28 
LAND & WATER 
June 7, 1917 
Feeding Starving Belgium 
By Percy Alden, M.P. 
THE greatest piece of philanthropy that tlic world has 
ever seen is in all probability the Commission for Relief 
in Belgium, begun at the instance of Americans 
and largely organised by them in conjunction with 
the Spanish Embassy. It will be remembered that by 
October 1914, practically the whole of Belgium was in German 
hands, which meant according to the German interpretation 
of the Hague Conventions the seizing of Belgian food supplies 
to maintain the occupying army. Even in times of peace 
Belgium is compelled to import three-quarters of its food. 
In time of war, when supplies have been destroyed or seized, 
and when all industry is at a standstill, much more is re- 
quired. It is beyond a doubt that had it not been for the 
United States, the Belgians in large towns like Liege, Brussels, 
Antwerp, Charleroi would have been deprived of nearly all 
their food by the German army, would have rioted, and been 
shot down. In the early stages of the invasion the Belgian 
.American Committee had been formed to alleviate the 
destitution in Brussels. Before long, however, it became clear 
that much more must be done ; and Mr. Millard Shaler, an 
.American engineer, was sent to London on behalf of the 
Brussels Committee. Mr. Hugh Gibson, Secretary of the 
.American Legation in Brussels followed, and these two men 
with the co-operation of the Belgian Minister and the American 
.Ambassador approached the British Government with a view 
to obtaining a permit 
for the export of emer- 
gency relief. The Ameri- 
can Minister in Brussels 
together with Mr. Page, 
who, as Ambassador to 
St. James's has won 
for himself a great 
reputation, appealed for 
help. The Spanish Am- 
bassador in London 
was instructed by his 
Government to co- 
operate ; and finally the 
relief of Belgium was 
jointly undertaken by 
the American and 
Spanish Legations. 
These were the con- 
ditions leading up to 
the formation of the 
Neutral Commission for 
Relief in Belgium. 
Mr. Hoover, who was 
in London, had been 
called upon to assist in organising relief for Americans who, at 
the outbreak of the war found themselves stranded in this 
country. His capacity for organisation was so marked and 
his work so successful in this direction, that Mr. Page sent for 
him to ask what was to be done about Belgium, and invited 
him to take control. He immediately called upon his fellow- 
countrymen for the sacrifice of their money and their time 
in this difficult task of keeping the Belgian nation ahve. 
He formed a Committee, of Americans in London and an- 
(^ther in New York, and an appeal was issued to the American 
people with the approval of King Albert, and '5,000,000 
dollars were raised within twelve months in that country. 
In Brussels a similar Committee was established consisting of 
Belgians — the Comite National. It included bankers 
and business men. The Comite National has grown until it 
now has scattered throughout the length and breadth of 
Belgium, 50,000 voluntary helpers who personally supervise 
the distribution of all the food supplies, and undertake that 
they shall reach the people for whom they are intended. 
But America did not stop short at Belgium. In March 1915, 
at the request of the French authorities the Commission 
undertook to arrange ior the feeding of the people in the oc- 
cupied portion of Northern France. In April of the same 
year, the National Committee for Relief in Belgium was 
foimed with Mr. Goode as Hon. Secretary. The special func- 
tion of that Committee on which I have served, was to pro- 
vide charitable funds contributed by the British Empire for 
the relief of the people of Belgium, remitting all such sums 
to the Neutral Commission and assuming no responsibility for 
the administration of these funds, except when directly author- 
ised by H.M. Government. With regard to that fund, it is 
sufficient to say that in addition to considerably over 
£1,000,000 contributed by .America the British Empire has 
contributed up to the end of April 1917 £2,387,269. In all 
Wh 
more than £5,000,000 has been contributed by the benevolent 
in all parts of the world. 
The facts can be stated quite briefly. The Commission, 
together with the Belgian Comite National in Brussels an^ 
the Northern France Committee, have been responsible for the 
leeding of about 10,000,000 people ; 3,500,000 in Belgium and 
2.000,000 in France being totally destitute. Up to the end 
of April this work has cost approximately £65,000,000. 
More than 3,000,000 tons of food have been sent into Belgium 
and France, bought by the Commission in the world's markets, 
and carried by 50 or 60 cargo steamers from all quarters of the 
globe. 
This is not the place to deal at length with the political or 
economic aspects of this great benevolent enterprise, but a 
few facts may be jotted down for the guidance of food con- 
trollers and other important officials. The Commission bought 
its wheat in Chicago and it was purchased on that day on which 
few orders came in and when, therefore, it was at its lowest 
price. Arrangements were made for special charges for 
conveyance to New York. The wheat was then loaded on 
steamers at a figure considerably less than the prevailing 
rates because the Commission possessed its own ships, and 
because all agency services were given free. The London 
office of the Commission which kept an eye on the rate of 
exchange in one year saved 509,650 dollars (slightly more than 
its entire " overhead" 
expenses) by the way 
in which it paid for the 
wheat supplied. At 
Rotterdam a floating 
elevator,. purchased 
from the city of Ant- 
werp, enables the Com- 
mission to load its own 
barges. Tlie mill at La 
Louvic're grinds the 
torn at a minimum 
price, because there is 
continuous work and no 
bad credit, and finally 
the food in the shape 
of loaves found its way 
to all the head depots, 
and was distributed 
with the help of the 
Comite National. The 
same system applies to 
. the handling of bacon, 
Ither r lard, nee and many 
other articles. 
One more word is necessary to explain what may be called 
the benevolent side of the Neutral Commis.sion s work. 
The whole cost of feeding the people lias to be paid. Some 
of this money, as I have explained, comes from charitable 
sources and the rest is obtained by the profits on the sale of 
food to those Belgians who are able to pay. Notwithstanding 
this fact, owing to skilful management and scientific organ- 
isation the people in Belgium who were rich enough to buy 
their commodities paid lower prices for tl e same articles than 
they would have done in London. It is true that we 
can no longer, owing to the entry of America into the 
war, obtain the full services of men like Mr. Hoover, 
who has been appointed Food Controller by the United States 
Government, but we shall still reap the result of the wonderful 
systefn which Belgians and Americans combined have set up 
in that stricken countrj-, and the Allies will never forget the 
patient and courageous work for humanity which Mr. 
Hoover and his gallant colleagues have so faithfully rendered. 
liif couTtetiy oj "Lijc, 
" Greater freedom in Russia will make for European peace. 
The Russian people, as its traits are revealed in its wonderful 
literature, is a kindly folk. Among the Russians the instinct 
of fraternity seems stronger than among any other Europeans, 
and this instinct reaches beyond the Russian and even beyond 
the Slav world ; it is a feeling of human brotherhood. A 
victory of the Central Empires would mean, on the contrary, 
the perpetuation of militarism, both in these Empires and in 
Russia. In the Teutonic Empires, because, as Bismarck 
said, no war against Russia can be final. Russia may be 
defeated, but it cannot be crushed. And a defeated Russia 
must remain militaristic in order to be better prepared for 
the next war." — Monroe Smith in " -America and the World 
War," North American Review. 
