The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-05-27
HOW EUROPE CAN
ESCAPE COLLAPSE
We Must Aid by Extending
Credits, Says Dawson.
GRAVE MENACE TO U. S. A.
European Ruin Would Involve
America-Starvation and
Disease Rampant.

bHlr''lhi NhuT'ns htnTy T. bhNlNOu,
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 seven nations
that met recently In Geneva, I am Gus
todlan Of authoritative reports record
ing appalling conditions among mil
lions OF people living IN eastern Eu-
rope.
One Of the most terrible tragedies In
the history Of the human race In being
enacted within the broad belt OF terri.
tory lying between the Baltic and the
Black and Adriatlc Seas.
This area includes the new Baltic
States-Poland Czecho- Slovakia, the
Ukraine. Austria, Hungary, Roumania,
Montenegro. Albania and Serbia.
The reports which come TO us make
II clear that In these war-ravaged
lands civilization has broken down.
Disease. bereavement and suffering
are present In practically every house
hold. while food and clothing are In
sufficient 20 make life tolerable.
Men, women and children are dying
by thousands. and Ner vast once civi.
lized areas there are 10 be found nei-
Their medicinal appliances nor medical
skill sufficient 70 cope with the devas.
tating plaques.
Wholesale starvation Is threatened
In Poland this summer unless she can
procure food supplies in large quaint
ties. There are now approximately
100000 cases OF typhus in Poland and
IT. the area occupied by Polish troops.
Worst Typhus Epidemic In History.
This is already one Of the worst ty-
phus epidemlcs In the worlds history.
In Galicia whole towns are crippled
and business suspended. In some dis
,ricts tb~re Is but one doctor TO each
10000 people
In the Ukraine, we were told. typhus
end Influenza have affected most OF the
population.
A report from Vienna, dated Febru-
airy II. said: There are rations for
three weeks. Death stalks through the
streets OF Vienna and takes unhinder-
ed toll
Budapest according TO our informa-
tion. is one vast city Of misery and
suffering. The number Of deaths Is
double that OF births. or the 100000
children In the schools, 100000 are de
pendent on public charity. There are
10000 workers idle.
Typhus and smallpox have invaded
the four countries composing Czecho-
Slovakia. and there Is lack of medi-
cines, soap and physicians.
In Serbia typhus has broken out
again and there are but 200 physicians
to minister 10 the needs OF that entire
country.
In Montenegro. where food Is run
ming short, there are but Ave physi-
clans for n population OF 10000.
America Overlooking With Riches.
Returning 10 the United States
few weeks ago with all these horrors
ringing In my ears, l found myself
once more In a land whose granaries
we're overlooking, where health and
plenty abounded and where life and
activity and eager enterprise were in
the full food.
Iasked myself: "What II this plague
and famine were here In the great ter
rltory between the Atlantic seaboard
and the Mississippi valley, which
roughly parallels the extent Of these
.awou.a e,rntrlac and that nE 900 ono
Of our own people condemned TO idle
ness by lack OF raw material and
whose fields had been devastated BY
Invasion and rApine were Packed BY
starvation and pestilence and II We
had lifted up our voices and invoked
the attention of our brothers in hap
pier Europe 20 our own deep mlseries
and our cries had fallen on deaf ears
would we not in our despair exclaim
against their heartlessness !"
Only Three Ways t9 Help Europe.
There arg only fhfee ways by which
these stricken lands can secure SUB
plies from the outside world. One II
by payment, one by credit and the
third ls by exchange of commodities
II these peoples tried to buy materials
and supplies In Amerfca at the present
market Value OF their currencies Aus
tria would have to pay forty times the
original cost, Germany thirteen times,
Greece just double, Czecho- Sloyakia
fourteen times and Poland atty times.
These figures are official and are a
true index Of the economic plight OF
these countries.
II Is clear, therefore, that they can
not give us gold for the things they
must have. nor have they either prod
ucts or securities 10 offer In return for
credit. II only they could obtain raw
material which these idle millions Of
theirs could convert into manufactured
products they would have something to
tender the world in return for its raw
material. food and medicine. But II
they have neither money nor credit
how are they 10 take this FIRST great
step towares redemption
One-half the world may not eat
while the other half stsryes. How
long do you believe the plague OF ty-
plus that is taking a hideous death
toll IN Esthonia and Poland and the
Ukraine and eating along the fringes
N...Ao CI.a.lrla ..tlll