New Ulm review., 1920-12-01
REV. .PURDY TELLS
OF RELIEF WORK
ABOUT 100000 CHILDREN FED
DAILY IN GERMANY THE
PAST YEAR.
SHOWN BY RED
CROSS AGAINST SOVIET
REPUBLIC. H.

In spite of the disagreeable weather
and the fact that it was Saturday, the
meeting held at Turner Hall Saturday
evening in the interest of the relief
association, having in charge the feed
| ing of German and Austrian children
was very well attended. Those present
followed very closely Rev. E. R. Purdy
of the Friends Church of Minneapolis, !,
who was the speaker of the evening.
Rev. Purdy Visits Germany.
% Rev. Purdy was in Germany for a
brief visit during the month Of August,
but was there long enough to see and
appreciate the conditions existing in
Central Europe and the work that is
being done by the American Relief
Administration, of which : Herbert
Hoover is chairman.
Ouakers Opposed to War.
It is gu ite generally known that the
Quakers, as sect, are opposed to war
and that their religion forbids its
members to bear arms. When the
World war broke out, the Friends OF
England and, later, when the United
States got into the war, the Friends
of this country, desired to help along
in the prosecution OF the war and
members of their church volunteered
for service back Of the trenches and in
this way they did great deal to
aneliorate the suffering of those who
were on the firing line. It may be
mentioned in this connection that the
Friends of England did great deal
to make the lot OF the interned Ger
mans in England more bearable and
won their admiration and gratitude.
Reconstruction Work Beg un.
When the armistice was signed the
Friends Immediately took UP the re-
construction work IN the northern part
Of France and built over 1900 two
land three-roorn cottages to shelter the
people. In addition to this they took
care of over 1000 maternity cases IN
! their hospitals, finding some OF the
prospective French mothers living IN
dugouts in the ground. 3
Befriended Interned Germans.
According to Rev. Purdy the
Friends, all told, do not number to-
exceed 125,O00 persons. When the
problem of feeding the people of
| Central Europe came up, the Quakers
we're singled out to take up this work,
because it seemed polite to turn over
this activity to sect that had not one
congregation in. Germany and was
known not to proselyte, and who had
through their friendship and service
rendered the irfterned Germans in
England, engratiated themselves with
great number Of the German people,
had won their respect and enjoyed their
confidence: a.na
Funds From Wheat Profits.
| Rev. Purdy stated how the first
funds were secured for the relief work.
He said that all the profits made by
the government on the wheat which
lit had bought, was turned over for
Irelief work in the different countries
in proportion to the gain realized from
the sale of the grain to the country in
| question. This profit amounted to
tlsevera1 million dollars.
Absolutely No Graft. 8 +
i The work of feeding the children is
4 taken care of by the authorities in
i Germany themselves and without ex-
Ipense, except the expense of drayage
land other minor items that simply
can not be avoided. Rev. Purdy said
THAT he wanted to make this plain,
because the impression has gone
abroad in some quarters that some one
! is grating. He went into detail as tc
how the work is being carried on and
: convinced every one in the audience
that there could not be and was nc
grating in the relief work done by
!, them. He also said that if there was
3 any profit made on the food drafts
!, purchased from the American Relic
Administration, that this was turned
8 over to the fund for the relief Of the
e under nourished children Of Germans
and other countries.
o / E..J AOn nnO n.:I.,
4 There are at the present time 81
Iplaces in Germany where the hungr,
lchildren are fed and during the pas
+ year an average Of about 400, 900 wer,
nifed daily; the highest. number fed a
anv time was q trihe over 6fl0 ilnO