Catoctin clarion., 1918-09-26
Help Shivering Belgium.
Drive On This Week For Old
And New Clothing.

The Red Cross drive for 5000 tons OF
necessary clothing for Belgium began on
Monday and will continue during this
week, ending Monday, September goth.
At the request of Herbert Hoover,
chairman of the Commission for Relief
in Belgium, the Red Cross has undertak-
en- to gather from the American people
a supply of garments that will keep the
population of Belgium from what Mr..
Hoover, in cable to Henry P. Dawson
calls threatened "shame. suffering dis
ease and in some cases DEATH
Every Chapter in every Division, COW
erinp the whole United States, started
an intensive drive to which every house
hold in the country is asked to contribute
something in the way of old clothes and
necessary household articles.
Few Americans realize that it is thru
this channel alone that people of Belgium
can obtain the absolute necessities OF
wearing apparel to cover their bodies.
Not only the poorer classes, but people
of every position and estate are in such
destitution as the American mind can
scarcely conceive. All stocks of clothing
and raw material that were in Belgium
at the outbreak of the war have long
been exhausted. There are absolutely
no imports except those which the Com
mission for Relief in Belgium has been
permitted to make and these naturally
have never been sufficient for the needs
of the entire people.
But one relief remains for Belgium
what the rest of the world GIVES-what
individuals give from their own ward
robes. OF the rest of the world America
is the most notable, the best equipped
for such giving.
The following extract from letter,
written recently to an American by
Belgium woman of position clearly indi-
Gates the dire straits of the country:
perhaps you will laugh" the letter
reads, when you hear that | wear
cloak made from my husbands garde
civique overcoat, waist made from his
football shirt, and skirt evolved from
a dyed bed sheet Mother had suit
made out of tablecloth, J. and M. have
cloaks made of woolen blankets and s..
a dress of burlap. Bat all this is only
amusing in comparison with the wretch
edness of the population. Still when all
is said and done we remain calm and con-
fident of victory"
When a woman who, until four years
ago, was used to every luxuryoof life,
can write jokingly of wearing burlap
frocks and her husbands cast off shirts
and call it amusing" the while she de-
clares that she and the people of her
country are "calm and confident of vic
tory" it seems little enough that Amer
leans, every one, should send of their
abundance to so hard-pressed and daunt-
less people.
Every American family has something
to give. Every Thurmont family can
spare a dress or a coat or some bed COW
ering. Anything that can supply the
ordinary daily needs of people without
clothes, or the means to obtain clothes
of their own effort, is needed.
The Potomac Division has been told to
collect 200 tons as it quota. The cloth
ing does not have to be new or smart.
What are you going to give?
And let US now say to the good people
Of Thurmont and community, 60 into
your attic and store rooms and give as
you have never done before, of good SER
viceable clothing for man, woman and
child and bring or send them to our Red
Cross head quaters in the Community
room of the Thurmont Bank. The room
will be open Thursday evening and Sat-