The Washington herald., 1920-08-20
RELIEF
WORK CLOSED
American Administration
Ends Feeding of Children
Begun in Fall of 1918.
VAST SUPPLIES GIVEN
Report Shows Suffering
Past and Native System
Built Up in Nation.

New York, August 1s.-Csbled no.
tice that the chiId-feeding work
Of the American Relief Administra-
tion in the provisional Baltic Re
public OF Latvia has ended was re-
ceived at Herbert Hoover's ONCE,
1l5 Broadway. New York, today, the
office at Riga is closed, and the
Americans in charge are on the
way back to the United States.
At Mr.. Hoover's ONCE it was ex-
planned that American help for Lat
via has ceased for two reasons:
First. because that country now
has sufficient food to meet its needs;
and second, because the Lettlsh
government has built up, under
American direction, an efficient
child-welfare system which will go
with whatever food assistance is
essential
With the closing of the American
Relief Administrators program in
America in Finland and the pro-
visiOnal Baltic states is practically
ended; and within few days all
Americans engaged in child-feeding
in Jugo-Slavia, Czecho-SIovakia and
Hungary will also be Withdrawn.
This will leave child-relief missions
under the direct supervision of the
Hoover organization only in Austria
Of
run by the Bolshevists. However,,
the American Relief Administration
warehouses in Czecho-Slovakia and
Hungary will continue to operate;
and in Germany the Hoover ware
house organization and also the
feeding under the direction OF the
American Friends Service Committee
Of some 100000 children in lS2
cities.
Relief Follows Armistice.
\ characteristic child-relief op-
Grafton began directly after the
armistice. Acute general fooG
shortage was met by the American
Relief Administration during the
winter of 191S-1919 through Con-
gressional action; and in the early
spring OF 1919 special steps were
taken by the Americans of the
American Relief Administration to
organize Child-feeding kitchens to
be continued after the ending OF the
general relief on July l, 1919.
Child-feeding was started by the
ALLEGATION of 100000 from the
Sl00,00O,0OO fund granted the Amer
lean Relief Administration by Con-
gress. and the setting aside of GER
tain food stocks worth $4,000 by
the government Of Latvia. Mr..
Hoover made it a condition that
child relief should be organized un-
der the direct sanction of the local
government (as he did in all the
other Countries) and that the work
should receive all possible support
from government officials In ac-
COrdanCe with this policy, therefore
the Lettish Minister of Supplies,
ably supported by Premier Ullmanis,
who used to be a professor of lam
Cuages at the University of Ne
braska, gave every assistance to the
Americans assigned to the job Of
organizing the kitchen system.
Major Walter D. Brookings Of
Denver. initiated the work by the
formation of local COMMITTEES in the
principal cities of Libau and Riga
and district committees throughout
the old provinces of Kurland and
Livland; and when the official relief
program as authorized by Congress .
ended. Child-feedins stations were
providing one good meal daily for
more than $4,000 children Of Latvia. .
This figure included 26.OOO orphans I.
and destitute in the city Of Riga. /
5000 in Libau. 1900 in twenty-five /
districts Of Kurland. 5000 in Liv- /
in
Of GrObin. DurbOn. Hazenpot, Col /
dingen. Windau and Peltens.
DR.. Alkenes of Libau was made |
head Of the national chiId-reIief |
work by the minister of supplies. .
The functions of the small BODY of .
Americans were to assist the or
ganizatiOn of committees. receive .
and distribute food supplies shipped .
from America. and to enforce Mr..
Hoover's Instructions that food
should be efficiently distributed TO .
the neediest children without dis
elimination Of race, creed or poll
tics.
Continued Through Winter.
Throughout the fall and winter of
19l9-192O the child-feeding kitchens
were maintained by the devoted To-
cal committees, largely made up of
women. in spite Of Bolshevik inva-
sion and the acquisitions or Ber-
mondt's 'Balt'' army operating nm
der Won der Goltz in the effort to
retake Latvia for the German BAL
tic barons." During that time the
Riga ONCE OF the American Relief
Administration was destroyed bv
shellfre, and Capt. T. ]. Orbisou. Of
the United States Medical Corps. was
slightly wounded. Three kitchens
in Riga were also hit, fortunately AT
times when no one was present
Constant medical supervision was
insisted upon, following the frsr
thorough survey to determine the
most urgent cases Of undernourish-
ment. As food became more plenti-
fuI' after the harvest of 1919. and
after fighting in Latvia stopped, the
Of $4,000 children fed was
slowly reduced. The 1920 harvest
was good, and reports indicated thar
by midsummer Latvia would be able
n n To IN -