33,000 Driven from Home
By Editor
THE city of Alost, in Belgium, was ordered on September 28, by the military authorities, to be completely depopulated. The contending armies were advancing toward the place, and it was thought that if there was not a single inhabitant to be found, there would be less danger of destruction of property. Both the young and the old, the sick and the well, the new-born babies and their mothers, one and all had to desert the place. A person can imagine something of the horrors of war when he contemplates what this would mean. The condition of health in many cases would be such that individuals who would have to be moved would be going to certain death. But the people who went out from Alost had the hope of returning and finding the greater part of their homes so that they can live in them. But still worse is the suffering of the thousands upon thousands of people whose homes have been completely destroyed. There are many of the brethren and sisters of our faith in war-stricken Europe. Numbers of them will have to undergo the suffering and the privations incident to this war, and they have many friends and neighbors who are suffering with them. This situation must certainly appeal to the stoutest hearts; and to help to relieve this misery and suffering, our General Conference is calling for large donations of funds. Persons desiring to help in this relief work may send their donations to the treasurer of the Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, with the assurance that every cent will be expended judiciously and in harmony with the donors' wishes.