The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-07
RUSSIA'SAWFUL MISERY.
STARVING PEASANTS HUDDLING
Together TO KEEP WARM.


Fireless Huts Three Days Without
Food-Corruption of the Relief Oni-
Gals.
LONDON, Jan 6.-The Berlin correspondent
Of the Ne,cs says: "The pastors of a number
Of German colonies in Russia have appealed
direct to the German consulate in st. Peters,
burg for assistance 20 prevent thousands Of
Germans from starving. II is said that
they not only suffer from famine, but are
exposed 10 cruelties from fanatical mobs
who accuse them Of being responsible,
through specializing in land, for the failure
OF the crops. Several Germans have been
killed and their houses burned, IL is saidn
THE CzAR BLIND To THE SITUATION.
| LONDON, Jan. 6.--Advices from st. Pc
tersburg show that the czar 10 either will
| fully blind to the situation Of affairs in HIS
empire or that the true condition OF the
peasants has been kept from his knowledge.
| Reports have reached this city that the
| emperor has heretofore stated that no wide
spead famine exists in his dominions aud
that the sutferings of the poor are
| due entirely to partial failure
of the crops, which the government finds
no trouble in making up from the stocks in
| the provinces where the crops were not
affected. The latest Instance Of the czar's
| opinion on the subject was given at the re-
| cent review Of the Semonoffskv regiment Of
| the guards. The officers Of the regiment,
moved by the stories OF destitution aud dis
tress which he'd reached them, started a
subscription which they intended to devote
| to the relief OF the famine sufferers.
THE CzAR's PERMISSION REFUSED.
IL was necessary for them 10 get the
] rZarte thtrft ~ ba
money thus raised, and the colonel Of the
| regiment, on the occasion of bhe review,
| begged the czar to give the desired permis
sion. Before the colonel could finish his ap-
peal, however, he was interrupted by the
czar, who angrily exclaimed; There are
no starving people in my expire; there
| is only some suffering due to a bad harvest I:
the measures taken by the government will
preserve them from famine" There Is no
doubt that the efforts of certain of the gov
ernment officials to relieve the distress
| would be more productive Of result we're
1t not for the dishonesty of other officials.
| Immense sums have been sent to the central
famine committee, but as yet no one out
| side Of the committee has any definite idea
Of the benefits conferred by the committee.
THE RED CROSS DEFALCATIONs.
A recent dispatch from st. Petersburg
stated that a committee OF tho Moscow Red
Ceoss Club, which has undertaken the dis
tribution of private bounty among the suf-
ferers in the famine-strlcken provinces,
has discovered defaloations in the funds
amounting TO 100 900 roubles. a private
| letter recently received from Moscow
stated that the Russian govern.
ment has considerably overesti-
| mated the quantity of cereals at
it's disposal for the relief of the famine suf-
| ferers during the winter and spring and
that it will be compelled to buy grain from
other countries. The writer of this letter
expressed anxiety lest there should be re-
| volts in the districts affected by the famine.
| There has been some trouble but the mill
tary authorities are alert aud have taken
severe measures to suppress any revolt.
STILL LOYAL TO THE CzAR.
The letter adds: 1.-THE hungry peasants
have not lost, nor are they likely to lose,
| their loyalty toward the czar, but the
danger is that they may get hold of the idea
| that some OF the famine relief funds are
! being improperly held from them by the Of
| ticiais. In this connection it may be re-
marked that certain Russian journals in the
eXuberance OF their loyalty have done tee
! government bad service in exaggeraIing
| the amount subscribed by the czaf and the
| members Of the imperial family to the fam.
inc fund. Generoussas the emperor's gifts
have doubtless been, they cannot have
| amounted to the enormous sums which
have been published in certain quarters"
PEASANTS FLocKING TO ST. PETERSBURG.
Large numbers Of peasants have been
arriving at ST. Petersburg. They have no
| money, no means of subsistence and many
Of them ou their arrival are in u starving
| condition. They come to st. Petersburg
buoyed up by the hope that in this city they
will be able to find work. Ii Is hardly
necessary to say that these hopes
/ lav-n ,,1H aud fnrNsV nka,
find themselves ia q worse position than
they were in the country districts. To
prevent them from starving 10 death the
| prefecture OF police is billeting these
peasants on the weslthier householders Of
the city. Numbers of these householders
are obliged to lodge and feed as many as
ten of these sufferers.
THE MISERY ALMOST INCREDIBLE.
A correspondent who accom- panied q
| government inspector on his rounds In the
| famine districts of Toula, writes that many
buts were found packed with families, the
members OF which tried to keep arm by
crowding together. Unclad women and
children of three generations slept huddled
together on the same benches about
stoves. Barns and outhouses we're
destroyed for fuel The interior OF
the ho uses were without light and bare of
furnit ure and permeated by an intolerable
stencil. The people in most OF the ese houses
had been three days absolutely without food
and were waiting for relief. The roofs of
many huts had bsen partly used for fuel.
CHILDREN DESERTED.
In several cases unprotected children
| were discovered Ia a starving condition,
having been deserted by their parents, who
had gone to look for work In some in
stances boards OF food were found which
| would be sufficient for weeks. The oorres-
pondent adds: ''5ome peasants accus-
toned to get their living largely by begging,
and others hitherto oself-supportinR. are now
starving. Most of the sufferers hide what
ever stores they secure. The area of pau
perized Russia is ten times that Of Eng
land. Our tour disclosed an absolute
cessation of industrial and productive
work. The failure of the harvest Is keenly
felt In the towns Manufacturing Is
stopped. The country swarms with
itiuerant beggars aud the entire population
seems to be on the tramp. The peasants
affect the most extreme self-abasement be-
fore the gentry. but really feel intense
hatred for this class and are ripe for a
revolt springing out Of their genuine feel
ing.n
AN ALARMING ACCOUNT.
LONDON, Jan. z, A. M.-The Russian
| Monthly European Messenger contains such
alarming accounts Of the famine in Russia
that it is astonishing how the paper suc-
ceeded in passing the Russian press censor
| ship. The Messenger compares the present
famine In Russia with that in Ireland in
| 1916, and contrasts the measures adopted by