THE STARVING BELGIANS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2380, 9 February 1915, Page 6

THE STARVING BELGIANS

—» ( AMERICAN POINT OF VIEW AMBASSADOR'S STATEMENT Tho 'American Ambaissador to' Great Britain presided recently at the American Luncheon Club, when Mr. Herbert Hoover, chairman of the Commission for Belief in Belgium, was the guest. In replying to the toast of his health, Mr. Hoover, made the following important statement: — "I wish to make clear with emphasis that tho Germans are not interfering with this foodstuff. Not one mouthful, so far as we know, has gone down a German throat yet, nor do I believe we shall ever be confronted by such an event, for we have had nothing but helpfulness from the Germans. "When we wore asked to undertake this work the first question which arose in our minds was —Why don't the Germans provision the people of Belgium ? Wo were told that wider international law it is the duty of the occupying army to provision the civil population. We were further told by certain people that in importing foodstuffs into Belgium wo were relieving the Germans from their moral and legal duties, that we were performing an unnecessary labour, and, above -all, we were in. cftect supplynig the enemy with foodstuffs, thus relaxing the demands which otherwise would have fallen upon their stores, furthermore, we were told that it would be necessary for the occupying army to increase its occupying force in the face of a starving population m order to put down violence; and that therefore the enemy's forces would be occupied otherwise than on the fighting line. I What the Germans Say.

"These aro largely the views of the English soldiers. Tho German soldier, on the other hand, avers that the 13elmans have hitherto imported twothirds of their food supplies, that tho civil population still possesso-. resources In credit which would be available 0 " a return to industrial action, and that in taking tho harbour of Antwerp a gateway was opened to tho neutral world through which the Belgians could provision themselvos; that nothing prevents the normal flow of trad© and the revival of industry in Belgium except the British Navy, and that, therefore, the moral responsibility for the starvation of this population rests with the Allies. Furthermore, the Germans state that the people of Belgium by this hostility seriously discomfited the German plans: that their continued hostility requires a considerable force in occupation; that the Belgians r to operate the public services of their country, and therefore compel the Ger mans to carry on these services w soldiers; that in so doing the cmi population are still assisting the Allies, that the Allies have these benefits, and therefore are morally obliged to support they state that the G«man food sunnlv is adequate to carry the war to successful fruition; that if they.have to take upon their hacks the additional load of feeding .7,000,000 -people their stores may bo seriously jeopardised, and, fs the™ national integrity » at stake, they do not propose to do it.

Food Before Argument. «'I am not offering either of th«e views as being my own. As - cau, of a people whoso ideals of human ity 'never sbono so bright y as tks day I havo an observation to make with regard to these arguments _not by v,ay of refutation, but by way American point of vkw • ( "My first P I& tiiat v be ? +I,*? question is s%ed as to who has this moral responsibility for fe t ed^® b Belgians these people mil haAe been starved, violence will have brokn out in thecountry, and there will have been a large loss of life among an wnocent nJrSf \lready in 'certain districts tt'we have not been able. tojege-t-rate attempts have been made by the staving people to take German military ftorls and there has been senous loss ° f ''My 'second observation is ,thatm this time of intense national hatred discussion of the rights and wrongs, of a problem of this kfnd becomes as t.mo troes on only more acute. Each sido flitms itself with greater obstinacy, and ft o Wtime'the Belgians stem D is enoudi for -America, that ',000,000 of humanity are lready in tho hoppers i x -Mitec hpfcween these two Iri into war W . the ambition of their Rnldiers or their 6ailors. " our own people, havo sought for conquest only by peace, tAllect They have fought a orave sKfgle for liberty. I have yet to meet a Belgian who regrets it.