neer, lately
in business in Belgium, whose reliability is vouched for by
the person named in his letter as having been associated with
him in business in Pittsburgh, has been received by_ THE
TIMES:

B----, ----shire, England,
Oct. 3, 1914.

_To the Editor of The New York Times:_

I have just read an article in your issue of Sept. 16 on the German
killings at Aerschot, Belgium. You suggest an investigation into this
crime. I happen to have a first-hand contribution, which I herewith
inclose.

The writer is an American citizen, civil engineer, late partner of ----
---- of Pittsburgh, Penn., to whom you can refer. When war was declared I
had an engineering office in Belgium. As the use of telegraph and
telephone was suddenly stopped there remained nothing but to close the
office. I therefore paid off my employes, among whom was a young office
boy, a Belgian, about 16 years old, frail stature, small build, almost
childlike appearance, but well educated and intelligent.

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 g