The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1920-05-20
NOW EUROPE GAN J
ESCAPE COLLAPSE
Eve Must Aid BY Extending
Credits" Says Dawson.
GRAVE MENACE 70 Y. s. A.
European Ruin Would Involve
Arnerica---Starvation and
Disease Rampant.
GRAVE MENACE 70 =. 5. A.

0ulhk EplbCOpdl CnuTcn, A0uTy r.. Law
fson. chairman Of the Board AZ Coz.
ernors Of the League Of Red Cross
Societies. said:
As chairman N the Convention of
Red Cross Societies, composed Of rep
resentatives Of twenty-seven nations
that met recently In Geneva am GUS
todian of authoritative reports record
ing appalling conditions among mil
lions OF people living In Eastern
Europe
One Of the most terrible tragedies
In the history Of the human race is
being enacted within the broad belt
Of territory lying between the Baltic
and the Black and Adriatic Seas.
This area includes the New Baltic
s<ates-Poland. Czecho-Slovakia the
Ukraine Austria. Hungary, Roumanta,
Montenegro. Albania and Serbia. The
reports which come to Us make &
civilization has broken down. Dise>sa
bereavement and suffering ere present
in practically every household. white
food and clothing are insufficient to
make life tolerable
Men, women and children are dying
by thousands, end over vast once
civilized areas there are to be found
neither medicinal appliances nor med
zeal skill sufficient to cope with the
devastating plaques.
Wholesale starvation II threatened
in Poland this summer unless she can
procure food suppiies In large Quantt
ties. There are now approximately
250,000 cases Of typhus In Poland and
in the area occupied by Polish troops
Worst ryphus Epidemic IN History.
This is already one OF the worst
typhus epidemics In the worlds his,
tory. In Galicia whole towns are GRIP
pied and business suspended. In some
districts there is but one doctor to
each 10000 people.
In the Ukraine, we are told. typhus
and influenza have affected most q
the population.
A report from Vienna. dated Feb
ruary IL, said There are rations for
three weeks. Death stalks through
the streets of Vienna and takee unr
Numbered toll.o
Budapest, according to our informa,
ton, Is one vast city OF misery and
suffering. The number Of deaths is
double that at births q the 16O, 900
children In the schools 100000 are
dependent on public charity. There
are 1901 900 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 physt
clans to minister to the needs Of the
entire country.
In Montenegro, where food Is run
ming short, there are but five phyel
clans for population Of 100000.
Returning to the United States
few weeks ago with all these horrors
ringing In my ears, found myself
once more In a land where granaries
were OVERLOOKING, where health and
plenty abounded, and where life and
activity and eager enterprise were IN
the full flood.
asked myself: What II this plague
and famine were here In the great
territory between the Atlantic sea-
board and the Mississippi valley.
which roughly parallels the extent OF
these ravaged countries, and that 60..
OOO, 900 Of our own people. condemned
to idleness by lack Of raw material,
and whose fields had been devastated
by invasion and rapine. were racked
by starvation and pestilence. and II
we had lifted up our voices and IN.
vOked the attention Of our brothers
in happier Europe to our own deep
miseries and our cries had fallen on
deaf ears. would we not In our de-
spair, exclaim against their heartless
ness 2"
Only Three Ways to Help Europe.
There are only three ways by which
these stricken lands can secure sup
plies from the outside world. One Is
by payment. one by credit, and the
third Is by exchange of commodities
II these peoples tried to buy materials
and supplies IN America at the pres
ent market value q their currencieA
Austria would have to pay 40 times the
original cost Germany thirteen times
Greece just double. Czecho-Slovakie
fourteen times and Poland fifty times
These figures arc official and en-
q true index a the economic plight q
these countries.
II Is clear, therefore. that they can
not give ue gold for the things thee
must have, nor have they either prod
acts or securities to offer In return
for credit Il only they could obtain
raw material which these Idle mil
Hons Of theirs could convert into man
ufactured products. they would have
something to tender the world Il
return for It's raw material, food and
medicine. But II they have neither
money nor credit. how are thag 4
take this first great step towards -
demption.
One-half the word may not -