The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-25

d tng Belgium Is shown by q report Just
received from the city of Warsaw
& from the relief committee there. The
report. sent to the Joint distribution
COMMITTEES for the relief OF Jewish war
4 sufferers. and which is the distribut-
Ing agent for all the Jewish war relief
undertakings IN the United States. In
afcates that with all the help afforded
~ American Jewry thus far. the grav-
ny Of the conditions at this moment
has heretofore been only vaguely con-
svtyed to the American people.
lt IL the desire of the Joint distribu-
ton committee that the Jews of Ameri.
CO be told Just how frightful is the
present state OF affairs, as the com
mittee only recently Invested Itself OF
every dollar remaining In tia treasury
approximately $1,000, ooo--to rush
relief The money thus sent was only
sufficient for the most meagre imme-
date necessities OF the situation and
& left nothing for the future. IL the
Jews In this country do not Immediate
" respond generously to the appeal
now made. II is certain that thousands
4 upon thousands OF the members of the
race, not only In Poland, but also In
Lithuania. -Galicia, Palestine. Syria and
else here will be the innocent victims
Of the wars ravages.
The Joint distribution committee Is
assured that the work OF relief will be
no matter what the rela-
j tons Of this government with the CEN
trail powers may be. but II cannot be
e continued without funds The funds
4 are now exhausted. Although the
Z Jews OF America get out at the be
ginning of the year to raise 100000
K during 9I1. for the rellsf OF Jewish
war suSTerers--the minimum fxed for
adequate reiief--oniy a comparatively
i small part OF this sum has thur far
y been raised and has already been ex-
pended II the work is to go on, the
Jews OF America must respond at once
Ind generously -----..-
'sss At no time since the outbreak OF
hostilities has the situation been so
desperate as these latest advices from
A Warsaw narrate, From the descrip-
tion of the suffering In Poland. II Is
\ made clear that the conditions In Bel
gium have at no time been more dis
tressing
VII wait Hours for BOWL of Soup.
Nh These are come OF the scenes 10 be
witnessed daily in Warsaw and which
are aecentuated in the smaller Polish
] siowns and villages occupied by the
slsnilitary;
III Lines Of mothers forming at mid
n might in the bitter cold and snow and
Ns4requently waiting until or o'clock
1 sthe following afternoon for n bowl
sf0f SOUP consisting OF hot water and
potato. with little salt. When the
i kitchens close there are frequently as
ssmany as 5000 left on line whose wants
Cannot be supplied.
~sf Thousands OF homeless men. women
and children walking ssthe strects,
i sriothed only in rags and who, many
fall Nv Ne "A fro- hun
tion and exposure.
Children. weak from lack of food
/ they cannot even be taken from their
beds to get the little nourishment
n available at the soup kitchens.
Heat halls into which go those with
syput a roof over their heads for a few
hours of shelter and respite. feeling
There the only warmth that they can
obtain
~ Their Silent Misery.
A. In addition to these more spectacular
forms OF suffering. there Is An under
current Of silent misery which words
cannot adequately convey to those who
lfhave never been brought In touch with
II. II is by no means uncommon for
parents 70 go mad nj failure to feed
their children; old men and mothers
give up the endless waiting on line
for enough bread to keep body and
sssiow starvation rather than to be
aurned away empty handed after hours
scf vigil; men. women ana children so
sweak when they receive their daily
pittance OF soup they cannot carry II
home and II Is spilled on the way;
children who have gone so long with
out eating that when they get their
hrst food Il makes them Ill; then
there are the aged and innrm, few
OF them in homea and institutions.
whose sole support IL the money from
America: there are also RI bhis and
other learned men unaocustomet to
plight az are the most lowly.
sgs In addition 70 these there are thous~ !
ands of Rble-bodied men without EN-
ployment and who aimlessly walk the
street from dawn TIL nighttali. willing I
] and able to earn the bread that is rot /
there for them. There are also thous~ /
Ands' OF refugees driven into thc tow ma
and villages from outlying sections
sAnd who have no occupation nor any I
sneans OF livelihood.
sM This state OF affairs. in itself, would
Z be terrible, but becomes still worse
when the cost Of food. the scarcity Of
x1noney and the depreciation In the val
ue of paper money. is considered. Even
those with money have difficulty In
procuring the bare necessities OF l;fe.
but for those who have not kopec
the situation is made appalling. The
4 military have FOIL control over the food
Z suppiy. over fuel and over other ply
steal necessities.
High Coat of fAvsnR Very Real.
n What we know In America OF the
& high cost OF living. In as nothing TO
Y the cost OF living in the occupied dts
4 kricts-
&~ In wilma for ,nstanca there are
n 1Datntained between fifteen and twenty
y Roup kitchens. at which $4,000 per-
" sons are fed daily. half pound OF
Il bread and a plate OF soup. comprising
Y potatoes, hot water. salt and. pepper.
I The cost OF even these simple edi
ah1es 10 so great. as 70 make the money
II 20 . comparatively short way towards
Il A1Ieviating even the worst Of distress.
Il The soup kitchens cannot secure po-
SxtAtoes direct from tho military author
a tiles al wholesale. and are compelled
ito purchase them after they have gone
@s4hrough the hands OF many dealers.
AZ With the result that ,bushel OF po-
Xtatoes costs eight marks instead of
three marks. the normal price. making
GAch plate OF soup costing for pota-
s tess alone. " TO &c. Even the hot