The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-05
THOUSANDS OF CZAR's SUBJECTS
SUFFERING FROM FAMINE
AND DISEASE
UNABLE TO SECURE WORK
Starvation Sure to Come to the In
habitants of Elizabeth Grad
Before Crops Are Har-
vested
GOVERNMENT DOES NOTHING

ST. PETERSBURG, July ga trav-
eler CHANGING into the district of Eliza
beth Grad, province of Kherson. South
Russia, would find men and women who
endowed with serviceable visual powers
as long as the sun is visible become
totally blind the moment twilight sets
in and must be led home This is one
of the strangest diseases known to me1-
lcal science, and is one Of the camp fo-
lowers of the famine which is not OFF,
cially admitted to exist in this district
Mention has been made from time 10
time of the dearth which visited many
though not very large d stricts of Russ a
last year and of the efforts mae by the
government TO alleviate suffering result
ing from it. The ministry of the interior
repeatedly declared the famine had been
conquered, that food had been d.strIb-
uted and seed corn provided for the
current year. The necessity for private
benevolence was reluctantly admitted at
one time in the winter, but on later oc-
casions the existence of severe want was
denied. Newspapers here received during
the last few months occasional let ers de-
picting the situation in anyth ng else
than the rosy colors which the govern
ment organs used.
The government answered a COM
munique recaptulating what had been
done, and repeating former assertions
that all was well as could be expected,
and then the newspape received a Sc
cret circular forbidding mention of the
subject. The existence Of famine was
an inconvenient fact at a time when ne
gotiations were pending for foreign loans
Access to the famine districts was made
difficult for non-residents, and the char
lty workers, who were not dire ctly under
the control of the state, were sent back
to their homes, and the agencies they
had created were paced under the Red
Cross, which is as much a branch of the
government as any ministry. These
measures did not quiet the curiosity 10
ascertain the truth about the matter,
and certain people with influential con-
nectionS sent a trus, worthy young man
TO Elizabeth Grad to investigate for
himself He has just returned Without
going into details he reports the follow
ing facts:
The city and districts of Elizabeth
Grad, with a population of 6O0,0O0 are
suffering now from fam ne and disease
incident upon famine The investigator
found general destftution, many acute
cases of acute restitution some people
dying of starvation and spotted" or
hunger typhus, prevalent
Whole families are attempting to exist
on rations allowed for a single child.
There is little or no work to be found.
consequently ratl0nS cannot be had un-
til they are no longer of much benefit.
The government gave minimum quantities
in the first place, and delivered supplies
of seed corn and foOdstuffs to the near-
est railway stations The peasants, hav-
ing already been forced to sell their
horses, were unable to secure the supplies
so furnished in many cases without Civ
ing a large part to draymen.
The investigator was told that those
conversent with local resources, and not
in the confidence Of the governor, were
utterly unable to see how the souls and
bodies of the majority of the population
were to be he'd together until the new
crops should be harvested and available.
The governor of Kherson is Prince
Obolensky. 1t IS upon him thai the gov
ernment relies for it's reports. Prince
Obolensky has visited many of the viii
lagos which are suffering, but local re-
port and the observation of the investi-
gator Indicate that he showed no great
desire of ascert9ining that there was any
considerable want
Elizabeth Grad is in the heart of the
black earth zone. The country has never
recovered from the terrible dearth Of 1892.
and the peasants have lost all power Of
resistance. The great provinces OF Samara
and Saratoff and many other large dis
tricts are threatened with an almost total
crop failure.