The Washington herald., 1921-07-18
BELGIUM RELIEF
WORK COST OVER
sl,3OO,O0O,OOO
Mr.. Hoover Makes Report
On Gigantic War Aid
Agency.

NEW YORK. July 16.-PurOhase
of food and clothing aggregating
more than $1,000. 900, 900 during the
six years from September, 1914, to
September, 1920, were made by the
Commission for Relief in Belgium,
according to the statement of Her
bert C. Hoover. it's chairman, in
the final report made public today.
The commission is now in liqui-
dation and the accounts are final
and complete. with the exception Of
certain minor outstanding items
remaining from the liquidation.
The commission was born as a
purely philanthropic enterprise de-
pendent upon the charity Of the
world for support, conceived as
few months emergency service to
defend millions of people from GER
tain starvation" said Mr.. Hoover.
However, 1t became evident that
the war was nOI . VI
months but of years and that. II
these 100000 people of Belgium
and 2.50o,00o in Northern France
were to survive, it must be ac-
complished by much broader opera
tions than public charity.
Get omeiaI sanction.
"The commission therefore sought
and ultimately received official sup
Tort from the Belgian, French, Brit
fsh and later the American govern
ments. The official advances were,
by consent of the Belgian and
French governments. debited to
them and were finally placed in the
reparations settlement for prefer
red payment under the indemnity.
The organization thus rapidly grew
to a great economic engine with
an annual budget of over 100000
900 in all it's different ramifications
inside and outside the invaded
zones.
The basic theory of the admins
tration was to erect system OF
food supply with all of it's train of
handling agencies. stretching from
the interior of the United States.
the Argentine. Australia, India and
other great food centers. focusing
into Rotterdam with a distribution
through chains of primary and sec
ondary warehouses, ultimately
through a ration card, reaching to
the individual family, which paid
for the food at fixed prices.
Five Million Destitute.
PROSTITUTION grew rapidly during
the war and of the 100000 peo-
pie fully 100000 were wholly or
partially destitute before the end
of war.
"a separate branch sof admins
tration was organized for the care
of these destitutes. giving them as
sistance by ration cards and by
charitable public eating and cloth
nE establishments. Their needs
necessarily extended further afield
than the provision of imported food
and clothing because bare living
requirements necessitated supplies
of native foodstuffs. light, fuel. shell
ter and medical care as well.
Made small Profit.
The provisioning side was or
sanized in the form of a commercial
enterprise, transferring its cash re-
ceipts to the benevolent side OF
the administration fort the use of
the destitute. This plan of divi-
sion greatly simplified the account
ing and gained the administrative
values of a separate personnel more
ADAPTED on the one hand ocommer-
cial administration and on the other
10 charitable work. It further
made possible the exaction of
small profit from the sale of food
TO those who could afford it, and
thus swelled the resources of the
benevolent branch.
The whole plan of organization
was a continuous chain of decen-
tralization. Purchasers were de-
centralized into overseas branches.
Shipping control was directed from
London. Transportation inland to
primary warehouses was directed
from Rotterdam. A cpmmittee was
erected in each of the ten Belgian
provinces and six French districts,
sale distribution.
supply 4,500 Committees.
These committees in turn sup
piled $500 communal committees.
which may be compared to retail
distribution, they issuing food and
the ration cards issued on a family
basis and to the public eating
places for certain classes of desti-
tute. The rations were sold for
cash by the, communal committees.
who in turn paid cash to the re-
gional committees. The regional
committees paid cash to the ma
tional committees at Brussels and
Lille. and these cash receipts were
transferred to the benevolent side.
Three methods were employed in
benevolent organization. First. ex-
istinE charitable institutions, and in
CONTINUED On PAGE FIVE