The sun., 1919-07-20
Review of Belgian
Situation Reveals
Conditions Even
Worse Than APP
pear on the Sur
face-Problems Of
International Ex-
change

be restored, the flow of exports re-
sumed, the consumptive demands Of
the people enlarged, the immediate
lack in the unbalanced foreign trade
eased and in the end the recovery
which an industrious people can show.
There is great deal in that view, and
1t is a hopeful and sane way of looking
at the situation; but 1t leaves out one
extremely important and essential
consideration. A normal man needs
three meals a day. That need is imme-
date and he cannot wait for an ad-
justmant which will come 'in the long
run" 1t is in the insistence of the
human stomach that the possible
tragedy to European civilization lies.
The human stomach cannot wait.
People must be fed or they die, 1arsd
the truth is they are dying, dying in
some parts of Europe en- masse. The
figures which show the actual deaths
from starvation would appall America,
would shock her into awakening to
| AMERICAS responsibility If they could
but be comprehended Somehow dis
lance dulls the significance OF faces.
We are told about whole regions starry
Ing, but the picture is so unreal viewed
from orr land OF plenty that the hor-
! rible truth does not grip US.
If agricultural America could but
visualize agricultural Russia. a great
grain producing nation which exported
half the wheat that was shipped into
Europe, now reduced to a point where
| several hundred thousand people ar
, dying from starvation each month
my warrant for the figures IS the
greatest food authority in thr world
then our people might begin to appre-
bend the fact that there is something
of considerable Significance the matter
! with Europe, something OF such far
reaching and fundamental Importance.
that the whole fabric OF European
civilization is in danger. The dis
organization of industry, of trans
portation and OF production h.Ls
so thrown out OF balance the intricate
machinery Of civilization that there
is safety nowhere. Every community
Is depending upon another community,
every country Is depending upon
another country, in this modern mech
anism OF life which has been so com
pletely thrown out OF &c II.
Moral Harm to Belgium.
Coming back to the consideration
OF Belgium, I will again emphasize the
harm which has been done to the
moral fabric of her industrial popula-
ton. -Four and a half years they
have lived n disorga nlzed life OF semi
idleness We all know how hard II Is
TO go back to the routine OF work
after a two weeks vacation. but II is
not easy 70 picture what happens TO n
whole people who for more than four
years have lived an abnormal social
existence II has been said with a
good deal OF bitterness that there arc
Belgians who have lived so long on
! charity that they have ceased to care
for work. Perhaps that is true. and
so far as IL is true II is in no wise
+ surprising.
t The character Of these people has
borne great strain, their normal
lives have been disorga nized for n
7 dlstrcssingly long period. Some Of
: them have come 10 look upon the
Government treasury as n bottomless
purse and to think they have dis
covered by experience that Legislative
enactments rather than work can sup
= port people.
y II seems to me that the greatest in
: jury that Belgium has suffered. and
. God knows the total list In an un-
paralleled one, Is In the deterioration
. OF the moral fibre OF her common
people. How quickly that can be re-
built no one can say. The inherent
desire TO right wrong tendencies In
$ humanity is unreasonable. For the
q moment the human problem is ono oil
I the greatest factors in the rehabilita.
n ton of Belgium.
The situation in Belgium is by M
u means all black however. II by z
X brief contact with officials one may b,
y permitted TO make comparative est.
G mates l would say that the Govern
= ment Of Belgium is in strong, capable
+ patriotic hands To the modesty
{ seriousness and ability of the Belgian
monarch half the world has done trib
r ute. The present Prime Minister anC
Y Minister OF Finance, NJ. Delacro!x