Arizona republican., 1916-07-17
PROUD OF WORK
 OF AMERICANS
 AIDING BELGIUM
Republican A. p. Leased Wlrel

LONDON, Jul y16.-A. J. Hemphill, of New York. treasurer of the Commis- sion for Relief in Belgium, has re- turned from trip of inspection which covered thoroughly the operations of commission in Belgium and Northern France, and he expresses himself to the Associated Press as very proud of the work which the Americans are do- ing in the occupied areas.
 In order to secure permission to en- ter Belgium, MT. Hemphill had to go to Berlin, where he spent several days. He said:
 "I was greatly impressed while in Berlin with the difference of opinion which exists among prominent Ger mans as to the advisability of permit ting continuation of the present system l of relieving the Belgians. The shortage | of food supplies in Germany has given | rise to considerable criticism of the | German governments action in agree ing to the allies demand that the whole l of the native food supplies in Belgium should be handed over to the relief or ganization for the sole use of the Bel gians. An influential German section maintains that at least a portion of the native supplies produced in Belgium are the rightful fruits of conquest, and that as long as there is any possibility of German women and children and German soldiers being in want of food, Belgium's native production should be cOnfiscated, and the Belgians left to the mercy of her allies.
 Another internal criticism levelled at the German government is that the policy of permitting relief supplies to be distributed merely prolongs the passive resistance which is still prac- tically universal among the seven mill lion Belgians who are under German rule. However, despite the serious op- position on both these scores, I am confident that the more humane policy authorized by the German chancellor will continue to prevail.
 When l got to Brussels my first inn pression was that everything was nor nal, except the absence of vehicles, ow- ing to the scarcity of horses and the prohibition of motors except to a few. The people are we'll -clad, the shops are open and everyone goes about his daily life much the same as in London or New York. At the markets l saw peo- pie buying and selling-mostly vege- tables-and business being freely trans acted in the ordinary way. That was on the surface. When I went to the relief stations where over thirty per cent of the population, who are wholly destitute, get their soup and other pro- visions. I saw in the waiting queues. not only the needy class that one would expect to see, but well-dressed men. md phi drar In I1r-ttG cole .1 elsewhere the human lines that daily wait for the small ration provided by the charity of the world are marked by this same sad feature. Destitutiou is not only widespread, but there are 4now on the bread lines thousands oi the upper classes who never dreamed of coming to such a pass
 Tt is only after being in Brussels for a little time, and after visiting Charle- roi, Malines. Antwerp. Liege and other places that one realizes how mislead- ing are first impressions. The outward appearance of normality is sustained only by the fact that relief to the value of over l.20o.O0O pounds is, so to speak injected into the country every month The external calm is an amazing tribut, to the efficiency of the system whereb, the relief organization provides and dis tributes to this whole nation supplies without which there would be chaos an, unthinkable suffering.
 Both in America and England good deal of uneasiness somewhat nat urally exists as to the relief supplie actually reaching the Belgians I dis cussed this point thoroughly with re sponsible Belgians and with the Amer jeans who are supervising the distribu tion, besides keeping my own eyes ope for any indications of confiscation b the Germans. As a result I am con vinced that the relief supplies sent int Belgium reach in their entirety, tn Belgian people. Except local incident always remedied, I heard of no ir stance whatever of the German breaking their guarantees to respe, the food which the allied government allow to be brought through the blocl ade.
 q was treated with the utmost coi sideration by the German officials al l was impressed with the fact tn there is genuine desire on the part the Landsturm officers who gove Belgium to get along with the situ tion with as little friction as possib
 "The Belgians still live from day day in the undimmed expectancy regaining their independence I mig almost say they live on hope, becau if that wonderful spirit were not the the scanty ration, which~is all the I lief organization can supply, would
 inadequate to prevent increased d