Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-16
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION
Of HUNGER-sUFFER|NG
People In Belgium Gradually Out
Down on Their Rations TIL
They Arc Starving.
PLEA FOR SPEEDY RELIEF
Victims of German Cruelty Have
Barely Enough to Keep Body and
Soul Togethor-Report Received
by Relief Commission.


WASHINGTON, July ia graphic
description Of the acute suffering from
hunger in Belgium is contained In the
latest report received by the Commits
sion for Relief in Belgium. Reference
| to the locality covered by the report
is omitted.
Where an entire nation is on a half
ration. it Is obvious that IL one indi-
Vidual gets more than his share.
another man starves
The report follows in part:
Since the declaration of the block
ade on February 1 and the consequent
decrease Of arrivals at Rotterdam. food
| ratfons In Belgium have diminished on
rapidly sliding scale. In the early
part Of February the combined peas
beans-rice ration, which hitherto in
the province had averaged 1000 grams
per month. was out to 500 grams; that
OF baco nand lard from 500 grams to
40o grams monthly. On February Is
the daily flour ration OF 800 grams was
lowered to 225 grams
During the months Of December and
January and even before the reduc-
tfon OF those rations, we had received
| many well-founded complaints on the
serious insfYlciency OF food in tho popu-
lous an Industrial regions. This sud
den cut OF about third in food
furnished by the Commission for Re-
lief In Belgium. with the prospect OF
no improvement during February and
| March. very cold months. when the
poor would be in greatest need of
| nourishmcnt was the beginning of
grave situation.
n n ~Du
AS EMPHATIC AS FAIR
During the latter part of Fcbru-
airy our Offices were besieEed daily by
delegations coming from different parts
OF the province. particularly from the
region of :, composed at ono time
of workingmen. at another of work
mems wives and at another OF unem-
pfoyed. These delegations explained In
| a quiet and reasonable way their dis
tress and that OF tho people from
whom they came. bat the earnestness
of their demands was as emphatic as
was their fairness
"A visit made into the homes ot
these people revealed the lamentnble
existing conditions. On February 27,
unaccompanicd. I dropped into an in
dustrial town OF 1000 people. Singing
out at random a number Of homes Of
the working class. 1 made careful
examination OF the conditions in each
one and talked over the food matter
with their inhabitants. This inveati-
cation showed. in brief:
II. That the people were practically
subsistins on the Commission for Relief
in Belgium rations and had little nour-
ishment In the way OF native food
stuffs.
rh,f t.,
were practically no native food prod
ucts save in exceptional cases-no pre-
serves of any kind; that the Belgium
Relief Commission ration was often
eaten in advance. 90 that tho family, in
waiting its next semiweekly bread ra-
| ton. was sometimes without food in
the house during day at a time.
3. That as n general rule two scant
| meals a day were eaten and the fami.
lies went to bed without supper carly
In the evening to avoid the panHs of
hunger.
4. That The women and older chill.
dren mot admitted to the 'Soure SEQ.
iatren suffered especially from the
| fact that they were obliged to give
! part Of their daily bread ration to
| the father. who needed this to have
strength for his daily work.
D. That tho men. especially the
| miners. were in an emaciated and
greatly weakened condition. due to tho
| fact that their work was using up
their bodies faster than their scant
food allowance could replace this spent
energy.
EVEN GERMAN SOLDIERS
| MOVED TO SHARE FOOD
| conditions were 30 bad in this and
surrounding villages that 1t was a
wel-known fact that the German SOL
diers 1uartered In the homes of the
poor were often moved by compassion
10 share their noae-too-large daily ra-
| IONS with the children OF the house.
hold
| The conditions OF Belgian workmen
| IN Belgian shops and mincg, as I yerf-
ned by visits to their shops and into
'he coal pits in early March, were
growing increasingly serious as a re-
suit OF the reduced rations from the
commission for Relief in Belgium.
During February and March the
Aoupe Populaire' was put in operation
everywhere in the province. which
movement obtained for us the attribu-
ton OF certain additional quantities
OF imported foodstuffs. The fact that
the number Of clients for the daily soup
ration jumped from $4,000 on February
10 100000 in the province alone at
the end OF March is a barometer of
the serious situation into which the
population is falling
In spite OF the additional aid given
oy the Soupe,' our offices were an.
preached daily by crowds of workers,
bands of women and unemployed to
whose earnest and reasonable pleas
we could give no satisfaction. In mid
March riots and demonstrations took
place In number Of Industrial villages.
inc German troops were obliged to
intervene at two points. Private stores
as wen as several OF the Commission
TOT RELIEF in Belgium stores were pill
iaged In different villages. The Mayors
OF certain excited towns in one region
had TO oblige all Inhabitants to be
within doors after $40 T. NJ. to prevent