- i-.(,f-n.,. . , ..... f . ' 'ii in i ,1, i i i iii f i i f I, i,i i ,i iii .7 ii s i i i ii i ii i J in ii i i Hi i . . rt- i" The Slaughter of the Innocents ' '.- '.': frlJi I ffff-1 -t'l';1! wc Hi m ' hi , . 3 ,:P! 1 -"I r ,)i tfJJ civ ' I m "Tbrt and half million children call te the heart nP?fl?ceg. f Ameri for thcse daily supplies, net available m their own countries, that art vital te their niival and te the rebuilding of their physical well "Our resources will be exhausted in January. '" - j 'TV0?1101 lep MWe and Pcrmil Prter ' ?L i m ? ehn of hunger and cold, te haunt these I Mptet one thk winter, yet we can net continue with- out help. . . '. . '. . 'Tils Is a charge en the American heart, and i America cannot fail in her solicitude ler thete little t ones. k "Twenty-three million dollars must be raised with- 2 Etay .d wberfnjr the new heart you put into .9Smnlu,aen for Re,ief " Belgium in the dark hours of 1916, I come te you again." (Signed) HERBERT HOOVER Frm a UttUr te Th Literary Digett ' In immediate response the following editorial was published in The Literary Digest of Oct. 30th: WHEN JESUS CHRIST CAME upon the earth, nearly two thousand years age, te save all mankind, his mere coming seemed te interfere with the material interests of a few people of that period, notably King Hered, who promptly decided te dispose of this "interloper," and sent forth his soldiers with orders te slay all the children of two years old and under. Thus was consummated the most atrocious crime against innocent childhood ever committed up te that time. It has come down te us through all the ages in song and story, and master painters have pictured it en marvelous canvases. Today passing in review, as we leek out through the windows of our comfortable homes in this great and happy land, are three and a half millions of helpless children, the innocent victims of the greatest war that has ever afflicted humanity. It matters net, as we gaze in the direction of these children, that our eyes must stretch across three thousand miles of ocean, we still can see them and we still can hear them, if we wish te de se; and we cannot help hearing the tragic appeal in their voices and seeing their tiny arms stretched out te us, and their searching eyes looking into our souls, as they say, "rlelp us, or we perish." And if we fail te listen te this great call of three and a half millions of Ged's' helpless children; if we .close our eyes and ears te this great demand of duty, we shall be just as guiltv, of the "slaughter of the innocents" as was Hered nearly two thousand years age. In these lands, swept by death and filled with tragedies tee deep for tears, a sum of human suffering is being written greater perhaps than for all ages gene by. The mind grows numb and the heart sick from a constant recital of tales of such tragedy as it is difficult te" believe the twentieth century could held. And se, when we received a letter from Mr. Hoever telling us that America must net allow death in the form of hunger and cold te come te these 3,500,000 helpless children our soul was stirred and the het bleed surged up in our heart. We felt it was our imperative duty te use all the power Ged has given us te aid this noble-hearted American in con tinuing the work of saving human lives te which he has devoted unsparingly, and at great personal sacri fice, his tremendous energy and administrative genius during the past six years, in which time he and his American colleagues have administered two billions of dollars of relief funds from all parts of the world with a tQtal overhead expense of only three- eighths of one per cent, with no remuneration te the American directors. New he asks us all te help save the children who are in imminent danger of starva tion this coming winter. There they are, in the midst of wrecked homes, and farms, and factories; in cities crowded with masses of refugees without sustaining feed for chil dren, through the destruction of live stock; seeds for planting, raw materials, tools, and4 machinery gene; great areas with everything burned, or looted, or smashed; vast unemployment for workers; no means of subsistence; a land of economic ruin, of mutilated life and lingering death; and in the midst of it all the little children. In long lines they are waiting at the American feed-kitchens. Will the feed be there for them? Will they be turned away? There are no happy, healthy faces in these long lines net one. Yeu have seen rags and barefooted children, but never se many little boys and girls literally drest in tatters. Soen it will . be very cold, and for these bare little feet and legs and arms there is nothing at home te put en. Hellew faces and shrunken bodies are se common that their real condition does net become evident until we inquire mere closely, and then we find that most of them are from one te five years back in their growth. Children of eight years old have net reached the normal size of two and a half. They are just learning te stand alone. Others almost as old cannot yet stand en their feet. Their arms, and legs, and spines, and chests are. twisted and warped. The flesh and skin are shriveled en their bones. It is surprising that life can still exist there. If they can have feed they will gradually regain their health and strength, but with most of them it is a question of new or never. Starvation and tuberculosis will net wait. In Poland alone a million five hundred thousand such children must be cared for. In Latvia and Esthonia the people are living mostly en a diet made from potato-flour, eat-flour and sawdust. In Czecho slovakia, in Hungary, in Austria, and in ether coun tries of central and southeastern Europe, two millions mere are in dire need of feed; and who steps te ask regarding creed, or race, or nationality when a little child is starving? Children are just children the world ever, and the great American heart is big enough te care for them all. But the appeal new is net for all. The three and a half