The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-04-03
of clothing since the beginning Of the

NNAA IAN ~ W thS
Balkan war in 1912.
In the eight months of service with
the a. Il. c. in France, during which
time | conducted the affairs Of the
Section of Donation, in which all mer-
chandise sent to France by the A. Il.
c. was received and through which it
passed TO its final destination, | was
afforded the opportunity of observing
much of the efficient relief work car
red on in Northern France and Bel
GUM, the poverty and suffering of
these old people and children as they
We're driven from their homes before
the Oncoming armies of the Huns, is q
subject far beyond my power OF de
scription, and | do not wish to min
imize the seriousness Of the condi-
tons existing in this particular part
OF the stricken world by contrasting
it with the conditions | found six
out the other Balkan states.
One need only to look at the map
of Europe to understand that the
state of Serbia lay in the direct path
of the German-Austrian army in its
endeavor to reach the Mediterranean
Sea and thereby control the valuable
port of Saloniki. How they were pre-
vented. is a subject for the war cor
respondent, but how the entire Ser
bian population was driven before the
enemy armies which overrun the en-
tire state from the Danube river at
the north to within eight miles of
their goal ~(Saloniki), is a story which
should be widely published. Not a
story of the military operations so
much as a description Of the terrible
conditions and ha%rdships imposed up
on the civilian population so that
every member of Red Cross might
know how worthy and sincere is this
appeal for clothing for the men, wom-
en- and children in this afflicted coun-
try.
1t was a splendid opportunity | was
afforded in August, 1918, as commits
sioner to Serbia when | accompanied
the Serbian army in its final and sue
cessful offensive against the Austrian
Bulgarian army. The Serbian army
following up the Bulgarian retreat,
reached the city of Nisch, which is
about two-thirds of the distance back
to the city Of Belgrade, the capital Of
Serbia, from where the Serbian army
was first forced into retreat in 1915.
At this time the enemy armies had
been in possession of the entire state
of Serbia for more than two years,
and when / say there was nothing but
the land left for the Serb to return to,
am not exaggerating. The villages
and cities were practically destroyed.
Everything of value had been carried
off furniture, rugs, bedding and even
the glass window panes had been tau
en- away by the Bulgar. The popula.
ton outside Of the Serbian army com
prising only women, children and old
people, had been driven over into Pul-
garian territory or south into Greece.
Those who reached Greece, were cared
for by the. A. r. c. commission to Ser
bia with headquarters at Saloniki. OF
these there was about fifteen thousand,
and | am proud to be able to tell you
that during all these months Of wait
ing, our commission provided for these
%wretched people-shelter, food, cloth
ing and medical attention.
month after the allied armies had
entirely cleared the enemy from the
state of Serbia, witnessed the return
of those sickly. almost naked people
who had been depOrted into Bulgarian
territory. and ii was the A. r. {. as
sisted by the British Red Cross or
CARNATIONS who received these
%wretched people at points along the
boundary and rendered first air SER
vice. Food we had in abundance, but
clothing for these poor h~alfnakcd peo-
pie was not TO be had. | am not ex-
aggerating when | state that there Il
probably not a man, or child
in Serbia outside of the army, sufti-
GENTLY clothed, and | would estimate
that there is at least a million n a
half in this condition, in the state Of
Serbia alone. If all the used and dis
carded clothing in the United States
should be delivered to the American
Red Cross workers in foreign coun.
tries, it would equal the demand.
realize A. r. c. has made it clear,
the kind Of clothing which should be
donated, but there is one item that
does not appear on the official list
which is particularly adapted TO the
people of eastern countries. The WON
en- of Serbia and Macedonia do not
wear hats, shawls are and always
have been and probably always Will
be in vogue, so ask the women to DO
nate shawls of all sizes and descrlp-
tions. As a favor to the A. K. c. per
sonnet, | would add Q request that all
clothing such as undergarments, sleep
ing garments and hosiery, be laun-
dered. The condition in which we re-
ceiyed used clothing in Serbia during