The Daily Missoulian., 1917-03-16
AN APPEAL FOR BELGIUM.

To My Fellow Members Of the Rocky Mountain
Club ana the Men and Women Of the West:
The action OF the Rocky Mountain club in de-
voting its energies to the relief of the suffering
children Of Belgium rang true to the western spirit
as all of us who have lived in the mountains and
the plains have come to know that spirit. have
gladly Joined in the movement to do what for
gallant little nation which has been cruelty tram
pied under foot. for fault Of its own, and now
lies PROSTATE. threatened with the loss of its
spiritual as well as its physical being. 1t is the
literal truth that rarely since the days Of Herod
has chd-life been menaced today in Bel
GUM.
shall not deal with the material side of this
question. tell how 1850 900 children compelled
to go hungry and are threatened with disease and
slow starvation. All this is being told in the west
in speeches. in letters In literature In cartoons and
in personal pleas. Suffice 1t to say that Belgium
today stands in mortal danger Of losing both its
bodily life and it's soul.
But what Of us? What Of our soul il like the
Levte and the Priest we pass our business with
averted eyes? The nation that turns deaf ear to
the sufferings OF 10000 900 people, including 1885,
600 children, is committing moral suicide. Diseases
born OF want and hunger are spreading with dread
ful rapidty among those 1850, 900 children of Bel
gium. Shall we look idly while these children
die? Other nations do not sit idle War torn
England and France have given largely. Brave
niue f1OlIaRu mas cared WlInln neC own DOfucrS
for hundreds of thousands Of refugees. The rest
Of the world has spent s25ooooooo for Belgium.
We have contributed only s9,eO00o0. Is this
enough to make think that have done ouf
duty? We say with unctuous self-satisfaction that
we have been kept out of war" We chuckle be-
cause in 1916 sold s5o 900 worth Of prod
ucts to Europe Are souls rotted? Can we
| see only the dollar sign in the SKYE What of our
| souls If we continue deaf to the crying need of a
gallant atcne with yfi oh
the loss of its first born? Can any man OF high
and generous nature, having been told the facts,
| continue to be indifferent?
| The west has done much, but it has not done
| enough. l appeal to the men of the west to fol-
low the Rocky Mountain club. I appeal to the
| women of the west to take the thought of wrecked
and tormentcd Belgium to their hearts.
l should like to every schoohouse in the west
| collection agency for the Rocky Mountain Club
Hoover fund.
| should like to see every Sunday school in
| terestcd
| should like to know that every pulpit In the
| west was ringing with the story.
| should like to in every city and village a
central agency collecting and forwarding relief te
Mr.. william B. Thompson. the treasurer of tho
fund. No. IS West 44th street.
| should like to every cattle range
| Rocky Mountain Club fund.
| I should like to know that every mining super
| intcndent had addressed his men. telling them th'
story and asking them to contribute each pay da,
a regular sum, following the example of the miner.
| in South Africa, who giving 10 per cent O
their wages.
| should like to every newspaper open it,
columns to the cause
| should like to see every social gathering wint
| up with Belgian collection.
| l should like to the west fire over Bel
GUMS wrongs and Bclgiums needs.
| I cannot say more I should be ashamed to sa.
less.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Oyster BAY. n. Y, March II, 1916.