The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-29
Saving Belgium

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which Americans Of all shades Of opinion agreed
They may wrangle the causes and issues Of the
conflict the meaning Of its political developments
and the significance Of its military movements; the
relative importance OF its events and the probable
duration of its horrors. Even concerning such
clear incidents the violation Of Belgium and
the sinking Of the Lusitana there have been found
advocates for the indefensible. And to the
position and duty of the United States the contro
versy has been hopeless and interminable
But there has been, we say, one matter Of undis-
turbed and comfortable agreement. It haa been
the universal belief that America has been the
savior of the Belgian people-that by generosity un-
paralleled for its magnitude this country, almost
unaided, has kept the breath Of life in the stricken
nation. and has earned the applause Of history for
unique demonstration Of whole hearted self.
| denying humanity.
1t seems a pity to dspel agreeable idea,
but it is lamentaby Inaccurate. The one achieve.
ment in the upon which the people Of the United
States have prided themselves has been grossly ex-
| aggerated. Americas gifts to Belgium. although
huge when compared to ordinary charitable UNDER
takngs. have been paltry when measured by the
need and niggardly when contrasted with what
other nations have done.
These assertions may shock some readers. We
hope they will. The facts have shocked us, and
We acknowledge share of the blame in having
allowed this great cause to languish. But the i'm
mediate need is to face the truth And how gro-
| tesque must seem contentment over having
Saved Belgium" when realize that the total
American contributions in two and a half years
have been hardly more than Great Britain and
France give month; that while our war profits
are mounting by hundreds of millions. our proud
fleet of American food ships has dwindled away:
that even now millions of Belgian men and women
and children pinched with hunger. and that un-
less Americans come to the rescue thousands of
them will die for want Of bread!
There never finer episode in American his
tory than the great outpourng of charity which fol-
lowed the first appeal for the martyred nation.
But in time the first fine fervor of the movement
faded The total of the gifts running into millions
was large that Americans did not realize how
much vaster was the need We split into disput-
ing groups the issues of the war, and became
feverish over our own problems. and forgot the
henevolence shrank month by month"; until it be-
came a trickle.
During the war the American people have given
for Belgium about $40 10000 in money in food and
in clothing. This fact is undeniably impressive /
But Great Britain with expenditure Of $685.
100000 day, has given 100000 a month; and |
France. robbed OF her richest territories with vast
population Of her own impoverished and with the !
crushing burden of war to carry, has contributed
s9'5oo'ooo month. And most of the food repre-
scented by these advances has been purchased in !
the United States. netting us comfortable profit
While American interest has steadily diminished.
the need has grown greater IN Belgium and
northern France regions under the care of the
mission there are 100000 persons and merely to
keep them from starvation requires more than s1o-
100000 month. If all our gifts had been food we
would have saved" the hungered Belgians and
French for about thirty days out of $50!
For every dollar that America has given Great |
Britain and France have given twenty: and, in so |
far as those nations fight on behalf Of Belgium for
every IS we have given Frenchman and a Briton ,
have given their lives.
If Belgium were suffering merely from a great |
catastrophe We could not have done less; but when /
one remembers the cause which she represents how
paltry seems our efforts! 1t was when the second
Philadelphia food ship being loaded. more than
two years ago, that urged the claim of Belgium
IN terms that are as soberly true today:
Shall such people hunger for bread? Shall
those who have laid their very national life
upon the altar of sacrifice be left to perish?
Their sufferings must appeal to every nation;
but OF all the peoples of the earth, Americans
should be the most generous and eager in re-
Spouse. For Belgium has inundated herself
for single principle-the sacredness of n ma
tons pledged word, the sanctity Of treaty OBJ
legations. And that principle is the ultimate
defense Of democracy.
because she has martyred herself, the
Ideals and institutions which we cherish will
live and prosper. She is the creditor Of all
mankind, but the very ward of the American
people. and they will belle their Justice loving
nature If they do not carry to completion the
work OF mercy which Philadelphia has so
sp'endidIy begun. This is summons to show
what Americans think of n people who have
served humanity nobly as did the men of
Saratoga and Valley Forge Those who give
VIII do more than save lives: they will repay
IN small part the debt which we in this land,