The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-05-20
Hen, Women and Children DyinR
By Thousands Over Once
Civilized Areas.
GRAVE MENACE TO U. 5. A.
European Ruin Would Involve
America Starvation and Dis
ease Rampant.


Des Moines, Iowa.-Speaking before
the general conference Of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church, Henry P. Davi-
son. chairman of the board of govern
ors Of the League of Red Cross Socie-
ties, said:
As chairman Of the convention of
Red Cross Societies, composed of rep
resentatives Of twenty-seven nations
mat met recently in Geneva, l am Gus
todian Of authoritative reports record
ing appalling conditions among mill
lions Of people living in eastern Eu-
rsps.
One Of the most terrible tragedies
in the history Of the human race is be-
ing enacted within the broad belt Of
territory lying between the Baltic and
ths Black and Adriatic seas.
This area includes the new Baltic
statss-Poland, Czecho- Slovakia, the
Ukraine, Austria, Hungary, Roumania,
Montenegro, Albania and Serbia.
The reports which come to us make
II clear that In these war-ravaged
lands civilization has broken down.
Disease. bereavement and suffering
are present In practically every house
hold, while food and clothing are in
sufficient to make life tolerable.
Men, women and children are dying
nized areas there are to be found nei-
thsr medicinal appliances nor medical
skill sufficient to cope with the dev-
astating plaques.
Wholesale starvation is threatened
in Poland this summer unless she can
procure food supplies in large Quanti-
ties. There are now approximately
250.0OO cases of typhus in Poland and
In the area occupied by Polish troops.
Worst Typhus Epidemic In History.
There is already one of the worst
typhus epidemics in the worlds his
tory. In Galicia whole towns are Grip
pied and business suspended. In some
districts there is but one doctor to
each 10000 people. In the Ukraine.
we were told, typhus and influenza
have affected most Of the population.
A report from Vienna dated Febru-
ary 18th, said: "There are rat'ons
for three weeks. Death stalks through
the streets of Vienna and takes unhin-
dered toll"
Budapest, according to our informa-
ton. IL one vast city Of misery and
suffering. The number Of deaths is
double that Of births. OF the 100000
children In the schools, 100000 are de-
pendent on public charity. There are
10000 workers idle.
Typhus and smallpox have invaded
the four countries composing Czecho-
Slovakia and there Is lack of medi.
eines, soap and physicians.
In Serbia typhus has broken out and
there are but 200 physicians in min.
lister to the needs OF that entire coun-
try.
In Montenegro, where food Is rum
ming short, there are but five physi-
clans for population of 100000.
Returning to the United States
few weeks ago with all these horrors
ringing In my ears, found myself
once more In a land whose granaries
were overflowing, where health and
plenty abounded. and where life and
activity and eager enterprise were In
the full flood.
asked myself: "what II this
plague and famine were here in the
great territory between the Atlantic
seaboard and the Mississippi valley,
which roughly parallels the extent Of
these ravaged countries, and that Co.
600. 1000 Of our own people condemned
to idleness by lack of raw material
and whose fields had been devastated
by invasion and rapins, we're racked
by starvation and pestiience, and il
we had lifted up our voices and In
v0ked the attention Of our brothers
in happier Europe to our own deep
miseries and our cries had fallen on
deaf ears, would we not In our despair
exclaim against their heartlessness 2"
Only Three Ways to Help Europe.
There are only three ways by which
these stricken lands can secure sup
plies from the outside world. One is
by payment, one by credit, and the
third is by exchange of commodities.
If these peoples tried to buy materials
and supplies In America at the pres
ent market value Of their currencies,
Austria would have to pay forty times
the original cost, Germany thirteen
times, Greece just double, Czecho- Slo-
vakia fourteen times and Poland fifty
times. These figures are official and
are true index of the economic plight
of these countries.
It is clear, therefore, that they can
not give us gold for the things they
must have, nor have they either prod
ucts or securities to offer in return
for credit. II only they could obtain
raw material. which these Idle millions
Of theirs could convert into manufac-
tnred products, they would have some