RELIEF FOR THE BELGIANS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144666, 28 April 1915, Page 2

RELIEF FOR THE BELGIANS.

The pathetic* message which reached us on Tuesday from the National Committee of Relief in Belgium must appeal strongly to all sympathisers with the bravo little nation which at the outbreak of the war stood .no so heroically against- the Gorumu hosts and so gave time for Franco and Great Britain to mnko hurried preparations for the fray. According io the chairman of the Belgian Committee, unless more assistance is given hundreds of thousands of the seven million people in Belgium will starve. At least a million and a half Belgians are now entirely destitute, and with the rapid exhaustion of the meat and vegetable supplies, probably before harvest time there will !>o 2.500.000 who must be fed and clothed entirely by charity. The remaining 4.500.000 will get a pitiful daily allowance .pf bread through the poramisaion and pay for it. This heartrending appeal has touched many hearts, among thorn those of the Jlon. Oliver Samuel and Mrs. Samuel, and it is our.pleasure and duty r to-day to acknowledge the receipt from him of a cheque for £IOOO towards the relief of the unhappy Belgians. r iTmfc sum. .together -.with .other funds which hove re-ached us during the ■last few days from various .sources,, will he promptly remitted to the Government. to be passed ,pn to .London. It must not bp thought that, because the Government has laskod Taranaki Ao subscribe £259 monthly, that is all that is required., The position is this, that the .Government has undertaken to give £sot)o monthly towards the relief of the Belgians and nn additional £SOOO a month contingent on an -equuil sum . being subscribed throughout the Dominion. The £259 is Tananakvs share of the £SOOO required monthly to earn the full subsidy. There is practically no limit to the actual needs;' the Belgians will require all that can be spared for them just to keep them from starvation; and their claims are immensely greater than any other. Taranaki's share is all that it can spare, and, while there arc few perhaps who can alf.ord to give £IOOO, Air. Samuel’s very generous donation will, wo foci sure, servo as an incentive to others, to make such sacrifice as they Teel they can afford in responding to the piteous appeal. This too ie -a case in which it can truly'be said that ho who gives quickly 'gives twice. Hundreds of thousands of Belgians .arp on the verge of starvation, and unless they arc relieved immediately many will soon be past recovery. A mist of bread to them to-day is worth more than a whole loaf next month or a feast next year.