Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-27
NEAR FAST RELIEF
WORKER SPEAKS
AT ROTARY MEETING

Mr. Frank Ober, who is connected
with the Near East Relief. was tho
principal speaker yesterday at the
fgsu lar weekly meeting of the Rotary
Club in the dining room of the Elm
wood Hotel.
WI. Oper said In opening his speech
tnat ne felt it a distinct honor to
speak before Rotarians because il
was generally known that Rotary had
never tolerated speaker or a sub
Jeet mat was even the least bit
shady. He said that he was one of
committee of 25 men. three Of
whom were ex-governors and several
othefs in high Office and responsible
positions, and that it was the desire
OIL the committee to give the peonle
OF our country an idea of what the
Near East Relief organization had
zone In Greece, Armenia and other
foreign fields, and what 1t was ex-
pected might be done in the future.
IL was almost impossible, he remark
eo, Tor the average individual here at
nome to appreciate the suffering,
hardshlps, privations endured by
war refugees with stoical patience
ana tortitude. Children haggard and
hungry hanging about the walls of
even thought of play, bodies and
minds stunted for the lack of the
crudest necessities of life. It was.
ne emphasized, the one compelling
; thought of this committee to drwa
UPON the wisdom and spirit of our
glorious nation that these thousands
or prosecuted souls might learn to
live as man should live.
Agriculture, Mr.. ODER stated, was
the noble foundation upon which the
organization builded, giving MANY
comprehensive examples OF what had
been accomplished in this direction,
among which he cited a case where
an acre of land sowed and cared for
under skilled supervision had been
made to yield sixteen bushels of
grain to one of seed, as against a
neighboring acre titled by the crude
methods of unenlightened natives
yielding only eight bushels to two
bushels of seed. This, he said, SEEM
ed nothing short of miraculous to
the minds of men who understood
only the most primitive methods of
cultivating the soil. Men, women and
children, who had striven for long
periods to nourish their emaciated
bodies on the roots of grasses
SiAOoSAAL Ill d H6dN6H OIL
abundance when possessed of a single
loaf of bread
The speaker then touched on the
subject of education, mentioning a
system used in Mexico whereby the
teacher went to the pupil, giving in
struction wherever he found him.
This he thought a fine system as ap-
piled to many localities. bringing the
teacher face to face with conditions
which played vital part in the pro-
cesses Of mental and physical pro-
erosion. He STOKE also of the infer
1or breeds of cattle, hogs and poultry
found in those countries. and of the
Introduction of blooded stock through
the generous cooperation of certain
prominent men in this country. He
said that a heifer of nine months,
bred from a bloded sire. was superior
in size and general qualification than
1--WE year old native COW Of scrub
stock. Trade in butter and milk vas
not much of factor, cheese making
being favorite pursuit with many.
A school of instruction had been
opened which taught the newest and
most sanitary processes of nanufac-
turing this article Of food, and at this
time cheeses are being produced
equal, and in certain instances, su-
pericr to the famous Swiss variety
Refugees were given a loaf of
bread for days work, it having been
found that many were so dishearten-
ed and broken down that they lac
cd utterly the initiative to seek work
SO long as they were fed.
Mr.. Ober told how experts had
been sent over to teach truck garden
ing. which was practically unknown
there. and is expected that the future
win show wonderful results along
this line. Standard breeds of poultry
had been shipped into these regions
of pestilence and famine. which
should be significant, he said, when
one considers that produce from
poultry in this country exceeds in
value the production of gold and sill
yer from the mines.
The speaker concluded by saying
that he felt assured that the com
Portable people of this country would
awaken to the wonderful work of de-
velopment in which the lives of men
were at stake. and stand solidly be-
bird a movement that means so
much to these miserable creatures of
Gods glorious earth.
Mrs. II. P Lowell of Augusta was