Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-05-21
.HUW EUROPE CAN
ESCAPE COLLAPSE
We Must Aid by Extending
Credits, Says Dawson.
GRAVE MENACE TO U. S. A.
| European Ruin Would Involve
MISUNDERSTANDING and
Disease Ramr dnt.
CRAVE MENACE TO U. S. A.

DeS MoineS, la.-SpcakinS before the
General Conference Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, Henry 7. Dawson,
chairman of the Board Of Governors
Of the League Of Red Cross Societies
said:
As chairman Of the Convention Of
Red Cross Societies, composed Of rep
resentatives OF twenty-seren nations
that met recently in Geneva, I am Gus
!: todian OF authoritative reports record
Ing appalling conditions among mil
lions of people living in eastern Eli
rope.
One of the most terrible tragedies in
the history of the human race is being
enacted within the broad belt Of terri
tory lying between The Baltic and the
Black ond Adriatic Seas.
This area includes the new Baltic
States-Poland Czccho-Slovakia, the
Ukraine. Austria, Hungary, Roumania,
Montenegro. Albania and Serbia
The reports which come 10 uS make
il clear that in these war-l'avagcd
lands civilization has broken down
Disease. bereavement and suffering
are present in practically every house
hold, while food ana clothing are in
sufficient To make life tolcrabir.
Men, women and children are dying
by thousands and over vast once-ciyi-
lized areas there are 10 he found nci-
ther medicinal appliances nor medical
skill sufficient to cope with the dcvas-
tatin@ plaques.
Wholesale starvation is threatened
in Poland This summer unless she can
procure food supplies in large quanti-
iics. There are now Approximately
10000 eases Of typhuS in Rnlnnd and
in the area occupied By Polish troops.
Wors. Typhus Epidemic in History.
This is already one Of the worst ty-
nhus epidrmIicS in the worlds history.
In Galiria whole towns are crippled
and business suspended. III some dis
trictS there is but one doctor 10 easl
10000 people.
In the Ukraine we were told. tynhuS
and Influenza have affected most of The
population
!, report from Vienna, dated Frbrl-
AIRY H. said: "I'here are raionS for
three weeks. Death stalks through The
streets of Vienna and takes unhinder-
cd toll.
Budapest, according to our informa-
ton. is one vast city of misery ana
suffering. The number Of deaths *
double that Of births. OF the 1Gn,Woo
children in the schools, 100000 are de-
pendent or pihlic charity. There are
10000 workers idle.
TyphuS and smallpox have invaded
the four countries composing CHccil"-
Sloyaki;l. and there is lack of mcdi-
cincS. soap and physicians.
In Serbia lyphus has broken ont
again AMI there are bui ION physicians
20 minister to tie needs of that entire
country.
In Montenegro. where food is run
ming short. there are but five plySi-
clans for Il population Of iau,HOO.
America Overlooking With Riches.
Returning To the United States Il
few weeks II" with MI these horrors:
ringing in my ears. | found myself
once more in u land whose @r;lnarirS
were Overlooking. where health AMI
plrn;y ahnmi"d ami where life an!
activity AND eager enterprise were III
the f,ii flood.
asked myself: "What if this plague
and famine were here in The great tor
iiiory between the Atlantic Sclhnard
and lie Mississippi valley, which
roughly parallels lhc extent of these
rava"cd countries and that 6I.WD.ouO
0t our own people condemned Ia idle
ness by lack nt' raw material and
whose fields had been devastated 10y
invasion and rapiuc were rarkci by
starvation and peStilcnCn and II w"
had lifted up our voices and invoked
ilc attention Of orr brothers in hap
pier Europe 10 our own deep miScricS
and our cries hail fallen on deal ears.
world we not in or despair eNclalm
against their hcartlc$SncSS.
Only Three Ways to Help Europe.
There are only three ways hy which
These stricken lands can secure sup
plies FROM tie outside world. One is
by payment. one by credit. aud the
third is by exchange Of commodities.
If these peoples tried I" hu% materials
and supplies III America ~ the r"rS"ll;
market value Of their ciIrrcncieS Mis-
,ria would hav" 10 pay forty times The
orign;i cost. Germany thirteen times,
Greece jus, double. tZcrl!n-Slorakia
fourteen times and Poland fifty times
These figures are official and arc 4
true index Of the G onomic plight OF
these countries
II is clear. therefore. That tlicy cam
not give Tx gold fnr The things they
must have nor have they either prod
uct$ or securities 20 offer III r"iurn for
credit. ;r only they could obtain raw
material which tlrse idle millions of
theirs could convert into manufactured
products they would have something 4"
| tender The world in return forit> raw
material. food ana medicine. Bur If
! they hayc neither money nor credit