The inclosed narrative is a strict translation of a letter received from
the boy. This is, therefore, first-hand information, and my knowledge of
the character of the boy, as well as the ring in what he has to tell,
justifies me in vouching for the correctness of his narrative.
In reading these pages, you will note a weak point in our administration
of charity, which has been repeatedly brought to my attention. England
has every intention to act generously and warm-heartedly with the
Belgian people, who you may say have been sacrificed for the Allies.
They tender homes for refugees and transportation from Belgian shores to
England. They give out money liberally, but when this boy, utterly
without means, friends or papers arrived in Antwerp, there is no help
for him. If he had been smaller, somebody would have treated him as a
child and brought him along. If his father had not been dragged off into
slavery in Germany he might with an old aunt have represented a family.
Had he been able to preserve his legitimatization papers the Belgian
authorities would have given him some support. Had he been older, he
would have been enlisted in the defense of his country.
Here, therefore, is an individual, not small enough, not large enough,
not having relations enough and not having any documents. He was worthy
of help, but did not fit in anywhere. I am now doing my best to get
money over to him through the Belgian National Bank, also to get him
some sort of a paper, through the Belgian Legation in London, which will
enable him at least to cross the frontier to Holland, whence he might be
able to pay for his way to England.
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