Figure 1.--The American Red Cross took this photograph in Romania during in 1919. The caption read, "Economy on Roumania is practiced by the women of the country to an alarming degree. So prohibitive, for example, are the prices of clothes that they are far beyond the means of the poor. To save what few clothes the members of their families possess the children are sometimes sent out nude in the summer weather. In this way their mothers expect to save them warm garments for the winter months. A report sent to the Paris headquarters of the American Red Cross from Roumania representatives states that naked children are common sights in the streets of Bucharest. Several trainloads of clothing were sent out to better the condition of these people, who but for the aid of the Red Cross would be compelled to face the coming winter with little protection from exposure." Source: American National Red Cross Collection -- Library of Congress LC-DIG-anrc-04135.

Romania was in a desperate condition as a result of the War. There were serious food sgortages and the economy was near collapse. We have been able to find information on many of the countries assisdted by the American ARA after the War. For some reason, we have been able to find very little on Romania. We know that W.N. Haskell headed the ARA unit in Romania (1919). As in other countries, the ZRA reloed heavily on Anerican Red Cross volunteers. And we have found a Red Cross photograph with this caption. "Economy on Roumania is practiced by the women of the country to an alarming degree. So prohibitive, for example, are the prices of clothes that they are far beyond the means of the poor. To save what few clothes the members of their families possess the children are sometimes sent out nude in the summer weather. In this way their mothers expect to save them warm garments for the winter months. A report sent to the Paris headquarters of the American Red Cross from Roumania representatives states that naked children are common sights in the streets of Bucharest. Several trainloads of clothing were sent out to better the condition of these people, who but for the aid of the Red Cross would be compelled to face the coming winter with little protection from exposure."

Created: 9:23 AM 10/30/2021
Last updated: 9:23 AM 10/30/2021