millions of children in immediate danger of starvation, if this organization fails, who must have feed at once, are only a fraction of the total number. The hungry children of these destitute countries have been examined by competent physicians, and only these whose wasted little bodies are reduced te the minimum weight, and whose endurance of hunger has reached the end which merges into actual starva tion, are admitted te the American kitchens and given one meal a day. It is hard te turn away thousands of hungry boys and girls te hear them ask, pleadingly, "De I weigh tee much?" "Am I net thin enough?" "Can't I come any mere?" But this restricting of feed te the extreme cases is compulsory, because there isn't enough for all. And these neediest ones cannot reach the kitchens through the cold winds and the snow bare footed and in the pitiful rags which form only a partial covering for their bodies. They must have clothes. Each outfit consists of one pair of warm woolen stockings, one pair of beets, and a little over coat. This one meal a day, and these beets, stockings, and little coats can be supplied only ii we give them. If we de net, the slaughter of the innocents by cold and starvation will be appalling. Among the mera than two million men and women who will read this page there is net one there cannot be a single one whose heart will net respond gladly and eagerly te the challenge of this great need. We are asked, you with us, te co-operate with Mr. Hoever in raising twenty-three million dollars te feed and clothe these children and save them from death this winter. It can be done. It shall be done. THE LITERARY DIGEST knows its readers and the deep earnestness, the quick sympathy, the great-hearted generosity they always show when any real human need calls te them. Yeu have never been called upon in vain. We are counting en you new with a great confidence. We knew, also, hew truly you represent the American spirit, which beats in the hearts of a hundred and three millions mere in this big land of plenty, a spirit which leaps ready at every such call, and is never weary in well-doing. We are net a hermit nation, isolated from the world, when suffering and want cry out te us from anywhere under the sun. A great, a beautiful, and heart-sustaining hope supports these stricken people America will come te their relief. Fer in the far places of the earth, where famine stalks, one name and one alone is synonymous with rescue and hope and that name is America. The small individual unit of ten dollars will pro vide the coat and beets and stockings and one meal a day for one child this winter. We urge our readers we urge every one whose eyes are en these words te give quickly as many of these units as possible, te buy for themselves that precious and priceless thing, the life of a little child as many of them as they can, and every one will be a shining star in an eternal crown. It was the Divine Leve of little chil dren, who came te earth as a little child, and who reigns new as the King of Glory, who said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me." He does net forget, nor fail te reward. Se deeply de we ourselves feel the urgency of this great need, knowing all the facts, that we should feel a heavy burden of guilt if we did net go beyond any thing we have felt possible heretofore in order te save these innocent children from suffering and death. Therefore, THE LITERARY DIGEST will start this fund with the sum of $25,000 te feed and clothe twenty-five hundred Kttle boys and girls this winter. What an inspiration it will be te all of us what an inspira tion and example te many thousands who may be uncertain hew much te give if in the very first week there shall be a great shower of checks for $1,000, for $5,000, for $10,000, as well as a deluge of smaller amounts, te send the fund rolling en toward the necessary twenty-three millions! Let us all see again what the father's heart is like in this great rich land of America. Let us have again a wondrous revelation of the heart of American motherhood. Let us have a great outpouring of love and helpfulness in the name of Him who said, "Feed my lambs!" President-Elect Harding, in a Great-Hearted Response, Sets an Example for All Americans In the midst of the flood of telegrams, telephone calls, and election returns pouring in upon him from every part of the United States, Mr. Harding turned from it all te write and dispatch the following telegram from his heme: ( THE LITERARY DIGEST, NEW YORK CITY: Marien, Ohie. November 4, 1920. I have just new read your splendid appeal te the people of America in behalf of three and a half millions of. unfortunate children in Central and Southeastern Europe who are the helpless victims of the Oreat War. Because such a movement for relief reveals the true heart of America, because it bespeaks an American desire te play a great people's part in relieving and restoring Ged's own children, I want te commend and support your noble undertaking. In seeking Ged's bleBBlng for ourselves I am sure He will bless us the mere abundantly if we share our geed fortune in acts of sympathy and human fellowship. I wish you a success which will reveal anew the unselfishness of our great people. I am forwarding you my check for two thousand five hundred dollar by mail te-day. , ) WARREN G. HARDING. Make all check payable te "The Literary Digest Child-Feeding Fund" and mail them direct te The Literary Digest. Every remittance will be acknowledged, and the Literary Digest will be responsible for every dollar contributed, te see that it gees, without one penny deducted, te the purpose for which it is given Address, Child-Feeding, THE LITERARY DIGEST, 354-360 Fourth Avenue, New Yerk, mSSSSSZmSim 'lyjAAA&htivfia. '.& ,JtiAetaLsJflH itfilkW &? ajJM .'! i JSkiifcSAL i :r: in" in HMHl if v fi!d.ftk.u V-y,, -, ,. . Vyv,V;t . vi y ft wa W a- 4P c i j ? 7 & M.,.. V 2L ' ' u EEnrn-TTgE! -1 i 41 jnam'. .
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers