Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-04-03

Washington.-The people Oh tne
United States have a general idea OF
the awful condition existing in Bel
gium on account of the invasion of the
Huns. Stories of atrocities have been
published and 1t is one unforgivable
fact against the Germans that they can
make no explanation for the outrageous
treatment they have inflicted upon the
fnoffensive people of small, weak ma
tion. II there was no other reason Jr
keeping the war spirit alive In the
United States, until the wrongs OF Bel
GUM were under process of being
righted, those wrongs would cry aloud
to every decent-thinking person ana
make them insist that the war shall go
on TO a successful conclusion, and fur
Their that the perpetrators of the moe-
Gus deeds in Belgium be punished.
The official Belgian information serv-
Ice has procured facts showing the
situation of the Belgian territory occu-
pied by the Germans at the present
time. Not all of the stories that have
been published from time to time give
such a complete summary of actual
conditions as this statement compiled
from the latest reports which snow
the great necessity to continue the
work that has been carried on for more
than three years in America for the
relief of the people In Belgium. 1t
seems almost incredible that any ma
Ion calling itself civilized could infiict
upon the people of small nation the
horrors which are described in the fol-
lowing.
The Material Suffering.
In the material domain never has
there been seen brigandage so meth
odieal orsso complete. War contribu-
lions alone have. up to the present
time, drained the country of nearly two
billions of francs. These are still be-
ing collected to the amount of sixty
million francs month. To this sum
must be added fines upon scores of
thousands of individuals and the leyies
and fines imposed upon the fllmiest
pretexts, upon numerous localities, the
total of which amounts to several hun
dred millions. The deposits of the ma
tional bank and the General Society Of
Belgium, amounting to four hundred
thirty millions of marks were seized.
The stocks of raw materials, the ma
chinery, In short all the economic
equipment have been requisitioned and
carried away. At the beginning of 1915
the German depredations in Belgium
were estimated at eight billion francs.
1t would be difficult to make even an
approximate estimate of them today.
The invaders have plundered and are
often demolishing the factories, not
only to send the machinery and the
old iron to Germany, but for the
Rvowed purpose of running Belgian in
dustry after the war. They are now
plundering private domiciles. Their
spoilations extend TO bedding, cloth
Ing, casseroles, window knobs, rods
and objects of art. All that centuries
of a high civilization and long years
of labor had accumulated In the coun-
try has been devoured by the monster.
The bells in many churches, the statues
in the public squares of Aiost and
Mons and the monuments in many
cemeteries have been sent to the foun-
dry. The systematic destruction of the
forests goes on, on large scale More
than two thousand barges have been
seized. Horses have practically disap-
peared.
Famine and Diseases.
The cessation of labor, the obstacles
placed to the employment of those
without work, the acquisitions of ma
chinery and cattle, as well as vexations
of all sorts have once more evoked
that plague which we believed to have
been forever overcome In Europe
famine.
Working In close cooperation with
the Belgian and allied governments,
the commission for relief in Belgium
has striven by all possible means to
lessen its horrors and to facilitate the
enormous task assumed by the ma
tional committee on food supply. In
1917 it has been confronted by stu
pendous difficulties; importations fell
far short of needs, tonnage was lack
ing. and the enemy mercilessly torpe-
decd more than one relief vessel.
The commission for relief in Bel
GUM has made the most energetic eff
forts to assume food supply and there
has been marked improvement over
the past months. In November, for
the first time in long period, the ma
tional committee for relief and food
supply has received more supplies than
its schedule called for. There are fair
prospects for the shipment of all sup
plies called for by the schedule during
the first quarter of 1918. If, however,
the famine which seemed to threaten
for the winter has been averted, the
situation is still far from favorable
because of the great debilitation and
general undernourishment of the popu
fation.
According to people who are In pc
sition to know. the population has un
fortunately received only IA per cent Of
Sha naroSSarv fats and % nor cent M