Arizona republican., 1916-02-29
r
 FOOD STOPPED
 SAYS WA[COTT
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel

1 LONDON, Feb. 2S.-Frederick c.
 Wolcott, who spent three weeks in ! Belgium and northern France investi- gating for the Rockefeller foundation
 the work of the relief commission of which Herbert c. Hoover is the head,
 makes the following conclusions: | There would be wholesale starva- 1 tion within three or four weeks if the
 importation of food into Belgium were stopped.
 Tn northern France the percentage
 of indignant people is even greater than
 that in Belgium. because there are vir- tually no native supplies.
 The clothing situation in Belgium
 and northern France demands very se- rious consideration. Unless the work of providing clothing is kept up at a regular rate, there will be very serious 1 suffering in the fall"
 AIr. Wolcott, in his report, says he
 was greatly impressed by the efficiency
 of the relief work and he recommends i that money intended for Belgium and
 France be entrusted to the commission.
 MT .Wolcott said to the Associated
 Press:
 If any who cavil at the sending of ! relief supplies into Belgium could visit Belgium and see personally the
 plight of the suffering people. they would come back as eager for the con- | tiluance of the work as I am
 Of the 7,OOOOOO inhabitants in Bel | gium, Mir. Wolcott said, 3,000,O00 are virtually destitute and drawing daily
 one meal consisting of the equivalent
 of three slices of bread and a pint of
 soup.
 | Depots for the distribution are only large enough to accommodate between thirty and fifty people so a long line
 of hungry extends into the street for a | block or more. Most of those who
 wait are so poor that they have nc Il protection in the shape of an umbrella
 or 2 thick coat against the discomfort
 of stormy days.
 T have seen thousands of people
 l:ned up iu snow or rain, soaked and
 chilly, waiting for bread and soup. have returned to the distributing sta
 tions at the end of the day and have found men, women and children some
 times still standing in line, but later
 compelled to go back to their pitiful homes, cold. wet and miserable. It was not until eighteen weary hours after
 ward that they got the meal they missed.
 There is another stratum of society just above the poorer working people which is only partly destitute, bu' even these must swallow their pride a'.d stand in line every day for tn, supplementary rations. Most of then are mothers and fathers who hay, children oLly partly noIrished. Picture the mental condition of peo. pie without york for more than a year and a>half, daily face to face with tn, possibility of starvation, cut fro com munication with the outside world by Darbed wire and armed cordons of { conquering foreign army.
 Tn every Belgian city, fortnightly
 bulletin boards are placarded with !; bright pink paper German affiche. or which the Belgians can read the name. of their fellow countrymen and womel who have been sentenced to imprison ment for terms varying from q veal to life time for offenses aeainst tn German rule'
 MT. Wolcott said the percentage o indigent was greater in northern Franc than in Belgium. The most destitut il France and Belgium. he said, wer' reduced to one suit of clothes. Th'
 commission, in accordance with it's pol icy. is anticipating the wants of th' population and purposes buying clotl
 by the bolt and having it made up b. natives for fall wear. The children O {. northern France have suffered badl. for the want of clothing and particu larly of shoes. The report concludes: "The conclusion I have arrived at and am going with a perfectly opel mind to report to the Rockefelle foundation, which has no connection
 with Mir Hoover's organization, is tha
 the need is great, both for food an,
 clothing, in Belgium and northern France. There would be wholesal starvation within three or four week if the importation of food were stopped
 The need will continue great fo
 many months after peace is declared Il Factories have been stripped of thei
 machinery. There is a complete stag nation of industry. It will take month
 to rehabilitate these industries and start the wheels again.
 T have reported to the Rockefelle foundation that l am much ;mpresse by the efficiency of the commission fo