World War I Belgium: American Food Relief -- Committee for Belgian Relief

German atrocities in Belgium
Figure 1.--This is a poster promoting the World War I Committee for Belgian Relief run by Herbert Hoover.

An unknown American mining engineer, Herbert Hoover, who happended to be in London when World war I broke out, organized a committee to get americans in Europe home. He tgen entered into hitory. He turned to a far more daunting task--how to feed Belgium. Although Belgium was neutral, it had been invaded and overrun by the Germans. The Germans had anticipated a quick victory over the French in the West. When the War bogged down into static trench warfare, food supplies soon dwindled. The German Army seized Belgian food supplies for its men. At home Germany did not have a food surplus and was unwillikng to send food the Belgian civilains, especially as they had sided with the French. Belgium before the War imported large quantities of food, but The Allied naval blockade now prevented food from reaching Germany and Germany occupied areas. Thus a humanitarian disaster was unfolding in Belgium of epic proprtions. The Belgians managed to get a guarantee from the Germans that they would not interfere with food shipments brought into Belgium by a Belgian Relief Committee (CRB). The British, however, were dubious about the German guarantte, woried that the food might be used to feed German soldies. Delegations from various Belgian cities came to London pleading for permission to bring food through the blockade. After consulting with Walter Hines Page, the American Ambassador, and Emile Francqui, a Belgian Banker, Hoover decided to make the task of feeding Belgium his own personal crusade. He worked through the Committee for Relief of Belgium. It was a daunting undertaking. He needed to find and pay for food to feed 10 million people. Shipping and transporting that quantity of food required a major logistical undertaking involving ships, trains, and trucks. Distribution was a major concern. He had to ensure that the food was equitably distributed in Belgium and that the German Army did not take any of it. And hde had to guarantee to the British that the food would not fall into German hands. Somehow Hoover managed to pull it off. Here is great strngths as an a practical organizer and his sence of morality made this achievement possible. Hoover accepted no salary or remuneration of any kinds and many of his colleagues working on the CRB did likewise. Hoover appealed for support from all over the world, but it was in America that the public responded overweal an America volunteer staff in Belgium as neurtral Americans were more acceptable to the Germans as well as the Allies. The CRB over 4 years fed 11 million people in Belgium and northern France (the Germans had also overrun part of northern France. Hoover collected more than $1 billion to finace the CRB--mostly from America. The task was unpresedented. It was the first major relief undertaking of such dimmensions. It was also a learning experience. The CRB found that young children needed a special diet to prevent disease. Doctors invented a special cookie containing all the essential foods needed for young, growing children. This was provided to 2.5 million Belgian children daily along with milk and a stew. The American people supported the effort with almost missionary zeal. States dispatched special "state food ships" to Belgium. Along with the food came clothing. Hoover insisted that an accounting firm manage the CRB books so that no one could ever charge that any of the money had been misspent or embelzed. Amazingly the final saccountijg showed that not only had the money been carefully spent, less than 0.5 percent had gone for administrative purposes. For this effort alone, Hoover has to be considered one of the great heroes of World War I.

Americans Caught in Europe

An unknown American mining engineer, Herbert Hoover, who happended to be in London when World war I broke out, organized a committee to get Americans in Europe home.

Germans Seize Belgian Civilian Food Supply

Although Belgium was neutral, it had been invaded and overrun by the Germans. The Germans had anticipated a quick victory over the French in the West. When the War bogged down into static trench warfare, food supplies soon dwindled. The German Army seized Belgian food supplies for its men. At home Germany did not have a food surplus and was unwillikng to send food the Belgian civilains, especially as they had sided with the French.

Allied Naval Embargo

Belgium before the War imported large quantities of food, but The Allied naval blockade now prevented food from reaching Germany and Germany occupied areas. The naval war is generally considered a side show in World War I. In fact it was a critical part of the war, especially the naval blockade of Germany. The principal impact of the naval war was Britain's ability to use the Royal Navy to blockade Germany. The British when the Germans invaded Belgium (August 1914), had only a small force to send accross the Channel to assit the Belgians and French. The British Expodintinary Force (BEF) was a small but effective force which played an important role as did the Belgian Army, but if the Germans were to be stopped it would have to be done by the French Army. What the British did have was the Royal Navy. The Government ordered the Royal Navy to immediately cut the flow of raw materials and foodstuffs to Germany. The blockade would not effect the German offensive, but it was the launch of a war of attrition which would ultimately play a major role in the Allied victory. The Royal Navy was issued contraband lists. The Royal Navy patrolled the North Sea and intercepted cargo vessels suspected of carrying cargo destined for Germany. The British also layed minefields to sink German ships and force neutrals to comply with the terms of the blockade. The British subsequently declared the North Sea a British 'military area' (November 3, 1914). Theblockade was aimed at Germany, but occupied countries were also affected because of the fear the Germans would divert the food and other supplies.

