New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-01
BACK FROM RUSSIA.
HOW THE FOOD WAS RECEIVED.
PEASANTS AND MOBILES ALIKE GRATEFUL u

GENEROUS AMERICANS.
Colonel C. Nee Reeve one OF the commissioners
oppointed by the Governor OF Minnesota to distribute
the food stus sent by the Western farmers and mlen
| on the steamship Missouri for the relief OF the
districts Of Russia arrived here on the
steamship Fuerst Bismarck, which got In late Friday
| night
In speak,ng OF his trip yesterday, Colonel Reeve
! said "The distress in the faminestncken portions
OF Russia Is probably greater than any one here has
conceived. 1t Is impossible to reach, at this season
OF the year. the districts where the greatest distress
prevails This owing TO the condition OF the roads
which, now as the is beginning to melt,
something horrible. Along the lines OF railways the
relief which has been afforded has much amelorated
the condition OF the people. Before the snow began
| to melt good deal Of food was sent 70 the outlying
provinces. found In Russia that the nobility and the
| landed PROJECTORS were doing everything they couio
for the relief of starving peasants Count BobnnsT
IS feeding on his estate alone 10000 people Another
noble family IS supporting 3o,ooo people ana 30 on
| through the list
among the tradesmen and well-todo merchants OF
the large cities, however, the greatest apathy seems
to prevail regarding the condition OF the starving
peasants. They apt TO answer when Appealed 70
for help. 'Oh those people are ALWAYS hungry; they
won't work. This to extent, is true.
THE Government and the railways have offered
work 10 able-boded from the famine districts VINO
will accept IT, but the Russian peasant Is great
fatalst. and many Of them 1T Is the Will OF Co..
and sit down TO starve death. We found the relief COM
mites IN Russia thoroughly organized There Is the Gov
eminent committee of which the Czarevitch Is the pres
dent and n committee gotten up BY the Ango-Amefican
| Church in 81. Petersburg. The Government offered
us every possible facility for distributing the provisions
brought by the Missouri, placing all the machinery OF
/ the Government and Of the Government railways at
| our disposal informed that the food which
the Missouri brought to Russia will support 10000
| canh Ia.
with the exception OF England. the other nations
OF the world have done nothing to relieve the distress
| I'm Russla. The worst of the famine Is not yet
known and most serious problem Is presented, even
when temporary relief has been afforded the starving
peasants. That problem Is In regard to next years
crops. The mortality among the horses and cattle 10
the famine stricken regions has been something hor-
rible and | don't see what they going TO do in
order TO get In their crops for next year. The people
| in the Administration regions not only without
food but without clothes. You fancy what that
is in Russian winter. The peasants make their own
clothing from fax, which they raise spin and weave
| The same conditions which operated to destroy the
CROPS of last year also destroyed the fax, so that
The a,ants could not provide themselves with new
clothing / surprised to find how near to Moscow
| the famine stricken region extended. Three hours
| from Moscow brought by rail into the famine
| recon Yet no one would dream who was stranger
I'm the ancient Russian capital, that famine was 30
near
In ST. Petersburg the people OF all classes to
| take a more active interest in the condition OF the
starving peasants. To the great Cathedral OF hazan
there are brought every day bags OF -four and other
food-stuifs ~ charitable people of all classes Some
OF these contributions 20 TO feed the poor OF the
city and the rest are shipped to the famine districts
J You have idea how thoroughly the action OF
America In sending food TO the starving peasants Is
| appreciated by the Russians. Everywhere We went
| noblcs Government officials and army officers would
come In the railroad trains or I'm the hotels to
Introduce themselves and express the gratitude which
was felt toward America for her kindness and hui
mainly
The story which has been published OF Count
Toso's having been ordered TO stop his relief work
In the famine districts ard contne himself to his own
state Is entirely apocrypha The facts Of the case
these: Surrepttously got hold OF some
notes which Count Tolstoi had made time ago,
greatly distorted them and published them in Lon
don paper. In these notes lie made to advocate
the forcble seizure by the peasants OF the land be-
longing to the great proprletors. The matter was
arrest the Count or at least To send him away from
the famine district The car investigated the mat.
then said Let no one disturb him. lie Is doing 81
much good that whatever doctrines he may teach
queny the friends of the Count explained TO the Car
the truth regarding the garbed notes published n
the London paper The whole story Of Count Tostol
being ordered to his castle rs prisoner grew
on, OF the fact that the car one day said to ne
sharply Your cousin should be more guarded I'm his
utteranceS.'
" To to the subject OF the starving peasants.
find that nearly all those now suffering are OF the
class Of former serts. They do not seem as yet 70
have acquired that quality which the Yankee calls
'iorehandedness. farmer. for instance who knows
that II Will take so much food 10 keep his family
through the winter will frequently lay by only Is
per cent OF that amount trusting 10 luck for the rest
In each village which Is the centre OF FARMING dis
tict there Is public granary 10 which the farmers
are supposed To bring annually much grain, when
Is stored there to guard against want In the year
however. these public granaries have been drawn
upon until they entirely depleted. and when the
crops failed last there was no reserve to iau
back upon.
"One cause OF the failure OF the former serfs to
become prosperous farmers Is bad system OF land
holdings peasant can only occupy - holding
other farmer. This is intended to prevent land from
running down. the theory being that u farm gets
a bad owner for one four years II Will be likely 10
get good owner for the next four years. As .
matter OF fact 1t destroys In the farmer all ambition
to cultivate his land and improve 1t. lie reasons
this way Why should work TO improve this lang
so that after fonr years, when / am forced 70 give
up some one else will have the benefit OF my lGbors
theoretical principles strongly tinctured with COM
munism and they don't work. The ambition OF the
man and his incentive to labor are taken away with
disastrous results. 1t seems rather strange to sec
by Its attempt 10 carry out communistlc theories:
The action OF the American people In sending
over food 10 the Russians has bound the two nations
more strongly together than could anything eL 1;
that Is not content to sit idly by and the Russian
people stlrvc.'
W. C. Edgar and f.. J. Phelps the other members
OF the commission sent to distribute the Missouri cargs
still In Europe. one Of them will visit the In
| terror famine districts rs soon Us the roads ~
Qassabe.