The Washington times., 1922-10-20
raw Out Thy Soul to the Elu
and Satisfy the Afflicted

The appeal in their behalf which comes to you
from the President of the United States is to be
heeded because you are one of the great-hearted
Americans to whom his letter is written. The ap-
peal from the Near East Relief and the American
Red Cross through their chairmen is to be needed,
because your ears are open to such call for help
in this terrible emergency: But stronger than the
call of President or of Relief Committees stronger
than any urgent words The Literary Digest can say
to you knowing so we'll your unfailing tenderness
and quick generosity when the hunger, and sor-
row, and gaunt suffering of mothers and babes cry
out to you to comfort and to save them alive
stronger than all written or spoken appeal is the
hot, eager demand Of your own sympathetic heart
that cannot regard such bitter pain and need with
out straning to the utmost for their instant relief
The picture is so full of terror and anguish words
cannot portray it. Mark O. Prentiss, for the Near
East Relief cables: II have seen terrible sights
until my senses are numb, but the sight of 200 600
people, mostly women and children being penned
up and burning, and those escaping being driven
to barren, devastated country for starvation, is
past all comprehension. That was in Smyrna.
Hundreds of thousands more, both Christians and
Jews, fleeing from persecution and the sword, are
crowding the other ports of Asia and the nearby
islands of the sea awaiting rescue-or death. In
Salonik hundred thousand are herded in deplor-
able confusion. The city has been in ruins since
the great fire of 1918 and affords little more shell
ter than Smyrna. In the island of Mtylene an
other hundred thousand penniless fugitives have
pestence and q more convenient harbor of starva-
tion.
Panic has seized upon the frightened wanderers
Many have even cast themselves into the flames of
their own homes. Food is gone even water to drink
is at premium. Families broken up while
parents in frenzy of despair seek their lost chill
dren. Hundreds of mothers have given premature
birth to infants in the midst of terror and DEATH
Halffed babies, covered with scurvy try in vain to
draw nourishment from their mothers empty
breasts.
Quick compassion is needed; delay means death
thing heroic in giving is needed You are not there
in the midst of the terror and the frantic cries for
help. If you were, you would leap into the sea, if
need be, or brave the flames, the sword the plague
to snatch back from death some helpless woman or
little child You would not see them perish in
agony before your eyes if you could save them
even at the risk of your life Here, in this smiling
land OF comfort, where your home is SAFE and your
loved ones dwell in peace, that same terror and
anguish of helpless women and children come to
you across the and call to all that is heroic and
generous in your heart.
"Whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his
brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him"-ah, but the Master did not
mean you. Your heart is warm with compassion
and your hand will be open wide with help. Per-
haps you will feel moment of shudderng pity for
those shriveled souls, if there be any such in this
Money Orders, etc., Payable to "Nem East