Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-11-28
JEWISH RELIEF Tn.IGS
FOLLOW NARRIRG FORCES
American Supply Trucks Come In
When War Machines Drive Out.

When war Machines Drive our.
Close on the heels of the Polish
troops that recently captured the city
Of Minsk from the Bolsheviki after a
ong siege, went a record-making Amer
lean motor truck corps with big sup
ply Of American milk and American
crackers for the thousands of children
suffering from hunger and disease as a
result OF the fighting.
That expedition furnished a rare
example of efficient relief work. De-
tails concerning 1t, conveyed in re-
ports received by the American Jew
'sh Relief Committee, a constituent
Of the Joint Distribution Committee,
show that the trucks had been wait
Ing, loaded and ready, days before the
tall Of the city.
DR.. Boris D. Bogen, in charge of
relief in Poland for the Distribution
Committee, learned that in Minsk a
large number Of Jewish children, as
well as other little folk, had been
reduced to the verge of starvation by
the investment Of the city, and the
generally deplorable conditions caused
by the war; and he acted promptly.
Day after day the trucks were kept In
readiness for a dash into the place,
and within five hours after the Polish
Army had been victorious, distributing
stations had been established and were
in full operation.
American milk and American crack
ers were given out freely to all the
needy little ones Of Minsk. Conditions
there were found to be terrible.
How quickly the starving, terror
stricken people sensed the difference
between the military motor car of the
invader and the food-laden automobile
OF the relief unit has been graphically
described in reports which have reach.
ed the American Jewish Relief Com.
mittee.
During the FIVE miserable years of
war the hum Of an approaching car
meant but one thing-an armored car
bearing troops or machine guns. In
course of time the relief cars OF the
Joint Distribution Committee rolled
into the battered villages. but It was
long time before the terrorized ma.
tives, hidden In their novels. could be
coaxed into the open. On many oc
casions it was necessary for the relief
workers to sound whistles and horns
to attract attention. After a while
however, the people learned to under
stand the difference, and frequently
the news that unit was passing through
the country sped ahead from town &c
town. Then the greetings were pa
thetic. Often the miserable villagers
wept aloud as the cars drew near
The unkempt children OF LODI par
ticularly touched the sympathies of the
whole staff. For a time there was
trouble in convincing the children that
they were to be fed and not harmed
Finally won over, they ate ravenously
Then woman worker handed to each
child cake Of soap. Their astonish
ment would have been laughable were
It not so tragic. Hunger and ignorance
of what they had been given led the
little folk promptly to try to eat it
They supposed the soap was food.
In the bakery windows were a few
loaves of bread, and the hungry Jew
ish children, who live on a cup OF
soup day from the American Jewish
Relief Station tantalize themselves
with the sight of this food which they
cannot get, They press against the
windows, an uncanny crew, with old
faces and unchildish eyes. The sight
of the bread fascinates them. The
warm fragrance of the bake-shop is
waited out to them when the door is
opened Those in front lick the bakery
windows as If they are tasting the
bread within. No poet could ever put
INTO words the usefulness of those
,amished children.
Feeding these children will be ac
,omplished by prompt subscriptions to
The non-sectarian appeal for funds
which is being made throughout Mary.
land during Thanksgiving Week.