Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-11-15
URGES SUPPORT
OF RED CROSS
DR.. John Nollen Speaks in
Chamber of Commerce
on Need of Relief
Work in Europe.
EUROPE BANKRUPT
Hundreds of Orphans are
Dying From Starvation
and Diseases.

F, A rather small but attentive audience
greeted DR.. John Nollen, dean of Grin
nell college, who spoke in the Chamber
of Commerce rooms Saturday afternoon
on the crying need of Red Cross relief
work in European countries. He was
introduced by Max NJ. Hemingway.
Hamilton county chairman for the 1921
Red Cross drive.
DR.. Nollen has been in New York City
for two years where he has been in
charge Of the Y. NJ. c. A. work in Italy.
During the war he was engaged in Red
Cross work in Italy and it was for SER
vices rendered during the Austrian
drive along the Piave river that he re-
ceived the highest honor given by the
Italian government to foreigners. He
has but recently returned from tour
of the European countries where he
witnessed conditions of almost indie
scribable wretchedness and poverty and
the light which his talk throws upon
the European situation should awaken
everyone to the tremendous import Of
the present Red Cross drive
Countries Bankrupt.
He shattered the popular illusion
that the peoples of the European
countries are able to cope with their
own problems with the startling in
formation that the countries are bank
rupt. utterly unable to care for the
needs of their suffering peoples Eleven
countries, including France, Italy,
Germany, Poland, Austria Hungary
and Czecho- Slovakia are so deeply in
debt that it is impossible for them to
receive credit or purchase food sup
plies. In the words Of DR.. Nollen. Alb
solutely no economic power to purchase
is left to these countries"
Both agricultural pursuits and the
industries of southern European coun-
tries have never recovered from the
blow dealt by the war. Agriculture is
everywhere far below standard and
the industries are practically nil.
Thousands of acres of land are uncul- |
tivated because unable to purchase the
vast quantities of fertilizer needed to
make the tracts of waste fields again
fertile. Great factories are closed be-
cause of lack of raw materials with |
which to carry on the industries. In
practically every country which took
part in the war is there great scar
city of coal, iron, rubber, leather, wool.
linen and cotton.
Endless Unemployment.
Endless unemployment, hunger and
disease have followed in the wake of
the overwhelming tide of bankruptcy
which has swept over Europe as con
sequence of the war Underfed men,
women and children are an easy prey
to all sorts of diseases. Only three in
every one hundred children are prop
erly fed and fifty-twO per cent of every
one hundred children are very serious
ly underfed. Hundreds of these hap
less. IMPOVERISHED children left with no
to resist the onslaught of
disease become victims of ricketts, and
of the bones.
Dr. Nollen knows whereof he speaks
when he says that it is up to America
to aid these suffering peoples because
America is the only country on the
face of the earth with large enough re-
sources at its command to be Of assist
ance at this crucial time. The United
States must provide huge credits for
reconstruction program to be carried
on in these lands through the American
Red Cross.
Main Work Educational.