BELGIUM'S ARMY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 190, 1 May 1918, Page 8

BELGIUM'S ARMY

A REPRESENTATIVE VISITS WELLINGTON HELP FOR BELGIAN RED CROSS A representative of tho Belgian Armv was in Wellington yesterday in tho perron oi' Monsieur Kobort Wouters, who fought in tho earlier stages of the war as iv non-commissioned officer of tho nrliliery. Monsieur Wontcrs was a stockbroker when the war began, and he had previously studied law at tlw TJniversily of Louvain. He joined his regiment at the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, and was at Liege and Antwerp, Since then he has becomo totally unfit for active service, and ho has undertaken a lcctur. ing tour in aid of tho Belgian Bed Cross, In conversation with a Dominion* reporter at tho Belgian Consulnte yesterday his-gave some interesting information regarding, Belgian affairs. "All able-bodied Belgians up to tho age of 45 years are on war service," ho said. ,"The Belgian Army to-day numbers 250,000 men, and it is better equipped, better armed, and better trained than at any other stage! of the war. The King of tho Belgians is still in command, and he and his soldiers are prepared to fight on until an honourable peace is obtained. In the meantime the Belgian nation suffers in a way that it is'hard for .more fortunate peoples to realise. My own homo is Antwerp, where tho mortality rate has increased fourfold and the birth, rale has declined by moro than one-half under the rule cf the German invaders. Official reports state that up to now 140,000 houses in Belgium have been razed to the ground by tho enemy. Letters that arc sinuggled out of. the country tell terrible stories of privation and misery.

, "You know that in the first year of the war about 7000 civilians, including between 1800 and 2000 women, vere killed in Belgium. Theso women left over 4000 orphans. Belgium's trade and industries have been wrecked by the Germans. Our railways have been taken away, our machinery has been seized, removed, or destroyed. Tho homes havo been looted of copper, linen, and other articles desired by tho Germans. Very many of ourlieople are depondent for food on the relief provided from abroad—and the Germans torpedo tho relief ships. Belgium even now has to pay an 'indemnity' of. ■£2,000,000 a month to the Germans. The Belgian banks have to guarantee- this money. /

i< "I read in the rowspaper this morning that Gomo people arc asking for more pay for , your toldiers. Tho Belgian soldier gets ono penny a, day—scvenpence a week. Jf his wife and children are in the occupied portion of Belgium they get no separation allowance. They must depend, upon tho relief organisation. If they aro in France, tho wifo gets Is. 2d. a; day, with about id. a day for each child. There is no allotment from the soldier. Moreover, l'ood is 6carco and prices aro higher than in New Zealand. Those women know that they must endure while their men fight to save the nation. . Tho son of tho King' of tnc Belgians is a private in the Belgian. Army, and ho is paid sovenponce a week, just liko any other soldier."

Keferring to Belgian' relief, Monsieur Wonters said that New Zealand, in proportion to population, hud boon more generous than any other nation, and ho v-113 glad to acknowledge that fact. Tho American Government, hn'd now taken over tho financial responsibility for relief, and was providing ,£500,000 «, month. Tno system was administered by the Spanish anil Dutch. Tho food and other necessaries provided through these channels was undoubtedly reaching tho right people. Mr. Hoover, now .American Food Controller, had directed tho relief operations until the United States entered the war, and he would not. have- advocated Ihe continuance of the system if ho had not. known that it was effective. The torpedoing of relief ships was a further evidence that tho food intended for tho TSelgiami did not; reach the Germans. Without the lelief the Belgian, people would starve. Already they wore suffering most severe privations. A cablegram published recently had mentioned that the American Government was giving the Belgians preference over the other Allies to the extent of 3,000,000 bushels of wheat, which required to be shipped at once. This showed that Belgium's necessities wero great and pressing. Monsieur Wouters has. already lectured in England, Scotland, India, Ceylon, and Australia, and as a result of his lectures over .£IO,OOO has been forwarded for thn Belgian Red Cross. The money goes direct to the Belgian Consuls in the citiee he visits, and is forwarded, by them to the Red Cross headquarters in London. He reiates some of his own experiences of tho war, f.nd shows lantern elides and moving pictures of a very interesting nature. Some of the pictures, illustrat. ing German atrocities in Belgium, were supplied by the Belgian Government, and (hey are stated to provide a damning in. dictment of German militarism. Monsieur Wouters left for the south last night, and will givo his first lecture in Dunedin, He mentions that the Belgian Red Cross, a very needy cause, depends entirely upon tho generosity of tho Allied public, tho people under tho invader being unable to contribute and those in foreign countries having not sufficient means to do so.