Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-04-11

death, which, sparing none attacks
first the weaklings, the children and
women whom other foes spare.
Economic conditions In Russia
make the plight of the sufferers more
terrible. They are peasants, unedu-
Gated, as is So per cent of Russia's
Whole population. Their one means
OF livlihood Is farming, and when
Heaven denies the rain for crops, az
was the case last y ear, their only
means of sustenance Is gone. Last
year, In more than 100000 square
miles OF Russian territory there was
sowing but no reaping. The earth
was dry and unproductive. robbing
the peasant of even the little store or
seed sown which otherwise he might
have used for food. There are no.
industries except farming. no news
papers. practically no railroads, In
the land where the famine stalks. IT
the crop falls the peasant of today
can do nothing but wait, pray and
suffer just as his father did before
him. There has been no advance.
There Is no other work that the peas
ant can seek. Miles and miles from
the railroad, and hundreds of miles
IRON the cities with their chances
for employment, he cannot turn to
other fields for the earning of even
makeshift livelihood that might mean
escape from starvation fro his fam
lily. Those who have sought the
cities nave but one story to tell--no
work. Even with the limited mum.
Der who have done so there are a
hundred applicants or every job.
The best indication of the terrible
privation that exists is the fact that
the Russian government has been
moved to action. In 1891, famine
year, In which, howeer. the suffering
was dotning compared to that of this
year, the overnment hit upon the
happy expedient of forbiddlng the
use of the word hunger. This year
the situation is SO much worse that
the government has spent about $685.
100000 and Is negotiating loan of
But even such sum is totally made
quate to meet the situation. as Mr.
Nicholas Shiskoff. who is visiting
this country In behalf of the snnerers
and with no political purpose sss
pointed out Nor is II surprising
when the expense of carrying on such
work over 100000 square miles, al.
most without railroads, without
newspapers or enlightenment. and
among 3o,00o.0oo sufferers, is re.
membered
Even II all the Russian govern.
ments efforts at relief were carried
out efficiently. those efforts would
still be inadequate. AT present the
relief consists of furnishing to each
person In the famine district under
seventeen and over fify-nine one
pound of bread a day. Infants under
one year OF age receive nothing.
Their one and only hope for life is in
sharing Che pitifully small allowance
OF bread which other members OF the
family receive. In family OF six.
TWO. PERHAPS, on an average will re-
ceive their pound OF bread each day,
which. when divided among the
wAole family means one-third OF n
pound day. That and cold water
tnat Is all Many families. OF course.
have no members entitled to govern.
ment assistance. There is no as.
cape. no alternative. and the small
allowance made must be divided
smaller yet in the struggle to sustain
life
The Russian peasant does not eat
meat his daily food being Ave pounds
of bread. He has now one-nfteenth