Looming Humanitarian Disaster

After the Germans invaded Belgian, the British ordered the Royal Navy the instutute a naval blockade in the North sea. This meant that the Germans who were not self sufficiuent in food production could not import food. As Germany was also at war with Russia, land sources of food were also cut off. Tragically, Belgium was caught in the middle. They could also affected by the Notrth sea embargo. The British believes that the Germnsould seize food let in for the Belgians just asthey seized Belgian civilian food supplies. Thus a humanitarian disaster was unfolding in Belgium of epic proprtions.

Belgian Relief Committee

Hoover after helping to get Americans home, then entered into hitory. He turned to a far more daunting task--how to feed Belgium. The Belgians managed to get a guarantee from the Germans that they would not interfere with food shipments brought into Belgium by a Belgian Relief Committee (CRB). The British, however, were dubious about the German guarantte, woried that the food might be used to feed German soldies. Delegations from various Belgian cities came to London pleading for permission to bring food through the blockade. After consulting with Walter Hines Page, the American Ambassador, and Emile Francqui, a Belgian Banker, Hoover decided to make the task of feeding Belgium his own personal crusade. He worked through the Committee for Relief of Belgium. It was a daunting undertaking. He needed to find and pay for food to feed 10 million people. Shipping and transporting that quantity of food required a major logistical undertaking involving ships, trains, and trucks. Distribution was a major concern. He had to ensure that the food was equitably distributed in Belgium and that the German Army did not take any of it. And he had had to guarantee to the British that the food would not fall into German hands. Somehow Hoover managed to pull it off. Here his great strengths as a practical organizer and his sence of morality made this achievement possible. Hoover accepted no salary or remuneration of any kinds and many of his colleagues working on the CRB did likewise.

Appeal

Hoover appealed for support from all over the world, but it was in America that the public responded overwealmingly. An America volunteer staff in Belgium because America was neutral proved acceptable to the Germans as well as the Allies. The American people supported the effort with almost missionary zeal. States dispatched special 'state food ships' to Belgium. Along with the food came clothing. Not only were relief supplies donted, but the U.S. Congress crated the U.S. Food Administraion (USFA) to promote American agriculture production. This secured the domestic food supply as well as to the American Expeditiinary Force (AEF) after americ entered the war. Food was also provided for Belgian Relief. Hoover insisted that an accounting firm manage the CRB books so that no one could ever charge that any of the money had been misspent or embelzed. Amazingly the final saccountijg showed that not only had the money been carefully spent, less than 0.5 percent had gone for administrative purposes. For this effort alone, Hoover has to be considered one of the great heroes of World War I.

Achievements

The CRB over 4 years fed 11 million people in Belgium and northern France (the Germans had also overrun part of northern France as well. Hoover collected more than $1 billion to finace the CRB--mostly from America. It was also a learning experience. The CRB found that young children needed a special diet to prevent disease. Doctors invented a special cookie containing all the essential foods needed for young, growing children. This was provided to 2.5 million Belgian children daily along with milk and a stew. There is a debate in America today over American being an exceptional country. Most left-wing Americans take issue with this claim. One fact is crystal clear, few Belgians during world war I had any question about America being an exceptional country. And after the War, Ameriva would embark on a much larger effort--prevening all of Europe from starving.

Unprecedented Effort

The task was unpresedented. It was the first major relief undertaking of such dimmensions. No country had ever attempted nything like this before.

Europe

Reports of hunger and terrible suffering reached Hoover during the war. The situation was especially severe in Eastern and Southern Europe. Many of these countries, unlike Belgium, were food producing countries. Even so, the War was so affecting food production that terrible food shortages were developing. The sitution in Poland Russia, abd Serbia was especially severe. His exploratory efforts to get food to the starving people in these countries made little progress as a result of a variety of German and Allied objections. The situstion at the time of the Armistic (November 1918) was dire. In addition to the occupied Allied countries, the situation in the Central Powers was also desperate. Congress created a new agency to carry out the task--the American Relief Administration (ARA). In one respect, the situation was easier. The wrangling between the British and Germans largely was gone, although Britain and France refused to allow foof relief tothe Central Powers until the peace treaties were signed. But even before the end of the war, American food relief was flowing to the neady throughout Europe. The quantities were far beyond Belgian Relief. Special priority was given to saving children. Some estimates suggest that America may have saved an incredible 300 million Europeans. Rge biggest problem prove to be the Russia. The Blosheviks for 2 years refused to accept American food and then whenthey finally accepted, they demanded to control destibition so they could use food as aeapon.








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Created: 12:27 AM 3/3/2016
Last updated: 8:18 AM 10/29/2017