Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-26
ORDERS INCREASE
OF SUPPLIES TOBE
SENT TO BELGIUM
Herbert Hoover Directs $780,
200 Tons Be Shipped
Each Month.
GERMANS DELIBERATELY
RUINED STEEL INDUSTRY
OF Fifty Belgian Furnaces, Only
Dozen Were Spared
by Foe.
THOUSANDS TRUDGING HOME
. heingccs Insist on Finding Their
Way Back on FOOt-Fed by
Relief Commission.
GERMANS DELIBERATELY
RUINED STEEL INDUSTRY
THOUSANDS TRUDGING HOME
hefngccs Insist on Finding Their
Way Back on Foot-Fcd by
Relief Commission.

way Back on FOOt-Fcd by
Relief Commission.
Nv Associated Press
WASHINGTON. December 25.-Phy-
SIcdi damage wrought in Belgium BY
nc German armies is described in a
edbieGrnin received by the Food Ad-
m'n!stration from Herbert Hoover.
who with William B. Poland. Euro
pean director OF the Commission for
Relief in belgium. has just completed
aied country
on the basis OF Mr.. Hoover's report,
ne iooh administration announced to-
dsy that hereafter $50. 600 tons of sup-
pHes. Including clothing. would be
slipped to Belgium each month As
mis- program VIII require 100000 dead
70 the 100000 tons now on charter 10
ne relief commission. application for
1,nn'SIonai TONNAGE has been made to
The cost of the entire relief pro-
Ira.m .-a. VII be borne by the belgian and
rFeneh g"vcrnm"nts from loans made
part or the expense Will be for supply
ing the people OF Northern France AZ
we'll as several hundred thousand rcfu-
gees who wcr" forced from that sec
tion into Belgium during the retreat
OF the German forces.
Mr.. Uoover's report on his survey
Together win M- Poland. Euro
nean director OF the Commission for
pleted survey OF the entire DciE ian
situation as disclosed by tho evacua-
o'ticiaiS In Europe during the las,
month has been beyond all praise be-
cause they have followed UP the re-
treating army with distributions. by
one means or another, and there has
been no break in the food supply at
am pont.
''itftnr tn no
army had completely destroyed zone
ef railroads and canals some twenty
iisI m'de Aar fHlendns ,b gn,rs
was comparatively little destruction OF
ransg9rtait%n 10 the rear OF this zone
transportation facilities cc-oss this
zon" OF destruction. tho problem OF
distribution Of food and OF reconstruc-
tion can be undertaken with much less
difficulty than AT present
The Germans in their final retreat
removed but little OF the relief sup
pies
GERMANS STARTED TO TAKE
ALI. HOGS AND CATTLE
Their action towards the native
harvests and cattle in their withdrawal
differs widely IN different areas. They
started to take all remaining hogs
from tho western part Of Belgium. cx-
cert those hidden by The peasants in
,icc. however. and with the demoraliza-
tion of tho German army in it's final
rnaS,,d,I rs;rei,t; N many OF, 81 these beasts were
peasants further back. and in practi-
cal results there apnears TO have been
no widespread cattle stealing in the
retreat. although during The four wears
OF occupation there has been a great
diminu,i9n. probably over. one-half, in
u can he said almost literally ih"t
horses have disappeared out OF Bel
rium, there probably not being Is per
cent OF the original animals left.
investigation proves that industrial
and residential destruction in Belgium
varies ,,;Tsrg Erea,ig in different localities
stance. out of the flfty steel furnaces
in Belgium. thirtv-flve or forty haze
been deliberately destroyed by tho Ger
mans In their determination 10 end the
Belgian steel industry. Many OF the
textile mills have been put out of com
mission. either through deliberate de-
by removal Of the copper and brass
parts and elctric motors. Some of the
textile mills OF the more anticuatcd
type OF equipment apparently did not
appear 10 the Germans. and they can
he gotten into action at an early date
Tho Germans seem to have focused
themselves on the modern equipment.
AMERICAN NOTE PREVENTS
WRECKING OF MINES
The glass industry has been but lit
tic interfered with. and the stern
promise of retribution by President
Wilson seems, to have saved the coal in
l.
though actual explosives and wires
were laid in place for tho dcstruc,io NJ
n,asid.n laTEH ~ n"mncr Of the mines. The
ated sudden change of heart
There arc some 100000 rronrh
refugees , IN Belgium. driven out of
Mor,hean Naro ean, france rn by the Germans. They
stores OF the Belgians and nv thn cnn,
mission for relief in Belgium. They
ars ,he;r howeXer' r"yc,ra like homine pigeons in
villages. AS there is no transmortae
ton. roads southwark into Francc arn
continuous stream of these pitifuI
Sromps Of men. women and children
pulling their carts and trrdcinn ~,
through the cold and Wind 'tnus,ns towsrhs
their DESTROYED homes. Everything is
but in this this state tate OF dnmnraI;y nnmaniy possible.
moving armies. the necessity Of usinn s,,n
;rncS.and horse with which TO feed 'e the
hnnniiIo,oh' ,'nnai,inn r,, theT plight, is heart
10 Wait IN inc crowded Belgian villages
UNI. !Tne she,r annrindn, affairs can he organized
many other human migrmtions ''Tn in
Europe to-day. there is no solution to
the suffering that must go on.
One of the great difficulties of ,ho
Belgians lies In the enforced ourrencv
circulation imposed upon them by tho
Terinans' ,;en M ms currency runs into mil
extremely difficult financial problem TO
tho government. W
THE Belgian government Is rapidIv
taking hold. the Belgian manufa cturers
are engaged everywhere In tho rebnbili,
tation OF their works so far ns ma
terals arc available and the snirii NJ
belgium was never better than to-day
The Belgians, are resolved to find n so
luton OF their manifold difficulties
with as little assistance as possible
from the outside. They arc, OF course.
4, dependent upon continued government
y financial advances for tho provision or
thimports pending German indemnity,
Mud the ireconstruction OF their export