Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-03-29
u. S. QUITS
RELIEF WORK
IN BELGIUM
President Orders Americans Out
of Occupied Districts
Dutch Will Take
Up Work.
CANNOT TRUST M
Commission's Ships Sunk, and
Other Promises Broken, So
America Will Not Fur
Their Risk Citizens.
CANNOT TRUST NJ

Washington, D. c.. March 26.-Amer-
lean relief workers in Belgium and
American Minister Brand Whitlock
have been formally withdrawn from
Belgium. Official announcement to
this effect was made at the state de-
%part1nent this morning.
The American relief commissioners
will be replaced, as far as possible, by
members of a joint neutral commission,
largely under the supervision of the
Dutch military officials.
Brand Whitlock will go to Hayre.
France, resuming his duties as minister
at the temporary Belgian capital.
Secretary Lansing, at the direction Of
president Wilson. sent a note to h
Netherlands accepting it's offer to take
over the work of the commission.
The action of the president in order
ing the Americans out was based on
the belief that nothing vas to be gained
by Keeping Americans longer in terri
tory occupied by German troops in Bel
GUM and nothern France
100000 People Fed.
Founded, inspired and made efficient
by Americans, the Belgian relief com
mission has kept from starvation g.
ooo, GOO people in Belgium and another
100000 in northern france. The
United States will ~henceforth be able
to continue participation in the work
only by financial contributions. Chair
man Herbert C. Hoover, on leaving
New York for Europe recently. said
that Americas work of supplying the
means OF relief had only just begun.
From Amsterdam. he and other Ameri-
cans will help direct the work.
The withdrawal has been inevitable
since the severance of diplomatic rela-
tons with Germany. Soon after thai
be German military authorities order
IL ~, 1~s n,1, In IA
ception of Brand Whitlock and three
others who were restricted to Brussels.
Ihe commission realized Immediately
that he British Woul not allow allies
to pass the blockade into Belgium
without adequate guarantees and they
felt that the Germans We're simply
making an effort to throw the onus of
1lscontlnuing the work upon the Brit
iSh.
The commission Immediately replied
by ordering all of its men to leave Bel
GUM. Evidently Germany had not eX-
pected such drastic action and the COM
mission vas asked to retract it's or
der with the explanation that the orig
NAL German order had been given out
by a subordinate without authority.
The men were ordered to remain, but
none had the slightest hope that 1t
would be more than %ep1porary
About 45 Americans in Belgium and
northern ran are affected by the
new order.
The following announcement was
given out by the state department.:
by direction of the president the
minister at Brussels has been instruct
ed to withdraw from Belgium with for
eisn diplomatic and consular officers
and tax up his official residence at
Havre.
After consultation with the commits
sion for relief in Belgium, Mr.. Whitlock
has also been instructed to arrange for
the departure of the American members
of h commission. This step, the seri-
BUSINESS of. which is fully appreciated
by the government, was taken only
after a careful consideration and full
consultation with all the interests in
volved.
Tried to Aid Helpless.
when diplomatic relations with
Germany were broken off, the normal
procedure would have been to with
draw the minister at Brussels and the
American members of the relief COM
mission. Both the government and the
commission, however, felt a heavy
moral responsibility for the millions OF
innocent civilians behind the German
lines and 1t was decided that the work
of the commission must be kept going
despite difficulties. until continued
American participation became impos.
sible.
For over two years it has been the
single minded purpose of this govern.
ment and the commission to see thai
these 100000 of civilians were fee
and with this end in view the Ameri.
cans concerned have submitted to re.
strictions forced on them by the Ger.
man authorities. which, under ordin
airy conditions, would never have beer
tolerated.
Whit!ock Is Harassed.
Immediately after the break in re.
%iations, the German authorities il
Brussels withdrew from Mr.. Whitlocl
the diplomatic privileges and immuni
ties, which he had up to that time en-,
joyed.
His courier service to The Hagu
was stopped; he was denied the priv
ilege of communicating with the de
partment of state in cipher and late
even in plain language. The member
of the relief commission were place,
under great restrictions of movemen
and communication, which hampere,
the efficient performance Of their task
In spite of all these difficulties the gov
eminent and the commission were de
termined to keep the work going till tn
last possible moment.