My Lord. Cardinal, and through you, to
f1aa iliHstrious members Of the Ameri-
! can Episcopate, to the Clergy and to
every generous heart; but particularly
TO those children of America upon
WheFn is based every hope of success
for the plan devised by this benefieieHt
Institution.
Neither do We doubt, ia truth, but
that the happy children of America,
without distinction of faith or of class,
ut this approach Of another winter
lWhieh it is announced will be even
HaSe severe and painful than the two
preceding years, will vie, in their inno-
cent pride, with each other to be able
to extend to their little brothers and
sisters Of the Belgian nation, even
though across the immense ocean, the