The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-29
hun THEFT KEEPS
100000 BElG|AAs
WITHOUT JOBS

Brussels. Belgium. Doc 2s.-Nine
hundred thousand workmen In liber-
ated Belgium are idle because the
Germans carried off all machinery and
tools in the country.
Not a factory in the country can be
opened.
The Germans wrecked two mines
before they were stopped in their
work of destruction by President Will
sons protest.
The other mines may be opened
soon, but the factories must wait for
machinery. When 1t win come no.
body knows.
Belgium's Christmas was lean one
but the spirit of the people is un-
touched by the years of oppression.
Nightly parades and the chatter of
wooden shoes as they dance In the
streets prove this.
Government appraisers are now out
In all parts of Belgium reviewing the
damage done by the Huns for the re-
storation bill which Is now being
drawn up. This bill will be present
ed to the peace conference.
There is about seven weeks food
supply in Belgium.
During the days of German occupa-
patton. the rich had everything, but
the middle class suffered terribly. The
workmen existed by means of soup
kitchens.
The hotels now have ample food
stores which the Germans left.
Thirty thousand eggs were found In
!, the Deutsch bank.
/ Other food was stolen by the Ger
mans from their own stores and sold
| to the Belgians during the retreat, In :
| Guiding herds Of cattle at SO a head.
| In the hotels and shops Of Bruges,
Brussels and Client almost anything
may be had. but the prices are high
| because the supplies are limited.
| The masses Of the population are
| still dependent on the committees
| which have undertaken to handle the
| food problem.
| Pork and beef are about So a pound,
| butter is $3.50, eggs are so cents each.
| Belgium is PROSTATE, hungry, but
| joyous. She is putting her best foot
forward, hiding her pain and carry
| Ing on" till things get going again.
| Dozens of BeIgians have told me
| with touching confidence that Ameri-
| ca was going to send Hoover to direct
/ the work of reconstruction. This is
generally believed by the Belgians
| I entered Belgium from Calais and
passed the first thin string of thriv
| ing little gardens running right to the
| end of Northumberland where every
| thing suddenly became a barren and
! pockmarked desert. There the only
| life was the German prisoners work.
| ing on the railways and their guards
| and the little families of refugees who
/ stood amid the ruins of what once
had been their homes.
| On etast of the old German lines it
| is still beautiful Belgium. Dixnude
! is but q rockpi1e, but Brussels and
| Client appear unchanged until you
| enter the factories stripped of their
| machinery and the homes stripped of
| their copper and brass and wool.
/ At Bruges, where the orgies of the
| U-boat crews were held, the Germans
| in their hasty evacuation left a SER
geant to bring on the string of flags
| from the public square, flag for
| each ship the U-boats had sunk. TIE
| flags are still there. The sergeant Is
| said to have stopped for final drink
| and left them.
Brand Whit1ocl1, American minister
| sore King Albert, was given a great
| his way through the cheering crowds
to his home. He was made an honor
ary burgler of the city. Antwerp had
slready conferred similar honor.
Four days after the Germans left
Brussels the Be1gians had erected
,eautfful plaster model for statue
to America and ano .her to Edith Ca
veil. They will remain until Their are
replaced by stone.
TIE Belgians pouring back into their