Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-10-17
AN. APPEAL FOR AID
TO STRICKEN ALBANIA
Of the $3o,000,0o0 Sent to Europe
by the United States This
Country Had None.

VIM. Willard Howard, secretary
of the Balkan relief fund, sends the
Freeman-Tribune the following re-
lief appeal:
While the people Of the United
States have been sending thirty mil
lion dollars worth of relief to Eur
Iope and Turkey, two hundred thous-
and women and children in Albania
have died of starvation.
William Willard Howard, of New
York, who has returned from his
third trip to this hunger ION Of
Europe, predicts that the entire pop
ulation of Albania will die of fam
inc and pestilence unless helped. He
says that in Albania corn is fifty
dollars a bushel, flour eighty dollars
a sack, and macaroni five dollars a
pound.
"The tragedy of Albania" says
Mr.. Howard, sis that a nation is dy-
ing of hunger, while the people of
the United States, laden with gifts
for the rest Of Europe ana for Tur-
key, pass by on the other side.
"Thirty millions Of dollars have
been given by the people OF the
United States for relief work of var
ious kinds in Belgium, Poland, Ar
menia, Syria and the warning coun-
tries of Europe, while two hundred
thousand women and children in
Southeastern Europe have starved
to death unheeded and uncared for.
Not one woman or child has died of
hunger in Belgium; two hundred
Thousand in Albania.
els it fair-is it human-that the
innocent women and children of AL
bania, who never did anyone any
harm, should be trampled under foot
and left to perish, at a time when
all others r fed?
"Is this American fair play?
81 have appealed for help in high
places. I have begged j crust of
bread of those who have given mil
lions to Belgium, Poland, Armenia
and Syria. I have begged in vain.
"The Albanians are as much en-
titled to sympathy and help as 9th
ers. They have not taken part in
the war. They fed and sheltered
the refugees from Servia, even with
the last measure of corn that the
famine-smitten villages possessed.
They have not done any wrong; yet
armies have swept over their coun-
try, taking what could be found to
take, leaving to the starving chill
dren only the of dead
horses in the streets.
81 ask only American fair play
for the famished children OF AL
bania.~ I ask OF all fair-minded men
and women in the United States:
why should the Albanians-three
hundred thousand of whom are
Christians-be left to starve, while
we press forward, in generous riv-
airy, to feed the others? The Al
banians are more numerous than
the Armenians; yet we feed the Ar
menians and let the Albanians
starve.
Having appealed to deaf ears in
high places I now appeal to the
plain people-to fair-minded men
and women who would not let even
a dog starve to death, no matter
what his breed. l want to 60 back to
albania with a shipload of food. l
have arranged for a ship-a new
American ship, just launched and
fitted for sea. The ship is ready and
waiting.
"a number Of distinguished gen.
ltlemen in New York-mostiy clergy
men and editors Of newspapers
will cooperate in an appeal for a
relief cargo for the ship. The
treasurer selected to receive contri-
buttons Is the Rev. Frederick Lynch,
I'D. D., editor of The Christian Work
and secretary of the Carnegie
lChureh Peace Union. Contributions
in any amount-from the price of a
loaf of bread upward-may be sent
to the Balkan Relief Fund, 70 Fifth
avenue, New York city"