Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-22
BELGIANS MUST
HAVE MORE FOOD
Steps Taken to Feed Them and
Residents of Northern France
Coming Year

London correspondence of the AS
sociated Press) The Commission for
Relief in Belgium announces that ar
rangements have been completed with
all the interested governments for the
augmentation during the coming year
of the relief to be provided to the
100000 civil population in the occu-
pied provinces of Northern France.
The steady exhaustion of food reserves
and the diminishing vitality of the
population has necessitated a consid-
cradle increase in the rations hitherto
provided, especially for the industrial
populations in the Lille and Valen-
ciennes districts.
The allied governments have facili-
lated financial arrangements by which
the monthly resources Of the commits
sion exclusively for the French popu-
lation are to be increased from
s3,4o0.000 month to $6,000,000 a
month. This sum will be used to pro-
vide increased imports from over seas
and from Holland.
To Requisition Crops
The German general staff has under
taken, in order to prevent speculation
and to secure rigid distribution Of the
harvest in the north of France, to
requisiuon the entire cereal and potato
crop and to guarantee to the relief
commission for the use of the civil
population a minimum supply of 200
grams of flour and 400 grams of pota-
toes per capita per diem from the
harvest. Miscellaneous vegetables
poultry, etc. are free from requsition
by the Germans and are reserved for
n nj t1ntt 1,ttf
system of control of the distribution
of these products is possible.
The arrangements with regard to
native wheat and potatoes involve fur
nishing from these crops about Is, 900
tons of wheat and 5000 tons of po-
tatoes per month and the commission
expects to import about 10000 tons
per month of wheat, bacon. lard, meat
rice, beans, sugar, coffee, etc. The
combined native and imported sup
plies will provide a ration equal to
about three-quarters of normal human
consumption but yet sufficient to main
tain the population in health.
Negotiations Not Completed
Negotiations are not yet completed
as to the food supply and finance for
the two other political divisions occu-
pied by the German army which the
commission looks after; that Is, first
the two Flanders, with a population of
100000 people, which is under the
German general staff. and with regard
TO which, like Northern France. the
commission deals directly with the
general staff, and second, the remain
ing part of Belgium, which is under
General Won Bissing, comprising
5,760,000 people, and where the COM
mission carries on its negotiations with
the German authorities through Min
lister Whitlock.
In these areas also, because Of the
depletion of the native food supply
and the increase in the mum ber of the
destitute, the importations must be
largely increased. With all the re-
sources which the Belgians and the
Belgian government can bring to bear,
a considerable part OF the cost of the
support of the destitute population
must depend on public charity from
abroad. This load has lately been in
creased by the necessity on account of
failing health conditions of giving a
supplementary ration to all school
children, which makes an added drain
on the resources of the commission of
S1,o00.0oG month.