BELGIAN RELIEF.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 85, 7 November 1916, Page 8

BELGIAN RELIEF.

[To Tub Editor Stratford Post.] 1 Sir,—Once again I write to ask for subscriptions in money for the Belgians in .Belgium. I feel that money is urgently needed for those who not only have suffered, but are still suffering in order that the Allies may properly secure themselves against a repetition by the military caste of Germany of an endeavour to obtain

power and dominion over the whole world, and to treat the subject races as described in their books on Kidfur, and as illustrated by the way they have treated Belgium, the North of Franco, Serbia and Poland.

For the Belgians in particular our subscriptions should be liberal, as the Belgians have kept their pledged word to the guaranteeing Nations, and while saving others have become a mined Nation themselves.

I have the Britanuica Year Book, dated 191-1 (the year before the war began) and for my readers information give the following extracts to prove how much wo owe to the Belgians.

Belgian populaion, 31st December, 1910, 7,123,781. Belgian languages, 2,822,005 spoke Flemish. 2,57-1,805 spoke French, 700,997 spoke botli Flemish and French, and there was besides a small minority who spoke German. In 1912, the total effective strength of the Army was 182,770 officers and men. “In November, 1912, the Premier of Belgium (M. de Broqueville) made his ministerial declaration of policy, he made a pointed reference to the probable need of strengthening the Army, which formed the theme of an important article on December 3rd in the London Times from the pen of its military correspondent. “The Times’ correspondent undoubtedly reflecting the view of the British War Office welcomed this declaration as pointing at length to a realisation by Belgium that her weakness might prove a danger to herself and others.” . •. “England would not consider that Belgium had done her duty were she to remain indifferent to the passage of a foreign continental army across the Ardennes, but her hope was that Belgium would take her own stops to make such a proceeding too dahgerous. This article was approvingly commented on in the Belgian press. On December sth M. de , Broqueville announced that he would prepare a new army scheme instituting general service with one year volunteering, and assuring the complete defence of the fortified positions of the country by a first line army of 150,000 men to be increased to 330,000 in war time with a yearly contingent of 33,000 men, instead of 19,000 as now. The Government hoped to apply the new reform to the contingent of 1913.” My readers must admit that the Belgians have nobly kept their word, and by thus doing have saved the situation—have given time for the Allies to organise and to hold back the Germans from Paris. Just imagine how we should have fared in New Zealand if from French seaports the Germans had been able to ,£Oiid. out hundreds of privateers like the Emden, and prevented our being able to ship our produce to England, or to import any supplies that we needed.

Then compare our position-living in plenty—with the poor Belgians over 3,000,000 of whom are kept from starvation by a dole of food distributed by the Neutral Commission —each person getting only sufficient to keep them alive, and much of tills food such as wo in New Zealand would not like to eat.

The Belgians have a just claim on all of us for help, and surely we can give a little out of our plenty to help to keep the poor Belgians from starving.

Including the £IOO collected by the! ladies of Stratford and £l5O on ded posit the Stratford Belgian Commit-, tee have £312 which it is proposed toj remit in a few days time for the, Belgian's in Belgium, together with further sums which it is hoped that, the Stratford district will subscribe ( ou reading this letter so as to make, the sum to ho remitted up to at £IOO. Until the Germans are out of Belgium wo in New' Zealand should | continue to subscribe for those to whom we owe so much. • n '