Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-29
Continual Stream of Food
Flowed Into Country and
Though Many Suffered Ef-
feCtS Can Be EradiCated.
REST OF EUROPE IN
CRITICAL CONDITION
Food Administrator Declares
Relief of Unprecedented
Character Necessary If
Health To Be Preserved.
my MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED w,Rl

iHT MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED VIVA
Washington. Dec 2S.-Four years
OF German oppression brought no loss
of life from starvation to the popula-
tions of Belgium and northern France
and the UNDER r-nourishment resulting
from enemy occupation can be
stamped out if america continues to
send food
This report from Herbert Hoover,
chairman of the commission for re-
lief in Belgium, based on a survey of
the occupied territories of western
Europe was made public tonight at
the commissions headquarters here.
The survival of the peoples Of Bel
gium and northern France, while a
quarter of the population of other
German-occupied lands died of fam
inc, was sascribed by Mr. Hoover to
the work of the commission which
for four years poured food across bel
lgerent lines sufficient to keep men,
women and children above the mar
gin of starvation.
The gratitude of these people to the
Cnited States, Mr. Hoover reported.
"is 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,
Clothing Needed.
THE population is under-clad." t." Mr..
Hoover said, land the one direction in
which the Belgians are in need of
charitable help is in large clothing
supplies to the commission on relief
for Belgium. There is no quantity Of
second hand clothing that will not be
needed and that will not bring graft
tude in the heart of some individual
Belgian"
With the German evacuation, the
system of distribution of food and
clothing built up by tho commission
during the four years became disor-
ganiZed, due to the breakdown in
transport, Mr.. Hoover found This
breaking down of the rational control
in such commodities as meats butter
and other necessary supplies resulted
in the whole of a very limited supply
of such foodstuffs gravitating toward
the wealthy through the rapid rise in
prices
Though it Is now possible, Mr..
Hoover found. to buy almost any kind
of food in Belgium, the prices preclude
the purchase except by the wealthy.
Meat according to the report Is So
a pound, eggs s. each, and butter
$3.50 pound. These prices are I'M
contrast with an average income for
more than one-half the population of
less than $4 a week per family. The
food administration established by the
Belgian government, the report ad-
ded, is taking care of this situation
as rapidly as possible
Injury Not Irrepar1Ile.
An examination Of the population" "
Mr.. Hoover said, proves that the
shipments of food by the commission
for relief in Belgium during the past
four years have brought this people
through their ordeal without irrep-
arabic damage to the national health
There exists among certain classes
under nutrition but continued supplies
of food will rapidly rectify this There
has been a considerable spread of tu
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