The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-02-23
GRAIN NEEDED
FOR SERBIANS
Farmers Could Return 10 Fields, But
Have Nothing TO Plant; Millions
ARE Suffering Poverty Pangs.

kRAGUJENATZ, Serbia, Feb. 22.--
The distressing feature NJ the sltua
tlon In Serbia is the difficulty uf re
facilitating the hundreds OF thou.
sands who were obliged to abandon
homes aud lands that became battle
nrras during the Austrian Invasion
Officers Of the Serbian government
see no reason why the people should
not return, hut the difficulty lies In
providing them with grain for re-.
planting and feeding them until new
crops are harvested This task has
been undertaken but the government
Is handicapped by lack Of railway
facilities and the almost impossible
roads. Help abroad Is being sought
by the government for this agricultu.
raj rehabilitation
Societies that have operated In for
mer years to Instruct the rural popu.
lntlOn In methods Of intensive farming
have been demOralized by the wars In
such rapid succession. Therefore. de
spite all the government Is seeking 10
accomplish visitor Is apt 10 get the
Impression that nobody I'm Serbia Is
doing anything that does not pertain
tn the support Of the army Women
and children have to be sacrificed To
the needs Of the grown male popula
tion, who must be kept In fighting
trim aud In the fighting line at any
cost
Everywhere In Serbia the Associated
Press correspondent heard the nn
tlonal plea that the country "is fight
Ing not only for the maintenance uf
her present areH, with It's population
Of over four millions, but for the Ill.,
eratiOn Of the Slav states Of Austria
Hungary II she succeeds some eley-
en- millions will be added to her pop
ulauon and every one recognizes that
~ gigantic task even with Russia \
aid, cannot be accomplished without
supreme sacrifice
Million Suffering.
The Serbians are accustomed to
poverty and hardships, but there are
said TO be million persons really
suffering distress from lack Of food
and clothing. They have never been
reduced 10 such destimtiOn before
And the Serblans are contented with
No little. The army lives chiefly on
bread and soup and most Of the peas.
ants even In normal times, do not eat
meat except on feast days. Help from
the Slavs In America, liberal though
II has been, IL not adequate TO meet
the situation. Everyone here IN pin
ming his hope for life upon America 8
phllanthroplc resources. The govern
ment issues loaf OF bread a day to
every destitute family but this as far
from sufficient In many cases.
There are some six thousand wound.
ed soldiers here now and medical sup
plies are stlll inadequate. At the first
reserve hospital are party OF Eng
llsh nurses, who were brought here at
the beginning Of the war with Madame
Slayko GrOultch, the American wife OF
the Serbian under secretary Of foreign
affairs, Madame Groultch also help
ed organized the Red Cross work at
Nish and II was on her advice that
thu American Red Gross Mission was
plnced at Belgrade All this work and
the fact that she has gone to America
to seek additional aid to relieve the
suffering OF Serbia, has made her
name and that Of American doctors
and nurses beloved by the whole Ser
bian people. There are several other
American women married TO Serbians
.--one to a member Of the Royal fam
Iy, another to Serbian minister In
Paris-and this Is cited as reason
Tor the United States doing for Serbia
what she Ia doing for Belgium.
Although this city, until 1870 the
capital Of Serbia, Is at present the
headquarters Of the army, there Is
not much that foreigner can see ex.
pept life In the streets and cafes. Cab.
met meetings are held In the strictest