New Ulm review., 1921-03-02
REPORT ANENT
RELIEF WORK
100000 CHILDREN WERE FED
IN AUSTRIAN CAPITAL AT
ONE TIME.
SUFFERING FOUND.
IN BALTIC PROVINCES
AND IN POLAND.

/ High commentator of the work o1
the American Relief Administr ton
through which the European Relief
1 Council is functioning insofar as child
J feeding is concerned, and the disburse-
ment of the. fund it is endeavoring to
swell to $33,00O,000 to save 3.50O,OO0
children in Central and Eastern Europe
is contained in report to Secretary
OF State Colby by an agent OF the State
Department, who visited a number Of
countries where the relief work is in
progress. The report has been for
warded to the Senate by President
Wilson, Concerning Austria, the re-
|. port says:
/ was in Vienna in the early part of
July and again toward the middle of
August. There was widespread un-
employment except from dealers who
sold contrary to the law and at prices
which Austrians were unable to pay.
/ 100000 Children Being Fed.
The important relief work being
done in Vienna was that of the Ameri-
can Relief Administra ton at its various
child-feeding stations. Some 100000
children were being fed at the time,
but this number was to be reduced,
temporarily at least, when the harvest
became available. The men in charge
OF the American relief work were the
best kind of Americans, devoted
workers, often on the Job from early
morning until late at night. In most
cases the American Relief Administra-
tion food was practically all the child
ren had, their parents being unable to
feed them because of the excessive
expense of food and the fact that such
large numbers were out Of work, re-
ceiving only the inadequate govern
ment unemployment allowance.
Commenting on Hungary, the re-
port says: In Budapest, as in Vienna
the work Of the American Relief Ad-
ministration appeared to me excellent,
owing to an admirable personnel and
the minimum of expense. The Hun
garian government had donated to the
relief administration large sums of
money monthly to enable it to make
its work more Effective and far reach
ing. The children fed were Of all
classes, a very large proportion being
Jews. | mention this fact only be-
cause allegations have been made that
the Hungarian government interfered
with the relief of the Jewish children.
This was emphatically denied by
American relief workers .
Poland Needs Assistance.
] AS to Poland, the State Department
official reports: The need of relief in
Warsaw in September appeared to be
quite as imperative as in Vienna
!. Poland is an agricultural country and
should be self-supporting, so far as
food supplies are concerned. At the
moment, however, gradually recover
ing from repeated invasion, a large
number of its agricultural workers
killed or driven from the country, it's
i situation is desperate.
The work of the American Relief
Administration in Poland was being
carried on very effectively and econo.
mically. It is true to say that in
4 Poland the American Relief Admins
Etration alone is saving the lives Of the
coming generation. Any munition
\ of this work at the time would mean
disaster"
Baltic Provinces Suffer.
/ When the State Department investi-
gator was in Europe the relief Ad-
ministration had not yet extended its
work to the Baltic provinces. Since
/ then it has done, much of it's activity
i being directed to the feeding of Rus
i sian refugee children. The nacessity
4 of this step is manifest from the State
a Department mans account of con
7 versation he had with DR.. Ryan
4 Baltic chief of the American Red Cross
4 He said:
The picture of starvation and di
sease among the people Of Latvia
Lithuania and Esthonia that DR.
Ryan gave me was appalling, and I be
lieve that this extension Of the child
feeding is at the moment almost a.
important from the life-saving poin,
lof view as is the continuance of tn,
work in unumpaired efficiency ii
Austria and Poland. 4
Plenty Of Food in Serbia.
The careful manner in which tn,
European Relief Council sees to it tha
I not a dollar Of the money contribute,
by Americans is wasted, is testified L,
I by the State Department agent
comment on conditions in Serbia
!. Speaking Of Belgrade, he reported:
: Here was plenty of food; indeed
more food than was needed, as Serbi;