Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-29
PETROGRAD STARVING;
PE0PLEL|VE ON OFFAL
All Residents Devote Entire Time
Fighting Hunger: furnishing
Lick Paste Off Posters.

London. June 2S.-The Petrograd
correspondent of The London Times,
telegraphing from that city says:
The victualing of Petrograd has now
reached more critical stage There is
often no bread ut all to be distributed TOR
two or three days together, but in lieu
thereof only half a pound Of potatoes q
head and the same quantity of dried pot
herbs
This morning it is announced that
from tomorrow there will he three day
more of either bread or potatoes, and
we shall have TO make shift with dcSlc-
Gated vegetables alone This fact and
the reduction of our MAXIMUM allowance
of black bread to two ounces when bakers
can get flour will convey some idea OF the
state of things
CONSTANT STRUGGLE FOR FooD.
The all-important business here at
present is to get enough To cat. ne
exieuous morsels dolcd out by the pro-
vision commissariat or otherwise obtained
with great difficulty AT ruinouS prices
barely suffice to keep body and soul to-
gethcr Men and women frequently sue
cumb and sink down in the street from
sheer exhaustion. The other day opposite
my windows a sh0pman out OF work was
unable to proceed until charitable pasScr'-
IN revived him with scraps from the
rneagrc rations which they we're CARRYING
home To their families
HUNGRY LINE on oFFAIa
"Thc Nova Nicdomosti, putting it
strongly. saws that hungry citizens seek
rayenousiv among offal and rubbish heaps
and lick the paste of street posters and
placariS Everything OF any value that
has not been stolen or rcqustioncd Is
pawncd in order TO provide food. For the
same urgent purpose the savings OF years
are used up and family treasures tlnd
their way into antiquarian and oii curt
osity shops. which arc multiplying n m
extraordinary rate while other SHOPS are
closing for want OF wares.
The waning shop trade Is gradually
going over To street hawkcrS, many OF
whom sell sweet trifles at unconsclonablc
prices. such as small humps 81 sugar
sufficient Tor one cup Of tea III the Russian
equivalent Of 50 cents each or more
Among these street vendors are former
officers. officials, and ladies from the
bourgeois class now undergoing the
punishment Of impovcriShmcnt. They also
retail ncwspa perS when the latter are not
entirely gagged by the ccnsors.
POLITICAL TROUBLES FADE.
Almost everything political and mill
tarv pales into the shade in comparison
with this famine, which, 1t must be re-
membered connects also with extreme
scarcity OF all raw materials and manu-
featured articles The consequence Is
that the economic situation Is far more
pressing than the political troubles, and
the Germans and scandinavian neutrals
arc preparing on vast scale 10 reap the
benefits in the absence Of competition
from England and other allies. \ large
steamship company with a capital q
MANY million kroner has already been
formed IN Sweden for the Russian trade.
and the first Swedish steamer has arrived
ID the Neva with samples OF Swedish and
German goods.
The Russians are too much preoccu-
pied in trying TO provide for the lndis- /
pensable needs Of existence - do any I
thing except complain. The long suffering
nature Of the Slav race in most adverse
circumstances Is again cXemplitled. Ser
Gus hunger riots have not Vet been pro-
vokcd by the compulsory fasting and
exasperated queues with Insufficient bread
in the early morning, for everybody must
stand waiting Tor II al! night long.
IN IRON GRIP OF SOCIALISTS
In iron grip Of the Socialist innoyators.
the Russian masses are becoming polite
allv indifferent Their resistance is re-
duced To a minimum and they can only
cIainor for more bread, which, i should
be borne in mind. i ne staple food OF this
country IN ordinary times 4 certain num-
Der OF people who are able TO pay we'll and
fighting men and other servants Of the
Bolshevi>t Government manage 70 get
what they want. and food is often offered
III exchange for old clothes boots. &c.
/ know Of an English teacher who Is CIV
ing 4 series OF lessons IN return for flour
Hundreds OF armed workmen dis
patched BY the Petrograd Commune are
proving around the countryside To detect
and seize grain and bring It into the
famlsbing town.
MORE BLOODsHED EXPECTED.
More conflict and bloodshed is expect .
ed from encounters between these licensed
foragers and the unwilling peasants. who
are not altogether Weaponless as the /
peasant soldiers of the old imperial army
we're allowed TO retain their rifles when
they were first disbandrd by the Boil |
sheviki Ii has already been reported that
a provision train on the Petrograd-
Viatka Railway has been attacked the .
trucks uncoupled, food consignments
seized. and some Of the guards killed and
wounded.
'Very few real Worklngrnen were AZ
first disposed TO join these provision bat
Ties 10 their hunt after corn but uncIn-
ployrnent and distress seem 70 have in
duced a considerable number, which the
Bolsheviki wish 10 increase to many
thousands. to start out on this disagree
able Grand