| Show Milli ns Destitute in I i iI I France and Belgium Hungry Stand in Snow or Rain Soaked and Chilly Wai Waiting ing for Bread Brea and Soup Many Wait Eighteen Hours hi in Line for Meager Rations i 1 i LONDON Feb Frederick Frederick C. C Wolcott who spent three leeks in in Belgium and northern France investigating for the Rocke- Rocke eller reller foundation the work of the the relief relief commission of which Herert Her- Her jert ert C. C Hoover is the head makes the following conclusions There would be bOo wholesale wholesale starvation starvation within three or or four if the importation of food I nb nto Belgium were stopped 1 In In northern France the percentage if r Indigent people Is Ia even gr greater ater than hat In Belgium because there are virtually vir- vir no native supplies The rhe clothing situation In Belgium nd northern France demands very serious consideration Unless the work of or providing clothing Is s kept UP tIP at a regular rate there will viii be vet very serious suffering suffering- in inthe the fall Wolcott i iz his iS report says he was waa greatly impressed eed sed by the efficiency of the relief relle wo work k and he recommends that money Intended for Belgium or France be to the commission Wolcott Volcott said sald to the Associated Press of ofle If It any who cavil at the sending r relief le supplies Into Belgium could only visit Belgium and see personally personal y the plight of the suffering people they 1 would come back as alii eager lor br the continuance continuance continuance con con- of ot the work as aa I am Three Theo Million Destitute Of the inhabitants in Bel Bel- glum gium Wolcott said are virtually virtu virtu- ally lI destitute and drawing daily dally one meal consisting of ot the equivalent of three thre thick thiel slices of ot bread and a pint of ot soup He added Depots for the distribution are only onty large enough to accommodate date between thirty and fifty people s long tong queue of ot the hungry extends Into the street for fr a block or more Most of those who Walt wait are so poor loor that the they have no protection protection pro pro- pro pro-b j In the shape of an umbrella or a thick coat against the discomfort of ot stormy tormy d daysI days Cays ys I have seen thousands of people 1 lined up In snow or rain soaked and t chilly chUly waiting attIng for bread and soup I Ij j have haye returned to the distributing eta sta- 1 i at the end of ot f the day and have found und men women and children n sometimes some some- tome tome- I times still standing In lint line but later compelled to go back to their pitiful homes col cold l wet miserable was It-was notI not I until eighteen weary hours afterward that they g got t the meal they missed I There is another stratum of oC society Just above the poorer working people I which is only partly destitute but even these must and stand In line every even day for Cor the supplementary sup sup- 1 ration Most of oC them are mothers and fathers who have children chil chil- dren only partly nourished Warning to to Belgians Picture the mental condition of ot people peo peo- pit pie without work worl for more than a year 1 and a half halt daily face to face with the possibility of ot starvation cut from communication communication com corn with the outside world by barbed wire and armed cordons of a conquering foreign army In every Belgian cit city fortnightly bulletin boards are placarded with a abright abright abright bright pink paper German on which the Belgians can read the names or of their fellow countrymen and women who have been sentenced to Imprisonment imprisonment Imprison imprison- ment for tor terms varying from a ear to toa toa toa a lifetime for offenses s against the German German Getman Ger Get man rule Wolcott said the percentage of ot ludl- ludl Kent gent ent was greater in northern France than in Belgium because of the lack of native JU supplies The most destitute In I France rance and Belgium he said were re re to one suit of clothes The rhe commission commission com corn mission in accordance With Its policy is anticipating the wants of the population population tion and purposes buying cloth by the bolt an and having it made up by natives for tot fall wear The children of at northern France have suffered badly for tor the want ant of clothing and particularly of shoes hoes The report concludes The conclusion I have hae arrived at and am going going- with a perfectly open i mind to report to the Rockefeller foundation which has ha no connection with Hoovers Hoover's organization is that the need Is great both for food and clothing In Belgium ium and northern France rance There would be wholesale Starvation within three or four weeks if it the Importation of ot food tood were stopped Stagnation of Business The need will continue great for many months after atter peace Is declared Factories have been stripped of ot their thel machinery machiner There Is complete stagnation stagnation tion of ot industry It will take months to rehabilitate these Industries and to start the start the wheels again I have reported to the Rockefeller foundation that I am much impressed by the efficiency of ot the commission for relief that whatever was given for relief relief re re- re lief in Belgium should be given to this organization without any restriction If U relief on a large targe scale Is undertaken for other de destitute countries like Poland and Serbia that relief should be undertAken undertaken under under- taken by or through this commission |
