The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-30
FOR
STARVING CHILDREN
HoOver's $1,000 a Plate
Soup Dinner In New York
Is Great Success
MORE AUTOMOBILES
THAN HUNGRY BABIES
Every Automobile Owner Can Support
One Child - General Pershing Urges
People to Give and FavOrs General
Disarmament and Less War Expense.

NEW YORK, Dec. 3O.-One thousand
of New Yorks men and women of wealth
paid 81 900 or more each here last night
to sit at a plain board table and eat beef
stew.
The banquet was a testimonial ar.
ranged by Herbert Hoover, chairman OF
the European relief council, of America S
effort to succor the 100000 starving chill
dren of Europe.
The stew, accompanied by white bread
and a cup of cocoa, was the same as
served to starving children at relief sta
tons throughout Europe at a cost of less
than a cent and a half.
Gen. John J. Pershing, Mr.. Hoover,
John D. Rockefeller, jr., Mrs. August Bel
mont and other nOtables carried soup
bowls and were first in a line that passed
by army field kitchens to be served. Those
who served were society young women.
Fritz kreisler entertained the diners
with several vocal solos.
y vacant high chair, placed for the in
visible guest Of hOnOr-the children Tor
whom Hoover's campaign of S3J,OO0,O9O
was launched. stood at the head of the
speakers table.
Mr. Hoover said in part:
so long as any person in this nation
can entertain an automobile, he can Ell
terrain an invisible guest. There are
G. 900, 900 automobiles and only $500, 900
guests Since this nation is spending a
billion dollars annually supporting auto
mobiles, another billion on ice cream. cos
meticS and chewing gum, a few billion
more on drinks, tObaccOS and other lux
urieS-it has not reached a point of deSti-
tuition that warrants refusal to buy happi-
ness and cheerfulness for this mass Of
children
General Pershing. after eulogizing
Hoover for his work in Europe immediate
ly after the war, said: To-day even the
most destitute of our own children in
America are rich in comparison with mil
lions Of children of the poverty stricken
nations of Europe who appeal to us for
help. Is seems to ne that If there ever
was a time in the history of the world
when human sympathcS should be stirred
10 activity it is during this after-the-waI
period. \ mere recital of the facts should
fill our hearts with the tender emotions
that prompted the Master TO say: Suffer
little children to come unto me and forbid
them not for of such is the kingdom OF
heaven.
General Pershing continuing, spoke il
favor of world disarmament.
The world doesn't seem to learn from
experiences" he said. 1T would appear
that the lessons of the last six years SHOULD
be enough to convince everybody of the
dangers of the nations Striding up and
down the earth armed to the death. But
no one nation can reduce ornaments un
less all do. Isn't it the time for al
awakening among enlightened peoples t.
the end that the leading powers may reach
some rational agreement which would not
only relieve the world of this terrible
financial load. but which in itself would
be long step toward the prevention OF
wars.
Ours is not an aggressive nation. We
want no territory, and We have no designs
on other people If other nations have
the same attitude it seems unreasonable
not to believe that all would be willing t.
prove it by conscnting to limit arma
mentS."
Mr.. Hoover announced after the dinner
that the thousand guests paid S2,011, 221
or more than $4,000 place.