Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-03-18 | Page 6 | Belgium's Plight

BELGIUM'S PLIGHT. Terriblo conditions prevail in Belgium Bel-gium ami the occupied parts of Franco. Tho Germnu government has robbed the unfortunate people of these two districts and left thorn to tho tender mercies of the elements. All wool mattresses and all shoes and clothing in shops have been requisitioned by the Hun invaders". in-vaders". Toplars, ehnsaud other trees have been removed and tho countryside country-side laid waste. Mattresses now are stuffed with leaves and even the hospitals hos-pitals are in need of sheets and blankets. blan-kets. Empty flour sacks are, made into clothing on account of the scarcity of cloth' and there is little Siitable material mate-rial for protecting new-born children. Highwaymen frequently rob their victims vic-tims of footwear because the value is so great. These facts have been given out by the commission for relief in Belgium and the Ted Cross to further an ap- : peal for 5000 tons of clothing to relieve acute distress. All sorts of garments, j shoos, comforts and sheets are needed. ' Stiff hats, fancy clippers, goods con- j tainhig rubber, such as suspenders, or ; garments ' containing notes or letters! cannot be transported. It is the part I of the United States in this great war j to defend the right on the field of bat- j tie and we shall fulfil our obligations i to God and humanity in that respect. Tt is also the great privilege of the people of this country to follow in the Master's footsteps and relieve the sufferings suf-ferings of the poor and distressed. The i German war lords are inflicting untold honors upo'u the world, the memory of j which will excite anger and indiena-! indiena-! tion for generations to come. The j people of the United States have been binding up the wounds of the soldiers of (all the nations involved in the war, including in-cluding those of the Germans until we j became involved in the struggle. "We have fed the hungry and clothed the I naked in many lands. We mention these fa'-ts by way of contrast and not becausn we desire to indulgf in vainlorinns boasting before the world or to let our right hand know what our left hand doeth. Much 'remains 're-mains to be done, so let us not be weary of well doing. The arms of bleeding Belgium are outstretched in an appeal for aid and if a response is made it must come from the people of the United States. Tho hd d ross will j bein the collection of bundles of cloth- I ing all over the land this morning, j Shall the starving and :-hivcring Bel- j gians plead in vain ?