_Letter from Mr. E. O. Jacob._
Salonica, Jan. 3, 1913.
I trust you will forgive me for not writing you earlier. My trip
unfortunately lasted 13 days. I had 5 days’ quarantine in Pireus and
then had to wait 5 days for a steamer, so that I did not reach here till
December 30. I found, as I had feared, that the most urgent need was
over, and the work of relief in Salonica itself was already pretty well
organized. It seems, however, that my services will meet a real need at
least for some weeks. Some one is urgently needed to visit the towns and
villages of the provinces and Mr. Haskell is certainly the best man for
that.
I am writing this letter also as a sort of report, any material of which
you are at liberty to use. You have already received, I understand, a
copy of the “Independent,” describing the work of the “Societe de Secours
aux Refugies.” This is a quite modest and impersonal description of
the work of Mr. Haskell, Mme. Christo Hajji Lazaro and the association
whom they have gathered, namely, Pastor Brunau, Mme. Yenny, the wife
of a Swiss merchant; Sister Augustine of the Catholic Mission, and
lately Mr. van Bommel. They began at once the collection of funds, the
investigation of the condition of the refugees and the giving of bread.
It must have been a terrible task to locate 50,000 refugees, scattered
as they were all over the city, and still more so to inaugurate a system
of distribution, for the imams of mosques and the former Mouhtars of
different districts tried in every way to turn the funds into their
own pockets. But by frequent and tiresome inspections a fair degree of
efficiency is now maintained. The committee has now the aid of three
native pastors, who are proving very effective in tracing irregularities,
removals and other changes.
[Illustration: HOSPITAL IN CONSTANTINOPLE IN CHARGE OF GERMAN OFFICERS.]
[Illustration: TASH-KESHLA HOSPITAL, CONSTANTINOPLE.
FRONT ROW (BEGINNING FIFTH FROM LEFT)—MAJOR FORD C. S. A.; TURKISH
DOCTOR; MADAME DEPAGE IN NURSING COSTUME; UNKNOWN LADY; MARCHIONESS
PALLAVACINI, WIFE OF AUSTRIAN AMBASSADOR; MRS ROCKHILL, WIFE OF AMERICAN
AMBASSADOR; DR. DEPAGE.]
This group of people has thus far had to confine its activities to
the giving of bread, the most immediate necessity of the unfortunate
“muhajjirs.” For a long time they gave at the rate of 9 ounces per person
per day, surely a minimum ration. Since this week it has fortunately been
possible to raise the rate to 12 ounces a day. Four distribution centers
are operated, the people coming to these places for their allowances. At
the one where I am working we are now distributing 2,700 loaves a day.
The total daily distribution is 8,000 loaves and costs a little over 100
Lt. a day.
In certain directions the financial support has been very encouraging.
The largest giver, unofficial, of course, is the Greek government, which
has put into the hands of this society about 180,000 francs. Queen Olga
has in addition given the good sum of 40,000 francs out of her own purse.
From Holland came, as the result of an unsolicited appeal from the Dutch
Red Cross Mission here, 25,000 francs. The American Red Cross is credited
with about Lt. 350 and about 7,300 francs have come to Mr. Haskell from
friends in Switzerland. So up to the present the work has been maintained
without a deficit.
It seems clear, however, that as the harder part of the winter comes, aid
will, in many instances, have to be given in other ways than the one I
have mentioned, as 12 ounces of bread a day will not indefinitely keep
the body and soul together. Thus far, in fact, most of those who have
received aid have enough money for a little salt and a few olives, for a
few candles and a bit of charcoal. But lately we get the complaint more
and more frequently that these resources are exhausted and that the bread
ration no longer suffices alone. Once in two weeks, in fact, each person
gets a half bowl of soup. This is made possible by a very efficient
little soup kitchen which the Catholic sisters have opened. But this,
too, is certainly only a trifle. Again, as wintry weather comes, we get
calls for clothing, bed quilts, etc. Practically nothing has yet been
given in this line.
I have thus far been speaking exclusively of the people under the care
of the “Societe de Secours.” There is also in the city an “International
Committee,” which has been taking up other sides of the same work. It
has, for example, in operation an observation camp for those who have
been exposed to smallpox. It also charters steamers to convey to Asia
Minor free of charge those who wish to seek employment there. I had a
long interview with Mr. Forbes in Smyrna and brought to the committee
details about his offer to employ several thousand men in licorice
digging. They are therefore now sending him a first load of 1,100 persons
by the steamship _Assouan_. It strikes us all that to give them like this
an opportunity for steady work is about the best service that can be
rendered. The largest enterprise of this committee is the maintenance of
a concentration camp, which houses 6,000 refugees. Though they have to
live in tents they are otherwise under the best of care. The government
is military, the sanitary conditions are excellent and everyone directly
under the eye of the workers. Unfortunately the operating cost of
this camp (about Lt. 80 a day) is so great that the scheme cannot be
extended to the others. This committee, moreover, finds itself in a less
encouraging financial condition than the “Societe,” and with a deficit
already on hand, is not venturing beyond its present range of work.
Then, finally, the needs of the towns in the provinces are begging to
be brought to our attention. In many respects they are more sadly in
want than Salonica itself. Naturally the armies have absorbed all the
available foodstuffs. Moreover, dozens of villages have been burned to
the ground and many towns have been quite thoroughly looted. The same
sort of story comes from all the surrounding regions, Monastir, Uskub,
Strumitza, Brama, etc.
The British Balkan Committee has begun to help in several places. Mrs.
Lazaro has gone with a member of the Macedonian Relief Committee to
Gumendje, and Mr. Haskell expects to start next week on a two weeks’ tour
in the region of Strumitza. Those trips should make clear just what the
most urgent needs are.