The Washington times., 1917-01-15
Mrs. VeFnOnM. Kellogg Tells of
Heroic Work They Do in
Sustaining Poor.
RELIEF WORK sTUPENDoUs
Stand on Feet necessarily and
Deal Out Food to Army
of Hungry.

nave hScAd dOOdl NuS
heroic activities of French women,
German women, English women. But
some of us have come to think of
Belgian women only as sad figures,
shawled and dropping. endlessly stand
ing in line waiting for aims, hopeless,
despairing. Now comes an American
woman, home from six months in
Belgium, to tell us that Belgian
women are still smiling.
OF the many who have witnessed
the,results of war ravaged Europe
and returned to tell the tale Mrs.
Vernon NJ. Kellogg is one of those
who have come back with more than
general account Uttered with ex-
elamation points. Having witnessed
scenes of stupendous significance, it
is natural that in the attempt at mar
alton one should be overwhelmed by
momory.. But Mrs. Kellogg, though
still close to the raw materials of
history in the making, seemed able
in talking to a reporter-to control
the tendency to be swamped by her
recollections and to tell much that
contributes to clear mental photo
graph Of the work OF the native
women of Belgium.
Woman Granted CourtesIes.
Some time ago Herbert Hoover,
chairman OF the Commission for Re-
lief in Belgium, sent for Vernon Kel-
logg, professor of biology Of Leland
Stanford University, California.
Mr.. Kellogg's official title in
war relief circles now is Director of
the C. r. b." Last June Mrs. Kel.
logg was permitted by the German
authorities to enter Belgium to join
her husband. With the permission OF
the same authorities she was allowed
to pass through the famous electric
fence partly surrounding Belgium and
to travel In the directors motor to
every part of Belgium except Flan-
ders. During these weeks of travel
she inspected hundreds of soup kit
chens, food stations and other depots
OF assistance, operated largely by ma
tives of the country. "A few days
ago she was in New York on her way
to California and her daughter, Jean.
Reluctantly she consented to an in
terTiew on the plea that people would
like to know more about the fearless
women across the sea.
Their Work In Endless,
'Tt takes 10000 Belgian men and
$4,000 Frenchmen to do the relief
work in Belgium" she said. I'VE have
heard about their effective system of
distribution. But we know almost
nothing of the thousands upon thou
sands Of Belgian women who, from
one end of the country to the other.
from morning till night, seven days in
the week, month after month, for two
years, have been standing next to the
people in their misery. TherAmericans
bring the wheat in, the Belgian men
handle it. but the Belgian women
ladle the soup aud hand out the
quarter of bread. I've never known
women could stand on their feet for
30 many hours without dropping,
empty 30 many soup cans or carry SO
many thousands OF dinners to children.
But they never admit being tired!
They are always cheerful. courage
ons and free from any expression Of
melancholy or sadness.
Service Ii UnfaIterinE.
This work assumes many forms.
Taken together, It represents the
most Beautiful, single and unfalter-
ing service the world has seen. The
first basal work in the soupe. One
and q quarter million people furnish
q long soup line. But women have
been ladllng soup into the pitchers
of that line every day for two
years. In the smaller towns as soon
as one days soup was ladled they
had to begin preparing potatoes for
the next days supply. I once heard
q novice offering to help in the
soupes.' The committee woman In
charge laughingly told her to go
homo and fill a bath tub with water
and then ladle it out. After doing
this every day for a week she advised
the young applicant to come back
and perhaps she would be able to
get through a morning! The aver
age is 1000 ladies per hour.
Unhealthy Children Cared For.
Next in Importance to the soupes'
comes work for children below nor
NAL health. All over Belgium they
are being given one nourishing meal
q day. Most Of these children have
tubercular tendencies. In Brussels
$4,000 are fed at this meal by $500
women. One Of these cantines or din
ing rooms in Brussels Is in charge
of Madame Lorthioir, wife of physi-
clan well known in America She has
1,662 children to care for. Dressed
in white, as are her assistants, have
seen her day after day sliding her
1,600 charges along the benches as
each was cared for, carrying the ,0OO
plates of stew and the 1000 bowls OF
milk and the 900 slices of bread.
And all the while DIR. Lorthioir was
to be seen passing. up and down the
rows. lifting children into his arms
to examine eyes, ears, or carrying
them of to be weighed.
Goes To Another Center.
In the. afternoon Madame Lorthioir
goes to another center, where moth
ers bring their tiny babies for weigh
ing and advice. In October she took
her first. two days vacation since the
war began, and nothing except feel
ing she must see her sisters new
baby got her away for even those
two days.
AT the maternal. cantines the wom-
en- come at Z a. m. to pasteuriZe and
get ready. Over 1000 physicians are
giving all their time and many doc
tors some OF their time to this branch
of the work. In one of these centers
I saw great heaps of little white balls
in waxed paper piled on the floor in
o corner. These were balls of lard
given as prizes to the mothers taking
the best care of their children. There
is q terrific fat shortage over there,
which Increases the expense of the
commission thousands of dollars in
trying to supply the dearth. Over
5000 babies under three months Of
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