New-York tribune., 1901-08-11
WANT IN RUSSIA.
FAMINE AND DISEASE IN THE BLACK
EARTH ZONE.

ST. Petersburg July "A traveller straying into
the district OF Elizabethgrad Province of Kherson.
South Russia. would find and women who.
endowed with serviceabe visual powers long
the is visible, become totally blind the moment
twilight sets in and must be led home This is one
of the queerest diseases known to medical science
and is of the camp followers Of the famine
which is not officially admitted to exist in this dis
trict.
In correspondence from here mention has been
made from time to time of the drouth which visited
many though not very large. districts of Russia
last year, and OF the efforts made by the govern
ment to alleviate suffering resulting from It. The
Ministry of the Interior repeatedly declared the
famine had been conquered. food had been dis
tributed and seed corn provided for the current
year. The necessity of private benevolence was
reluctantly admitted at one time IN the winter.
but on later occasions the existence OF severe want
was denied. Newspapers here received during the
last few months occasional letters depicting the
situation in anything else than the rosy colors
which the government organs used The govern
ment answered by a communique recapituls ting
what had been done and repeating former ssser-
tions that all well could be expected, and
then the newspapers received secret circular for
bidding further mention Of the subject The exist
ence Of famine inconvenient fact at a time
when negotiations pending for foreign loans.
Access TO the famine districts was made difficult
for nonresidents OF them. and the charity workers
who not directly under the control Of the
State sent back their homes. and the agen-
cies they had created were placed under the Red
Cross, which Is as much a branch Of the government
any Ministry. These measures did not still the
natural curiosity ascertain the truth about the
matter and certain people with influential con-
nections which could not be ignored. sent trust
worthy young to Elizabethgrad to investigate
for himself. He has just returned Without going
into details. he reports the following facts:
PEOPLE DYING OF STARVATION
The city and district of Elizabethgrad. with
population Of 100000 are suffering now from famine
and disease incident upon famine. The investigator
found general destitution, many cases of acute
destitution, some people dying of starvation, and
spotted" or hunger. typhus prevalent
Hunger typhus is an unfailing Indication that
poverty has sharpened into want Whole families
are attempting to exist rations allowed for a
single child The government rule is to count per-
sons not actually sick with a disease which can
be labelled able bodied working people There Is
little or work to be found. consequently rations
cannot be had until they are no longer of much
benefit The government gave minimum quantities
In the first place and delivered supplies OF seed
tions The peasants, having already been forced
sG,ria 20 Se their horses were unable to secure the
ing a large part to draymen.
The investigator was told that those conversant
with local resources and not in the confidence of
the Governor were utterly unable to how the
be harvested and available.
AN EAsYGOING GOVERNOR
The Governor of Kherson is Prince OboIensky. It
Is upon him that the government relies for its re-
ports. Prince Obolensky has visited many of the
villages which suffering, but local report and
the observation of the investigator Indicate that
he showed great desire Of ascertaining that
there was any considerable want. A Governor is
not likely to hear the hard luck stories and see
the worst side of things when he rides through a
village horseback and says, oh I guess things
are are getting along pretty well aren't they?" when
the village elders come out to meet him.
EStzabethgrad is in the heart of the black earth
zone IL was formerly hourishing-befOre the
ignorant and shiftless farming methods wearied
out the inexhaustible soil and impoverished the
peOpe-that single agricultural villages OF 10000
souls grew up Such villages without manu-
factures or commerce. The country has never re-
covered from the terrible drouth OF 1892, and the
peasants have lost all power Of resistance. And
worse is coming. The great provinces of Samara
and SaratOn and many other large districts
threatened with almost total crop failure.