Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-02
RESTITUTION IN
RUSSIA AS TOLD
BY CURTIS GUILD
(Boston Transcript

Curtis Guild, formerly ambassador to
| Russia, gives an accurate picture OF
conditions, as they are there now,
| based upon letters which he has re-
ceived from American representatives
and Russian friends.
There is poverty and suffering in
Russia, as elsewhere, at all times, but
now, with the war upon the people,
with the bread winners at the front
with the harvest not gathered, with
supplies shut off by the blockade of the
Baltic by Germany and the Dardan-
elles by Turkey, with the port of Arch
angel frozen, with wool clothing and
blankets nearly exhausted, with anaes-
thetics for many hospitals entirely
gone, with Arctic nights in the North,
devastation in the West and destitu-
ton everywhere, persons who are in
a. position to know say that, Of all the
nations at war, Russia is suffering the
most and complaining the least.
1.-The question is asked" says Mr..
Guild, "why Russia needs n relief
fund. Russia is rich. Why help Rus
/ SLAP 1t is true that Russia is one of
| the richest countries in the world-per-
| haps the richest-but the riches are
in uncut lumber, undug minerals and
in other undeveloped natural resour-
ces. It does not help the suffering poor
in bread lines of Boston or New York
that there are millions Of dollars
worth of gold and silver locked up in
the mountains of Colorado. Russia,
then, is rich in resources and poor in
cash.
I'm physique, the rank and file of
Russia's soldiers are not surpassed
elsewhere. These soldiers are loyal,
and are loyal now to an unusal degree,
because their cause is sacred-they are
| fighting to defend the Slav soil. The
wonderful morale exists in spite of
the small pay-a Russian private gets
| 25 cents month; a bombardier, so
cents, and a non-commissioned officer,
so cents. This is apparently the
smallest pay to soldiers among the
| Powers. Yet the Russian soldier does
not grumble. He knows it is all his
| country can afford.
Compare his pay with that Of the
| United States soldier-the private get
ting from $l5 to SIS a month. In some
measure, therefore. the soldier of the
United States can help his family
| when he Is at the front; not so the
Russian soldier.
| I'm Russia, moreover, many fathers
| of families are now in the army, away
from the labor by which their families
are supported. And again the Russian
| Government has suddenly cut off its
revenue, by abandoning the monopoly
ON vodka, to the amount of $500 0O0, 900
a year. So, at the time Of maximum
expenditure, she Is managing under a
minimum revenue. Russia has the
largest army in the field, and the
greatest number Of hospitals to sup
port, and in spite Of the splendid or
| ganization of the Red Cross, and the
generosity of the emperor, there are
millions Of suffering families that are
not reached. Such cases of extreme
want are not only on the scene of the
fighting, but all over Russia, where
ever the bread winner has been sum
moned to hattie. An additional cause
Of suffering is found in the cold of the
Russian winter. OF course. some of
| the want is relieved, a recent example
is seen in the gift Of the emperor,
from his private purse. of 100000 rou-
bles s1O0.000) to the people Of Warsaw.
Russia. Of all the countries at war,
| Is the least accessible. The port of
ArchaEgle is frozen, and with Turkey
| in the field the Dardanelles are closed
BY way of Vladivostock, from eastern
sources of supply to the field Of war
| in Poland is a journey on fast spec
ial express train two days longer than
from PASSPORT. Me-, to Seattle, Wash.
Il learn through letters from friends
| that, to add to all the other depriva-
ton, the supply Of anaesthetics in
many hospitals has given out, and
that in the midst Of these terrible days
| Of cold. wool wool clothing and blan-
kets' are practically exhausted.
THE enormous extent of the empire
and the scattered conditions or it's
172, 0OOO 900 population are handicaps
| not only to the moving of troops, but
| to the shipment Of supplies to the
| starving.
IF 1t is right that the suffering In
England. in France, in Germany and
In all the rest OF the warning count
| ries should be relieved by our people
not as measure to aid the war, but
to sooth the suffering and to feed the
starving-there certainly can be no
reason why We should not also con-
tribute to those whose aggregate Of
restitution among all the belligerents
is the greatest.
| I'm Petrograd the climate is the
same as that Of southern Greenland.
| They have almost the Arctic night
there are few bright winter days in
| Petrograd. To be sure, the well-to do
| people IN Petrograd and in other cities
| have houses built to Withstand the
| cold. but even in such places. there
Is suffering. And If there is suffering
there, think of the millions Of pea
sants--the women and children-with-
| out food. without adequate clothing, in
| a land stricken by war just before har-
vest time!
| Some cheering information, how
/ ever, filters through. The American
! charge d'affairs at Petrograd, Charles
8. Wilson, writes that the American
colony has established a twenty bed
| hospital in the American embassy.
This is being supported by Americans
there and by gifts from friends in this
country. It is something. John H.
! Snodgrass, the American consul gen.
eral at Moscow, who. fortunately, has
not been removed. is also cooperating