The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-11

Carload after carload of bandages and surgical dressings came up from Paris, camion loads of emergency foods were drawn from the stocks at Adinkerke, drugs and medicines were provided as needed.
 III.
 For Belgium great hour of the war was Wednesday, October 18th, the last night of the Germans on the Ysper.
 With 3S0's the Boche sheIled La Panne. It was one of the worst bonn bardments of the war. From a great distance, without 'coup de depart, :" falling from great height, without siren or whistle, these huge missels from north of Ostend, fell down on the little capital village of free Bel gium, all around the villa of the King and Queen. For La Panne. bombed and sheIled for four years they were literally the last shots Of the war.
 The Germans left lights shining in their dugouts and under cover of the bombardment stole away.S
 ".
 There came host of new prob lems-with Ostend, Zeebrugge, ThieIt and Iseghem, and then Bruges-with innumerable smaller villages, liberat ed.
 There were the same rapid move ments of the armies, the same neces- sary advance of hospitals and can teens, gigantic tasks of transport
 
 crossroads blown up. .But the Bel forest of Houthoulst to Thourout, and from Thourout to Bruges, and from Bruges to Waerschoote, almost up to Ghent.
 And the American Red Cross fol- lowed on with camion loads of blan- kets in country stripped of bedding, and camion loads of milk in a coun- try denuded of COWS.
 When the tired soldiers stopped there were the canteens and the cine mas provided with the money of the American Red Cross run by the Bel gians themselves, but with even the smallest article carrying an American message of sympathy and cheer.
 Now came the hour of the Adin- kerke warehouses of the American Red Cross. Like Depage's big hos pital at Vinckem, these nine ware houses well up under shell fire had been ridiculed as reckless projects" involving unnecessary chances" exposing valuable food to danger of capture or destruction"
 But the Commission for Belgium of the American Red Cross was willing to take a chance on anything tnvolv ing saving human life. It always said: We must be ready when the lines change to feed the liberated peoples. Transport from the rear will bo impossible. We must have the stuff well up." So it had timed beef ard salmon, condensed milk, beans and sugar, lard and bacon, with camions which had been hauling refugees out ready to haul the food.
 Compared with the quantities sent in by the Commission for Relief in Belgium for occupied Belgium, the stores were insignifcant-only 300 or 400 tons. But 800 tons ready to use is worth 30,000 tons 100 miles back. It all worked out as foreseen. The first food went to Bruges and was turned over to the Belgian National Committee and to the civil hospitals of the Commis- saire d'ArronGissement. Never have pork barrels as they arec alled by the trade, had a warmer welcome.
 Little villages cut off by lack of transport were reached by American Red Cross camions. The King of the Relgians, all over the country in pes son, himself pointed out needs. To Waerschoote, to Aeltre, to Somergem, to stricken Audenarde, to Tournai, to Courtrai, to Rou1ers, and Iseghem. the food went by canion, by train and by vicctnal tram. The sister of the burgomaster of Loo-ten-Hulle sent a letter typical or the expressions heard on every stda: