The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-06-16
WHAT AMERICA HAS DONE FOR
EUR0PE'S STARVING MILLIONS
In Eight Years Between Four and Five Billion Foodstufs
Have Been Sent Into Famine Stricken and War
Barren Countries-chaHty Extends Across
Europe lnio Russia.

Thomas III. Dickinson, historian Of
the Hoover relief committee. has writ
ten for the New York Herald the first
complete statement Of Americas con-
tributIOn 10 The food relief OF Europe
that has ever been made. He says In
part:
With the entrance Of American food
into Russia In the fall OF 1927 Amer
lean relief operations have trayersed
the continent ot Europe. The span
OF these operations now covers eight
years. II Is not yet possible 10 give
hnal figures on the mass Of American
food supplies delivered 10 Europe
The work done has, however. been OF
sUth a nature as 10 permit a sum-
mary or operations and a general
suggestion Of the main expenditures.
American food relief operations be-
gan In Belgium Immediately er the
outbreak Of the war. lnaugurated as
charitable and administrative IN
dcrtaking while America was Leutrf..
American participation broadened
after our entrance iito the war, and
took upon itself an ofiic.al character.
TbencefO.'ward and until the signing
OF the peace, food relief for the allies
In Europe provided one OF the main
avenues II American helpfulDess In
the war. After the war ended Amer
fean relief again became a private
undertaking and has been 50 support
ed by indlfidual charity, supplemented
by certai, governmental grants. to-
This day American food relief In Eu-
rope thus falls into three periods.
I Flrst-The period Of our neutrality
from August, 1914, 10 April. 1917.
During this period the commission
for relief in Belgium was the instru-
mentality of relief.
Second--The period of American
participation from April. 1917. 10 July.
1919. During this period the United
States food administration was the
official agency OF relief.
Tbird-The period after the sign
fng Of the peace, during which the
American relief administration has
functioned ns the agency Of relief,
with particular reference TO the feed
ing OF undernourished children.
Covers Nearly All Countries
During the eight years In which
American agencies have been con-
cerned I'm the feeding OF Europe relief
operations have extended into all
countries. with ths exception OF Nor
way and Sweden on the north. Spain
and Portugal on the south. Switzer-
land and Greece. American relief
has been extended 10 Belgium as an
innocent victim Of he war, TO the al
lies as colleagues In the war and to
friend and fee alike, as well as TO the
new states OF Europe after the close
Of hosfilities.
while this work has been carried
on under organizations with different
names, all OF them have had con-
tinuing identity IN that they have been
under the direction OF one man-Her-
bert HoOver-who fret invented in
ternationnl food relief on modern
lines.
For purposes of the digest II may
be useful TO distinguish between char
liable contributions made by America
60 the feedInL OF Belgium throughout
the period OF our interest and those
government grants from which came
the mass Of the support.
Americas charitable contributions
began In 1914 and continued 20 1920.
These were both IN cash and In kind.
and were collected both by organlza.
tIons afiiliated with the commission In
the United States and by charitable
individuals. foundations and national
periodicals. Fren various charitable