El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-29
Belgians Look for NeD Des-
oIdtion When Germans
Are DriUen Out.
AMERICAN FOOD
SAVES THOUSANDS
Interruption By Germany
With american Shipments
Would Make Famine.


DARIS France. April 29.-Belgians
- rear that when the Germans
finally are driven from Belgium,
II that time should ever come, they
will blow the towns and cities they
are forced TO abandon.
This fear is expressed by Maurice
Maeterlinck, poet and playwright, who
has been working, by request OF King
Albert, for the relief Of the people Of
Belgium.
'What we fear more than anything
else" said Maeterlinck, lis that the
Germans, when compelled to withdraw
from the country. viii blow up all
the towns they have spared heretofore,
Client, Bruges and Brussels They
seem to take a particular delight I'm
destroying everything they cannot
carry off or are forced to give up.
The devastation Of Flanders has filled
my heart with sorrow. From my
earliest childhood 1 have lived i'm
Ypres and Dixmude. They seemed 10
be part Of my very soul
Says Germans Garry OFF Everything.
Even in time Of peace" Maeterlinck
said, Belgium IS able TO produce only
two-thirds Of the amout of grain
needed TO feed her population. The
rest has 70 be imported The war
broke out just when we were harvest
ing, and. cut off from the rest OF tho
world, as the Belgian people have been
since then, they have had to see the
German armies cOnfiscating and car
rying away every pound Of food within
the country.
And that was not all, the Germans
also carried off every other thing they
were able 10 use. coal and machinery,
cotton goods and woolens raw or
manufactured. leaving nothing behind.
devasting the country like an immense
swarm OF locusts.
Spare Supplies From America.
1.-THE Germans have not yet at
tempted to take any Of the huge guam
titles Of food which the American peo-
pie has sent into Belgium via Hol-
land. You Americans are practical
people and the way your cOuntrymen
have organized and carried out the
charitable work which has saved hun
dreds Of thousands Of Belgian lives, is
worthy Of the highest admiration. We
shall never forget the debit Of graft
tGde we owe to the people OF the
greatest republic I'm the world.
Even Rich 60 Hungry.
1T is not only the poor among my
couutrymen at home who are depen-
dent on the food sent from America.
AS there is absolutely no food in the
country, even the well to do and rich
are compelled to get their food
through the committee at a suitable !
price. Whenever a cargo is delayed !
for some reason or other, almost the
entire population Of Antwerp gathers
on the quays and waits for the steamer F.
In despair and fear that Il may have /
been tOrpedOed by the enemy. Should I,
war break out between the United
States and Germany or should the re- /
lations become so strained that Ger I
many did not feel inclined to respect .
the integrity Of the American food .
ships. I shudder to think what would
happen 10 these poor people. They
would die from starvation as surely as
il they were afloat on a raft in the
middle Of the ocean.
Some statesmen talk Of giving Bel
gium an indemnity in the form of an
extension Of territory. / do not see
how this might be done. but a ma
terial, substantial indemnity from Ger
many viii help the Belgian people to
recover
Would Make Germany Pay.
Il believe Germany can be made to
pay. Tho money will not have to be
paid at once. Fortunately the Ger
mans are an industrious people. We
must compel them to work for us for
30 years. perhaps for a century. These |
people have broken all the laws of
they must take the con-
sequences"