The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-02-08
Despite Outside Efforts To Re-
lleye Homeless and Destitute
Thousands, Germany and Rus
STA win Not Agree To 0penWay
PROBLEMS ARE STILL &c.
~ FAR FROM SETTLEMENT
Jewish People Of Cars Empire
Are Leading In Work Of Caring
For Horde of War Refugees
1Ffom Regions Held BY Armies
tA,.ocin.od Pres. by Federal wlrsl.,.o


CAssOeiated Press by Federal wirsisss)
7 ONDON, February 1.-THE problem
of feeding the thousands of home
/ - less and starving people of Poland,
worse ravished by the war than even
is stricken Belgium, is as yet unsolved,
despite the efforts of Sir Edward
Gray, Herbert c. Hoover, American
head of the Belgian Relief Commission,
Polish relief societies and a score of
other agencies which Poles have been
working tooth and nail in an endeavor
to get food, clothing and other sup
plies to the famine smitten, war-ridden
country.
Letters, made public yesterday, have
passed between Sir Edward Gray, Mr..
Hoover, Premier Asquith and other
agencies, showing the gravity of the
Polish problem, and asserting the diff
6enlties are as yet unsurmounted.
Cables from Polish societies in Amer
lea and other neutral countries add
their quota to the tale of the misery,
The suffering, the actual starvation OF
a people thrust out of their homes into
the grip of a Russian winter.
FdoOAAA6OAOhbo "Oh v <ABLOO
The chief difficulty in the way of re.
lief has been the failure of the warring
cations, Germany and Russia, to reach
the agreement necessary before any
real relief steps can be taken. Just
what the hitch in the negotiat ons be
tween these governments may have
been the letters as Fublished give no
hint, but both Mr.. Asquith and Mr..
Hoover agree that the Poland problem
is still far from being solved.
An American offer to assist the suf-
ferers in Poland was met by a counter
proposition from Berlin, to the effect
that the German authorities would per
nit the American assistance, provided
the work was carried on under the di-
reetion and control of German officials.
This was refused by Mr.. Hoover, who
insisted that he should have an ALSO
mtely free hand in the management of
the relief work.
Dispatches from PetrOgrad, dealing
with the situation say that none of the
Russian voluntary relief organizations
at work with the war refugees has
gone about its task with greater skill
than the Jewish, whose central com
mittee is in the Slav capital. Accord
ing to this information 100000 Jewish
residents of the territory now occupied
by the Germans and Austrians were
sent away by the military authorities,
and 100000 left voluntarily.
Number OF Sufferers Grows
There are now 10000 Jews receiv-
ing help from the Jewish committee
and their number is growing, scanLy
financial resources having helped many
to keep their feet up to the present.
When the Russian relief movement be
gan parties of men and women Were
sent westwards to direct the exodus.
These parties included n business man
agcr, a physician, a nurse and often a
forth woman whose duties were to
guide and guard unprotected women
and girls. The incoming trains were
met by local committees.
Employment agencies have been
opened in thirty-One SlaY cities and ten
workshops have been equipped. The
greatest and most useful help, however,
has been afforded in the extension OF
credit through cooperative loan socie-
ties. The central committee in Petro-
grad guarantees these societies fifty
per cent of their losses. Seventeen
agencies fos such financial relief have
been opened in southern and eastern
provinces.
Disburssd Many Millions
Asylums and schools for children
have been opened wherever refugees
have cOngregated, likewise hGsaitals,
infrmaries and homes for AGED and in
firm. The committee has already dis,
bursed eight million roubles, of WIFI
the government supplied l,5O0,0n1 ~
financial assistance has been hu,,,I"
from abroad and practically n5EG a.,
been received.
1t is the belief of the F,trugra cen
trail committee that if allowed the r.ro.
dom of residence the jewish )esmI,.I
in central and eastern RUSSIA would =
cover comparatively 1uic&ly- ;,.lsi &.
disaster thnt has oNertaken them. Fc.
military reasons such undisturbed res
denee has not everywhere been possl
Bile. Five thousand Jews that had set
tied in POltava, under orders of course,
were later required to remove else.
where. A few hundred have lately
been disloged in the same manner fror,
certain westerly Districts of Petrogra
province.