The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-07
RUSSIA'S DISGRACE.
CAUSES THAT LED 10 THE FAM
1NE IN THE CARS DOMAIN.

SnIorced Exile of the Hated Race
Leaves Immense Fields of Grain to
Waste and Rot-Pertneat Utter
ancss on the Matter by Col. John B.
Weber, Superintendent of Immigra-
ton at Ellis Island-Corruption Is
the Cornerstone of the Entire Ofn-
cial Edifce in Russia.
From the Neio York Mail and Express.
The Russian famine, which has aroused
tne sympathies OF the world and has in
Voked generous responses OF money and food
from every civilized nation, has another
aspect, which bears somewhat the nature of
an allied cause of the national disaster. It
was emphasized and explained by Col John
H. Weber, experimenting Of immigration
at ELLIS Island. Col. Weber, in bis official
capacity as a representative of the United
States, had occasion to Investigate pretty
thoroughly the emigration problem from a
home view in Russia. On his own account
he was close observer OF the conditions Of
LIE prevalent in the domain of the car,
and ms utterances on the subject have,
therefore, particular and pertinent value.
THE CAUSE OF THE FAMINE.
"The Russian famine" said he, has
aouotIess been but slightly exaggerated, and
Is directly the result Of q stricken harvest.
cause. however, that comes pretty close
TO being also primal is the general expulsion
OF the Jews from the country. Americans
do not appreciate the peculiar conditions OF
life that prevail in Russia. Nor can auy
amount OF literature do the situation Justice.
In the first place, the country is immensely
large, and grains and other food stuffs must
OF necessity be subjected to much transpor-
tatlon before they reach their various desti>
nations.
The expulsion of the Jews has suddenly
removed the sole agency in which the man
agement and such of the financial strength
OF the transporting facilities rested. my
self have seen whole fields full of grain that
had rotted. The Jew who had bought those
fields had not been able to send and have it
cared for, but was obliged to flee for his
very life. Thousands of instances of this
character existed, am confident, where the
very grain went to waste in the fields be-
cause the owner had been driven into exile.
The officials surely appreciated the facts
in the case, but the religious bigotry was so
intense that no results could be so severe as
to deter them IN carrying out their projects
against the execrated race.
CASE IN POINT.
zone example is of particular interest.
The family or firm of Marazoff did a manu-
featuring business near Moscow and en-
ployed from 20 600 to 40, 900 people. Their
business had been built up from 81, O0O 900
to $780, 900 in bulk per year. A large
part Of this business was in the hands of
thirty or forty salesmen, each Of whom
had certain large district from which he
was able TO guarantee specific amount of
trade. Ia
"These special statesmen were the main
stay Of the establishment but they came
under the ban OF the act of expulsion. A
special effort was made to have an excep~
ton made in this case for the sake of the
large army Of people dependent on the
stability OF the firms business, but it proved
OF no avail. The authorities admitted that
the expulsion Of these particular men would
mean lack of work for thousands and the
failure Of an immense house, but they would
not abate a jou in the rigor of the decree.
''Then again the expulsion of the Jews
has so thoroughly disturbed the commercial
relations generally between the people of
cities and towns-in some cases having
killed credit absolutely-that merchants
have not known where they STOOD. Banks
would not take paper. forced sales of prop
erty on the part of Jews brought not over
10 per cent. of their value; open accounts
to tradesmen and merchants were thus nee
essarily in thousands of cases not paid, and
general chaos financially reigned and still
continues in many OF the places.
NO QUARTERS SHOWN.
"The case of a friend of mine, a Mr.
Rabinovitch, illustrates how remorSelessly
the ban worked. This man was worth
about 100000 rubles when he was forced
to leave Russia. He sold his possessions
and realized a little over 10000 rubles
He did not even get 10 per cent. of his own
property. This man. too, was thoroughly
cultured and delightful character He
could speak English and French huently,
was educated highly 10 every branch and
was a man whom any one would be
delighted to meet Yet he had to go and
at so great sacrifice.
This mere mention Of an incident or
two out of thousands that l witnessed or
learned of authoritatively illustrates my
point that the expulsion of the Jews has
been very great factor in producing the
famine.
THE CORRUPTION OF OFFICIALS.
Gas regards the corruption Of officials
there and its effect on the people, there
has been much said, l know. do not de-
sire to enter in detail on branch of the
general subject that is so vast in itself.
would simply make this statement, that the
corruption of officials Is the cornerstone Of
the entire official edifice OF Russia.
"You may imagine from this how the
people must suffer under such burden,
even under the most advantageous natural
circumstances.
LAS regards the intensity of the suffering
that exists IN the famine districts, it must,
OF course, be very severe, although | did
not penetrate there much. When we speak
or read of famine in Russia, you understand
that this means only certain parts of Russia.
In most of the country there is as great a
plenty as we have here.
ut makes my blood boil when think of
some of the outrages have seen perpetrated
there under the form of law. But official
connivance cannot interfere with the feeling
of sympathy we must all feel for the
stricken people"