Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-18
AMERICA Tagging
IN BELGIAN RELIEF
H. c. Hoover Tells of Work
Done to Keep a Nation
From Starving.
MORE SUPPLIES NEEDED


of wiplng the tears of starvation from
their eyes. according to Herbert G.
Hoover, director of Belgian relief, who
addressed a National Geographic So
ciety audience at the New MASONIC
Temple yesterday afternoon. He as.
serted that foreign nations have NOS
lost sight of the fact that the profits
American commerce and industry have
made out of Belgian relief have
amounted to $3o,o00,o0O. while Ameri.
can contributions TO the fund havs
amounted to less than s10,o0o,ooo.
Mr. Hoover said, in part:
The support We have had has been
precious to us, not only from our gov
eminent and the monetary contribu-
tions of America, but for its encourage
ment, for the weight of American pub
lie opinion which it has afforded us as
background in our endeavors.
Belgium's Gratitude to America.
eff / could only dimly express to you
the gratitude which the Belgian people
daily evidence toward you and us for
this service, you would feel that Amer
lea is overpaid and that or endeavors
on their behalf must not cease. The
barring of heads as we pass on the
roadside, the shouts of 'Nive IAmeri-
que from the school children in Bel
GUM. are but incidents of daily eN
perience in the overwhelming graft
tude of the Belgian and French people.
Again today the shiver of terror
runs through the population at the re-
port that the Americans may leave a.
any moment. Since February 1st seN-
enty ships have been fugitive in many
ports. and the arrival Of every ship
load of food in Rotterdam is daily
JOY to the Belgian people.
The creation of this instrument has
been made possible only by the in
telligence. devotion and self-sacrifice
of the Belgian and French people
themselves. No brighter page has
been written in the history of these
people than the devotion of every in
telligent man and woman in these
countries to the administration OF re
lief TO their own countrymen- Inc
women of Belgium and northern
France have devoted themselves hour
ly in every waking moment for over
500 days to the efficient. careful ana
tender care of the children of the poor
If I mention no names. 1t is because
they are legion, and not because they
will not yet be inscribed in the tender
remembrance of every city and COM
mune through the whole of that Land
Infant Mortality Below Normal.
..Al infants under three, other than
those of the well-to-do classes, were
required to be brought to canteens
twice daily for their food. As result
of this careful supervision the infant
mortality of Belgium is lower today
than normal.
"A second instance of this kind lies
in the appearance OF glandular tuber-
culosis amongst adoleseent chlioren
last June. After study of the origins
of this weakness. our American adVls-
atory physician advised us that 1T was
due to underfat supply to the growing
children. We, therefore, INTRODUCED
supplemental meal in the whole of the
public schools, thus feeding once daily
/ 100000 children and adding TO our
budget for imports over s12oO.o0O a
month, or cost or ABOUT one ooiiaf
per child per month
"A further instance of this order lies
in the fact that the potato crop TINS
year was almost failure. which, TO-
gether with shortening meat suppiies'
required that in order to maintain the
values given out the thick soup
which is issued as a supplement TO the
million and a half of work people
would have to be reinforced. we there
fore increased our imports by way or
beans, peas, rice and rats, ana thlck-
ened up the soup again
Germans Got Few of Supplies.
ut occurs to most people TO inquire
whether the German army absorbs the
food supply from the occupied terri
tories The method of distributing I'M
norris and the control of native food
sunnlies is such that if l took the time
to 90 into detan l could satisfy you
that such an event is practically I'M
possible. and generally we are satls-
fed that the German army has never
absorbed one-tenth of per cent OF
our imports and but a small percentage
of the native supplies Of the country.
This latter has been a matter OF
constant negotiation and certain
amount of constant friction, but you can
take il by and large that the allied gov
ernments would never have supplied US
with upward of S200,000,O0o mad they
not been satisfied that We were not
feeding the German army, and you can
take IL further that the Belgian and
French people would not be alive today
unless they had had vast percentage
of the foodstuffs available in the coun-
try One great proof OF the necessity
and efficiency of Belgian relief has been
the millions who have died in Serbia
and Poland because they had no such
support and protection.
1--WE employ hundreds of tugs and
railway cars We operate warehouses,
mills. factories and monthly distribute
800 900 600 pounds of bread and TO-
600. 900 pounds of bacon and lard, $780,
OO0 tins of condensed milk, beans, corn.
other commodities. our dependents
every month consume the wheat prod
net of nearly 100000 acres of American
lands.
America Tagging in Support.
"There has been no starvation in Bel
GUM or northern France. As / told
Won the mortality among infants has
been less than the normal, and while