The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-02-09
STARVATION NEAR,
BELGIUM ASSERTS
Government Declares German Order
Will Prevent Any Supplies Going
In-Immunity Demanded.

HAERE, Feb. 9.-The Belgian gov
eminent, replying to inquiries respect
ing the effects upon Belgian relief work
Of the rupture between the CnitcdI
States ana Germany, has made the fol
lowing statement:
The German government. after hav-
ing notified President Wilson Of its de-
termination to begin unrestricted snb-
marine warfare, charged the German
administration at Brussels to communi-
cate its determination to the American
Spanish and Dutch ministers at Rrus
sells and to the president Of the Nation
al Committee for Belgian Relief and
Supplies, making known to them the
terms Of the blockade decree against
England in the Mediterranean. The
German administration made ar +he
same time a declaration affirming that
the German government did not wish
to hinder the feeding Of Belgium by
the commission for relief in Belgium
but that It intends to impose hence
forth upon ships transporting food for
Belgium or northern France the new
rules imposed upon navigation.
The German government bv this
communication has evidently desired
to lead Belgian opinion to impute to
England responsibility for all hin
ORANGE or trouble that might result for
the feeding of Belgium By the appli-
cation Of the harsh regime decreed by
Germany.
This representation of the situation
IS inexact. England has always given
active cooperation to the feeding OF
Belgium by the vessels of the relief
committee, and if tho continuance Of
the work depended upon tho decisions
of Great Britain the Belgian govern
ment would not have the slightest anx-
! lety. The obligation Tor relief ships
| 10 submit their eargoas for inspection
as 10 contrahand has never caused the
least obstacle in the past and would
not IN the future. The actual difficult
I ties placed by the German communica-
| tion are elsewhere.
The first is inherent in the phvsi-
/ cal condition of navigation, in that the
j vessels of the relief committee must
/ call at port TO take coal necessary for
/ the return voyage, and this port of call
! IN the present circumstances must be
! an English port, because there is no
/ other at which coal may be taken. The
I second circumstance is that the com
mission obtains in England one fifth of
! the food necessary to provision Bel
gium. However one NAV look at the
! question tine feeding Of Belgium i,
seriously Obstructed bv Germany unles,
: the vessels Of the relief committee are
allowed TO penetrate the zone of block
! AIDE.
! Germany is aware Of it. II. never
theless, she maintains her general
threat of destruction without excepting
4 the ships OF the relief committee sh,
| Will obhga neutralS and Belgium t.
conclude that she is not sincere wher
She atiirms that she does not wish Il
hinder the feeding of Belgium. II
/ reality the only way in which tn, Ger
man government may prove its SINGER
ity and not interfere with this urovi
sioning is to guarantee complete i'm
munity, and without reserve. to the re
lief committee 5 ships. 1t must no
bc overlooked that she has not done 81
in her notifications To the ministers a
Brussels protecting the relief commit
J tee and that she has not offered to civ,
such q guarantee eventually
1T appears, then. that all affirma
tion of good will given ny the German
authorities ut Brussels is vain, becaus
: it lacks the essential element which
/. alone would entitle it to faith; that i
to say, complete immunity assured t
the ships OF the relief committee &c. Tha
, immunity depends only upon the Ger
, man government.
'sFhp opiniou If montreal conn
tries viii certainly be in accord wit
Belgian opinion to demand it from
Germany as a pledge of sincerity an
rs a right that is vital to the Belgia
population. As to the British govern
: mant, whose favorable disposition i
4 well known, Belgians are assured o
r finding from that side all support dc
f, sirahle to solve the practical ditiicultic
resulting from the evolution of tn
. war