The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-29
IN WANT;
COLLAPSE tfAR,O
Food nasd S7osl.tpg Must Be Supplied
~ Sbs - TO Retain Mill
TRY Value.
ss.eoo o,,pHANs SUFFERING .
No Mcnf and Less Than n Pound of
Bread ISSUED Dab, Live Stock May
BE Killed.

Jassy, Rumania, Oct. 10 win Petro-
gHk. ort 2s.)-Rumsnia is in dan
Eer of starvation aud restitution un-
iees urgent fteps are taken TO relieve
the food spi clothing situation. In
vestigation Nv tho Associated Press
correspon dent indicates that help must
come soon X the country Is TO retain
its strateatcai I'm portanee In the war.
The Runsnian army has been fighting
with admirable courage and spiitt. al
though fits supplies Of provisions and
wearing apparel have been on limit
ID scale.
The death rate among RuInaniar
children, due to malnutrition, is APP
pailinEiy large because OF the serious
shortage In wheat. rice, meat and 9TH
eY vital articles Of food. Meat is no
scnger issued 70 the civilian population.
and the bread ration Is limited to less
thar a pound n day for each person.
Among the peasantry. which comprises
Some So per cent Of the population,
the suffering is particularly acute,
Their already slender allowance of
ocrnmeal, which forms almost their
sole subsistence. has been reduced. and
they are now without the simple ra-
ton of cheese, which formerly was a
valuable adjunct in balancing the
meagre diet
Clothing and Medicine Lacking.
The supply OF dairy products Is
negligible The government has suf-
dcsent corn 10 feed the peasants until
February. but there are virtually no
shoes. clothing or blankets to be had.
The hospitals are without food suit
able to the sick. and there is serious
lack OF essential drugs. medicines and
80 IT. 80
tients are so poorly nourished that
they canrot withstand the simplest
operations
In the villages 1t is estimated there
ara more than Is, 900 orphans without
adequate food or clothing Queen
Marie In actively interesting herself
IN their welfare. There is dire need
of shoes, stockings and warm cloth
fny OF various kinds. Common bur
there are other crude appropriations
to replace shoes. as II is impossible
TO get the leather for the moccasins
worn by the peasants The govern
Hseat also Ia finding IL difficult to sup
ply the army with footwear The
correspondent had an offer OF $40 for
TIA shoes he WAS wearing. Rumania
n looking hopefully to America to
SUPPLY her needs.
Inc government Is confronted with
the problem OF feeding during the cur
rent agricultural year a population Of
nesrfy 100000 with resources Of
Ion .00o tons OF wheat and fewer than
100000 head or cattle. The normal
requirement Is 6f0. 900 tons OF wheat
The auth critics ate hopeful that Rus
STA may be induced to give Rumania
the entire wheat product Of Bessara-
ban- II In understood here that pres
SURF to this enc is being excited by
ths allied governments. The consign-
men. OF this wheat to Rumania is con-
stdsred the only way of saving the
country from economic disaster
1--we stock Needs Fodder.
Tens of thousa;es OF horses and
cattle must die this winter for lack
OF fodder. since the supply was ex-
hausted two mcr..hs ago When II Is
remembered that the army Is largely
dependent upon ,axen for it's trans
port II may be seen how critical is
tbs situation It In estimated that
II the whole number Of cattle was
slaughtered hardly enough meat for
sir months would b. supplied
Typhoid, dsxsutery ana Iaundlce are
prevalent, and the government fears
the recurrence of The t~phUs epidemic.
The American Red Cross commission
10 leSding effective aid In providing
medical facilities. In short time 1t
will have two hospitals ready with a
combined capacity OF 1000 beds.
The transport OF supplies II rough
Russia at this time presents difficult
ties. but confidence is felt that as soon
as the railroad commission ompletea
the reorganization Of the raiiwa~ lines
EfT Inn fsy1r tor afI