UNITED STATES' RECORD IN BELGIUM.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 1 May 1917, Page 3

UNITED STATES' RECORD IN BELGIUM.

The United States has supplied the administrative channel through which the pity of the world has flowed to feed the unhappy Belgians whom Germany has robbed of their country and their cash, and is now turning into a nation of slaves. But is the record of the United States in this matter quite as splendid as is sometimes imagined? Mr. W. L. Honnold is the Director in 'America of the Commission for Belief in Belgium, and in an article in an American magazine he says that about one phrase of their work in Belgium Americans may justly be proud, but of another phrase there is some ground for shame. The Commission for the Relief in Belgium, in brief, as machinery for distributing the gifts of other nations, is a miracle of scientific organisation, but the amount of direct help in the shape of money which ha» come to Belgium from American pockets is surprisingly small. Mr Honnold, indeed,: says that America has made a considerable trade profit out of the charity of other nations! The hard facts of the case

arc worth noting A PROFITABLE BUSINESS

Mr Honnold, however, gives us some additional facts which present a less pleasing picture to the American eye. The total contributions of food, clothing and money so far collected in the United States are a little less than £1,800,000. In the aggregate this is a large sum, but reduced to a per capita basis it makes a somewhat poor showing, especially in view of the fact that the Commission has spent over £25,000,000 in the United States, or more than fourteen times the amount of the American contributions. The United states has contributed 4d per capita to Belgium relief, Great Britain 9d, Canada 9d, Australia ss, New Zealand 8s 3d, Tasmania £1 6s per capita. The Government of Great Britain is now giving £1,000,000 per month to Belgian relief. The French are giving to the destitute Belgians through the Commission over £400,000 per month, and in addition are giving approximately £1,300,000 per month to the destitute in French terri-

tory occupied by the Germans in northern France. These are Government contributions. Private contributions from

the British. Empire have amounted to £2,600,000, while private contributions from the United tates have amounted to under £1,800,000. The United States, at a conservative estimate, has made a cash profit of £3,000,000 on the purchases of supplies in that country by the Commission. It has contributed to the cause less than £1,800,000. There is a disagreeable enepancy in these figures. "We Ameri- , cans," says Mr Honnold, "have made more' money out of Belgian suffering .than we have given to relieve that suffering. ''