The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-12-30
kaN...vn oihy1-j
Off STARVATION
belgium ard Northern France
Survive Kun oppTeSsiG.I.
J.. Ger E5T YET PISSED
Mr.. Hoover Cables if Food Shipments
Continue Evils Of Unc.eTN TRITON
May Be Overcome.

Washington, Dec. 30.-four yeas
of German oppression brought no loss
OF life from starNa.i,n 10 the popu-
latiUIls of Belgium and E"rlhefh
France. and the uHder-hOur4sit...t-iil re-
sulting from enemy occupation can De
stamped out if America CuntihHtS 10
send food.
This report from Herbert Hoover,
chairman of t.sA commission for relief
in Belgium, based OF Il survey ol lle
occupied territories Of western Eu
rome. was made public 1T the commits
sion's headquarters here.
The survival of the peoples OF Bel
GUM and northern France, While
quarter of the populations OF other
German-occupied lands died of famine,
was ascribed by Mr.. Hoover to the
work of the commission, which LOT
four years poured food across belll-
gerent lines sufficient to keep men,
women and children above the margin
of starvation.
The gratitude of these people TO the
United States, Mr.. Hoover reported,
lis unbounded and - embarrassing.
They no longer need or desire to get
food through charity, but owing to the
systematic destruction of their textile
industries they must still depend to
a considerable extent upon the United
States for clothing The population
is underclad," Mr. Hoover said. land
the one direction in which the Bel
gians are in need of charitable help IS
in large clothing supplies to the com
mission for relief in Belgium. There
is no quantity of secondhand cloth
ing that will not be needed and that
will not bring gratitude in the heart
of some individual Belgian.
With the German evacuation, the
system of distribution of food and
clothing built up by the commission
during the four years became diSor-
ganiZed. due to the breakdown III
transport, Mr.. Hoover found. fhls
breaking down of the rational control
! in such commodities as meats, butter
| and other neceSSarieS resulted IN the
whole of very limited supply of such
| foodstuffs gravitating toward the
| wealthy through the rapid rise i'll
! prices.
Though it is now possible, Mr. Hoo
| yer found, to buy almost any kind OF
! food in Belgium, the prices preclude
he purchase except by the wealthy
Meat, according to the report, is s.
| 4 pound: eggs, 81 each, and butter
| 80 a pound These prices are In
! contrast with an average income fol
| more than one-half the population OF
less than 81 a week per family. The
food administration established by the
| aelgian government, the report added
< taking care of this situation as
t44,efftt4liisFT as s P9e9ssibl
Prior to the German evacuation, Mr.
Ioover stated, approximately $500,
| 90 people were destitute and depend
mt. Through the energy of the PEG
1le in getting back to work this mum
er, he said, had been reduced to 2,
100000, and within a month it was eN
nected to be decreased to not more
han 100000
My survey of the rest of Europe
the Balkan states and Poland Mr.
| Hoover said, sis not complete, but Suf
| ficient evidence is at hand to show
hat before next harvest relief of al
unprecedented character must be eN
| ended if the remaining population i:
o be maintained in any semblance o.
| ipalth.'