World War 1 100 Years Ago: Jan. 15-21

From The Indianapolis News, Friday, January 21: Henry Lane Wilson, chairman of the Indiana Commission for the Relief of Belgium, is sending letters to thousands of Hoosiers seeking $20,000 (2014: $461,213.36) to aid the Belgians. Despite the tremendous response to earlier pleas, the Belgium relief effort has not been able to furnish more than 7¢ (2014: $1.61) per day to each starving Belgian. Wilson writes, “In our prosperity we could not believe it possible that a person could live on so little, but hundreds of thousands of Belgians will bless the Stars and Stripes because we have been able to give them this much.” While the need for food continues, the commission is now procuring clothing for the people of this paralyzed country to keep them alive during the winter and spring.