The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-15
Miss van der Filler Says 9th
err Neutral Countries Are
Facing Same Problems
VISITS AMERICA
TO HELP BEIGiANS
Model Garden Village for Widows and
Orphans Is to Be Built Near Antwerp
After the War-Will Work Here in
Raising of Funds

Raising of Funds.
NEW YORK, Feb l5.-Fear Of a
revolution, inspired principally by the
food shortage, is growing in Holland
according to Miss Hendricka A. c. van
der Filler, daughter of the late cour;
chaplain of the royal family of the
Netherlands, who is in New York on q
mission to raise funds for the Holland
American homes for Belgian widows
aud Orphans. of which she is vice pres
idcnt. /
The food shortage has reached a
verg serious point, she said, land
professions Of poor people demanding
food and carrying the red flag are a
common sight. The only bread now
ohtainable in the Netherlands is of
such a quality as to be almost inedible.
and with many comforts cut off and
uccessaries reduced, with the refugees
from the various belligerent countries,
mostly Belgiaus, crowding into Holland,
until in many places the housing il, far
from sufficient for the population, the
suiferings of all classes are very great.
Talk of the prospect of revolution
is to bee heard very frequently, and so
far a. | can learn from connections in
the other neutral countries of Europe,
the same thing is regarded as Il posi-
biiity there, and for the same reasons,
Apparently there is at present no revo-
1fft yt-ifh - raN-nlnt ~
program; the manifestations of discon-
tent are uuconuected demonstrations,
inspired h. hunger. But there is mucn
fear that if the war continues mucn
longer this discomfort may be organized
by revolutionary clements. perhaps in
concert with similar groups in other
countries, and general rising against
governments may take place.
Miss van der Filler said that the
Dutch were at a loss to understand the
yAmcrirAl ,a-tntSd 1tsxard. shipments 81
wheat, as the quantity OF food which
Holland is able to export to Germany
/ was very small. This export was nee
/ rssarv, she said, IN order TO get coal
/ from Germany. which the Germans re-
I fused to send to Holland except in ex-
/ change for food, land il is not very
{ ENtfl GOAL di ludl, Slt Sdl'i
! The Holland American homes for
/ Belgian widows and orphans in whose
/ interest Miss van der Filler visited
/ America once before. plans to erect AT
/ Bourne, near Antwerp, after the con
/ rlu.iou of the war and the restoration
/ of the Belgians to their native land,
model garden village of brick cottages
| surrounded by individual flower and
vegetable gardens, with church,
/ hospital. schools Fairgrounds, public
| baths. &c, which Is to provide homes
and shelter for 800 Belgian widows.
/ and 2,loo orphans. These mothers and
/ children, to be chosen from among the
| refugees who are now being cared for
/ in the Netherlands, are to be kept to-
| gcther, so that the children may have
/ the benefit of the home training, and
! at the same time he educated in trades
/ at the expense of the fund. 1t is es-
! timatcd that the cost of the buildings
and the necessary weekly allowances
for aboHt 20 years will be about 81.
| coo, 600
/ \ beginning of the fund has already
been made in the Netherlands, but the
increasing economic distress. unemplov.
ment, and rise in prices in that country
has made it impossible to go much fur
Their there, and 50 the committee, which
Is authorized by King Albert of Bel
gium and organized under the patron
, age of Baron Fallon, the Belgian min
lister to the Netherlands, has DESPATCHED
Miss van der Filler to this country.
August Belmont. at 43 Exchange place.
, Is treasurer Of the American commit
tee.
After visiting the Belgian and Dutch
legations in Washington. Miss van der
Filler will return TO New York and es-
tablish permanent offices for the com
, mittee. She has also brought with her
? q considerable number of articles made
from such materials as were available
!. by interned Belgian soldiers or civil
iaEs, many Of which possess a high de.
; gree Of artistic merit These will be
placed on display in an exhibition late,
on and said for the benefit of the fund
Dutch subscriptions have covered The
entire expense of the work of organ
5 ization aud propaganda in this eoun
:, try, SO that every cent contributed by
5 Americans will 20 direct to relief work