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the most practical one of all up to the present. It is again the American Relief Administration, which, after overcoming many difficulties has recently placed the scheme into operation. Mr. Hoover explains his plan as follows: “There are three to four million families in the United States with family affiliations in Eastern and Central Europe. Many of them are desirous of giving direct personal assistance to these relatives and friends. Some are endeavoring to perform this service by preparing or purchasing packages of food for overseas shipment. In some cases the packing and extra freight involved adds one hundred percent to the cost. We are proposing to solve this difficulty by establishing warehouses in European cities, where distress is particularly acute. We propose to sell, in America, orders upon these warehouses in the form of Food Drafts which can be transmitted to friends or relatives in Europe. We propose to charge the buyer of the Food Draft the factory cost of the food plus a reasonable margin to cover the cost of transportation and insurance. Profits, if any accrue, will be turned over to the European Children’s Fund. The object of this plan is to add to the total stock of available food supplies in Central and Eastern European countries. Under an arrangement set up with the Governments of these countries, this food will be allowed to revolve outside the rationing system, with the hope that enough food will be injected to reduce the pressure on the narrow marginal supplies. The officials of these new governments are endeavoring to impress upon the American people that it is useless to remit money to a family in Central or Eastern Europe with the hope of improving its food situation. The sum total of food now available in Central Europe is insufficient to keep the population alive, and under these circumstances money thus becomes that much paper, so far as nutrition is concerned. A hungry man wants food, not money, and under the arrangement outlined above, we can meet this need.”

President Masaryk heartily indorses this plan and recommends it to people in America who desire to help their kinsmen in the Czechoslovak Republic. He says in a Christmas cablegram: “At this time of holiday giving I want to call the attention of our kinsfolk in America to conditions in respect of money and food, contributed to the relief of our relatives in Czechoslovakia. The generosity and thoughtfulness of Czechoslovaks in America for the mother country is deeply appreciated in these days of stress. But we at home must make certain that your gifts are delivered as you direct. To assure this result I have given, with the full support of the ministerial council, unreserved support to Mr. Herbert Hoover’s American Relief Warehouse organization. This organization in conjunction with our government here is establishing warehouses throughout Czechoslovakia, stocked with staple foodstuffs. This food will be sold at low cost to our people on order of their kinsfolk in America. All profits from the operations of the American Relief Warehouse organization will be turned over to support of our Czechoslovak children. In presenting the advantages of the American Relief Warehouse organization to our kinsfolk in America I want to emphasize particularly the following points: Mr. Hoover’s organization has now been operating in Czechoslovakia for nearly a year, and in addition to transatlantic shipping facilities has been given the entire shipping and warehouse facilities of our government from the port of Hamburg to all points in Czechoslovakia, supplemented by organized committees in nearly every town of the Republic. These official facilities, which insure delivery to your gifts and packages, are of essential value to American contributors in view of the present disorganized condition of private shipping Gifts of money should not be sent for the purchase of food in Czechoslovakia, since it is necessary to conserve the local supply as much as possible. To overcome this difficulty the American Relief Warehouse will accept money orders payable in America and deliver equivalent value in food to your relatives from their American war houses in Czechoslovakia, thus avoiding all chances of loss of money and delay in delivery. Finally I wish to emphasize that the American Relief Warehouse is a philanthropic institution, officially affiliated by formal agreement with the Government, and all food will be sold at the lowest possible price and the profits turned over to the support of our children’s relief kitchens in Czechoslovakia”.

Through the American Bankers Association arrangements have been made by