In the Name of God, the Father, Have Pity
A text-heavy broadside under a large red 'HAVE PITY' carries six small photographs of ruined Belgian towns and relief queues, and an appeal from Belgian workingmen to American workingmen. It ties giving to national identity with the question 'Are You An American?' and states that every cent goes to food for the Belgians.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1917
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- Berks County Belgian Committee
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- NGO
- Regime
- Wilson Administration
- Leader
- Woodrow Wilson
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Fundraise
- Themes
- Home front, War and the military, Religion
- Event
- World War I
- Regime
- Wilson administration
- Leader
- Woodrow Wilson
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives (NARA), RG 4 (U.S. Food Administration), World War I Posters (NAID 512439), retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- NARA Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
Berks County Belgian Committee. National Archives and Records Administration, 4-P-161.
Text on the object
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE FATHER HAVE PITY The workingmen of Belgium appeal for the lives of their wives and babies to the big-hearted workingmen of America. Before the war Belgium was a famous manufacturing center. Her people among the most prosperous and industrious in the world. Today no business is carried on. An armed guard with the power of life or death stands at every corner. They may not go from town to town nor from village to village. Great strands of barbed wire charged with electricity enclose their frontiers, shutting off all avenues of escape. Unable to work and unable to flee, all that stands between them and starvation is the World's Charity Three million destitute working people are being fed under the protection of the American Flag Their daily ration is 1 pt. of soup and three slices of bread. Of these 1,250,000 are children. These children are fed in the schools, once every twenty-four hours. There IS SO LITTLE FOOD that only those children who need it most, MAY HAVE IT. Those who are overweight are taken out of the lines, until their weight is reduced. May be one, or perhaps two or three days. Only those who are underweight and facing starvation may have food. Tuberculosis is killing thousands of these underfed children The Belgian workingman has no work, can save no money, his savings are gone The only thing that stands between his children and death is America Their children are as dear to them as your children are to you [Photograph captions] Their homes are battered and shell-torn, and reduced to heaps of ruins. Their mills and shops have been burnt and razed. Their streets are as if devastated by a terrible earthquake. All day long they stand in line for the relief, coming from generous America. Their towns and villages are empty skeletons, devastated by flame and cannon shot. The mills that ground their grain are themselves ground in the terrible war mill. Are You an American? IF YOU ARE, in the name of God the Father, have pity and give. Contributions will be received in your own shop. Every cent you give will help to save a life YOUR HELP WILL REACH THEM We have the statements of the Belgian Government, we have the assurance derived from the high character of the Belgian Commission, and we have the solemn pledge of the committee appointed by the President of the United States, that Every Cent Contributed Goes into Food for the Belgians Make your shop a leader in this merciful cause THE BERKS COUNTY BELGIAN COMMITTEE
All printed text is legible in the larger scan. The six photograph captions are listed together after the body text, in the order left column top to bottom, then right column top to bottom.
