American Accomplishments: European Relief Council (ERC)/American Relief Administration -- European Children's Fund (ARAECF)


Figure 1.-- Here we see Polish children beung fed by the American relef effprt. Americab food could not reach Poland until after the war. The caption read, "More Polish children being saved from starvation by European Relief Council." Notice allthe bowls and the pitcher that the children have brought to carry the food home. We are guessing that the americabs had a truckerving as a mobile kitchen delivering to established feeding stations. The photograph ws archiced Janury 22, 1921, but was obviosly taken several months earlier.

The European Relief Council (ERC) can confuse modern readers. It was not a European effort to save children. It could not be--Europe did not have the food needed to feed the hungary. The ERC was an American effort to feed hungary Europeans--mostly children. The ERC was also called the Caucasian Assistance Council. It was founded in America mostly through the effort ARA Administrator Herbert Hoover about 2 years after World War I (September 27, 1920). Nine American charitable organizations came together to save European children. Although 2 years had passed since the Armistice, European agriculture had not yet recoverd. The American Relief Administration (ARA) was dealing with the most pressing emergencies resulting from World War I. Hoover could see that the needs of millions of European children were not being met. He wanted a private effort to diectly result the persistence of food shortages, especially the fact that children were starving. The organizations partiipating were: the American Friends Service Committee, American Red Cross, ARA, Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Knights of Columbus, National Catholic Welfare Council, Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). Notice how important the religious community was. Hoover comvinced these groups that helping endangered children in central and eastern Europe was the higest [riority relief need. It was vital to get food to them until the next harvest was brought in. Hoover's ARA estimmted that 3.5 million children were in distress and could starve. The result that the American public contributed to the greatest humanitarisn undertaking in human history. Support committees were organized in cties throughout the country. The effort became known as the Hoover Drive. They collected $29.5 million. The ARA received $15.7 million and the American Red Cross $10 million. It was he largest contribution to the Red Cross. The ARA was converted into the American Relief Administration European Children's Fund (ARAECF, July 1919). Both still and movie film record what was accomplidhed. We note a 2 minute film fragment film footage of the food being passed out to children. Some are so hungary that they begin taking a bite as soon as the food is handed to them. Note the expressions on their little faces: European Relief Council feeds starving children of war effected countries in Europe (1920). . Despite the enormous scope and achievements of the ERC/ ARAECF, it is almost unknown today. Left-ing critics of America who can list every conceivble American infraction, can not sme this and mnyother American efforts that savec people on the tens of millions. And if you do aan iternet search, reports published by the ERC come up, but virtully no cites describing this unprecedented action.







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Created: 12:37 AM 3/31/2016
Last updated: 12:37 AM 3/31/2016