The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-05-21
TRAGEDYOF HUMAN RACE
HENRY P. DAVIDSON PAINTS
GRUESOME PICTURE
MANY ARE LACKINGF00D
Urges Congress To Appropriate
Aid For Stricken Baltic
+, States
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch

Des Moines, Ia, May 17.-Henry P.
Dawson, of J. P. Morgan and COM
pauy, chairman of the board of gov
errors Of the League Of Red Cross
socities, told the general conference
of the Methodist Episcopal church
here today that lone of the most ter
rible tragedies in the history Of the
human race is being enacted within
the broao belt of territory lying be-
tween the Ealtic and the Black AMI
Adriatic SEAS" In this area are the
new Baltic states, Poland, Czecho-
Slovakia, Ukraine. Austria. Hungary,
Rumania, Montenegro, Albania and
Serbia
Mr.. Dawson asked that congress
Immediately appropriate $500, 100000
for the use of the countries Of Cen
trail and Eastern Europe. He re-
quested that congress call upon the
president to appoint non political
commission of three Americans, dis
tinguished for their character and
executive ability, which should pro-
coed at once to survey the conditions
of its own prerogative. He suggest
ed for members of the commission
men of the type Of General Perish
ing, Herbert Hoover and Former
Secretary Franklin X. Lane. He said
he had no doubt that the obligation
would be repaid and suggested it
should run for fifteen years.
Invite Others To Aid.
He urged also that the United
States invite other governments to
participate in the undertaking and
declared
II am confident that our action
would be followed by the govern
ments of Great Britain, Holland, of
the Scandinavian countries, Spain
and Japan and that France and Bel
GUM and Italy, notwithstanding
their losses, would help"
The sum suggested by Mr.. Dawson
for appropriation by congress ex-
ceeds the total Of all the Red Cross
has expended in the war and since,
which was placed by him at approx
the $5OO,o0O,000 asked for by Mr..
Dawson, the Belgian relief fund
would be but drop in the bucket
Mr.. Dawson said he was custodian
Of authoritative reports recording
appalling conditions among millions
of people living in Eastern Europe"
Il believe" he said, that the apathy
and Indifference which prevails today
are due alone to the fact that Amer
lean people have not grasped the
dreadful facts.
Dying From Hunger.
"The reports which come to us
make it clear that in these war raw
ished lands civilization has broken
down, men, women and children are
dying by thousands and over vast
once civilized areas there are to be
found neither medical appliances nor
medical skill sufficient to cope with
the devastating plaques"
Mr.. Dawson said that one of the
worst typhus epidemics in the worlds
history now existed among tho Poles
who were threatened with wholesale
starvation this summer, that typhus,
influenza, smallpox or tuberculosis
existed in Czecho- Slovakia, Serbia,
Rumania and the Ukraine and that
there was lack of medicine, soap and
physicians to combat these diseases.
He pointed to the menace of typhus
at our threshold" and asked how
long before it might creep to our
own shores" --=.>
He contrasted this with the con-
dition in the United States and asked
If the conditions were reversed
whether Americans would not ex-
claim against the heartlessness of
Europe. eve can afford to die" he
said, "but to b edespised forever as
said, "but to be despised forever as
fate we must not incur"