Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-09
UKRAINE SToREHoUsE
PROVES EMPTY CHEST. %

latlons, procure supplies.
UKRAINE SToREHOUsE
| PROVES ENTITY CHEST.
To the anguished population OF
Austria Hungary, and Germany too,
the boundless food resources OF the
Ukraine have seemed like the pot OF
gold at the ralnbow's end: the ig-
norant peasants talk Of the grain
and cattle Of this land that they
think has been delivered TO them for
plunder much as our ancestors
spoke of the mysterious Indies
where the rocks were Of gold.
The food supply OF the Ukraine
has become one OF the capital facts
OF the war II German and Aus
trian dreams are realizable, the Uk-
raine can prolOng the war indcfin-
itely. But II Is now known here.
and OF course to informed enemy
circles. that tho Ukraine is n disap-
pointment, like the submarine. This
knowledge is being kept from the
people, whose outburst of despair
when they realize there Is no hope
for more food is feared by the rulers
Of both central empires. DR.. fritz
Wcrtheimer. sont into the Ukraine
TO study the prospects Of obtaining
food. dispatched from Kief on April
3 the following report OF what he
found there. which must have
nightly distressed the German and
Austrian food dictators when It
reached them:
II have returned from two days
journey OF over 120 miles through
agricultural and domain land In the
Kief government during which ]
Ina mt t..I ia EFtg ?
towns, villages, and two or the large
Ukraninian estates. In. general my
tour confirmed the Impressions OBJ
tained at Kief from innumerable
conversations with experts. The
hopes of the central powers for
quid pro quo In exchange for the
military help given TO the republic
are to some extent ncgatived by the
actual position OF affairs. In sllos
and store houses there are at pres
ent no supplies to get DoubtIesa
the peasants have considerable
quantities but these are already
much reduced. and grow daily less, !
owing to the regrettable pracu.e OF
feeding the animals with the best /
seed, and also owing TO the secret |
still which almost every household |
possesnes There is more drunken
ness in the country than ever Thoua'
ands of tons Of grain are thus vast
ed.
Apart from the question Of. i'm
mediate deliveries. the prospects ior
the autumn, and the coming harvest
year, are dlsquietlnE True. the
winter seed was well soWn by big |.
land owners and peasants and has
come well through the winter. Win
,Tgt 4 Ia
and some 45 per cent Of the cultiva-
table land was thus used. The prob
lem Is what the harvest will he like
The Socialist attempt to seize all
landed property led In January to
peasants war. in which irrepara-
BILE damage was done. Castles and
mansions were pillaged and burned, :
farm houses robbed and reduced
to ashes Machines have been de-
stroyed or damaged.
"Draught and breeding animals !
and valuable oxen have been stolen q
and for the most part slaughtered, {
stations scattered. seed plantations {
Tor grain sn,i-root crops destroyed. {
or the IS farm houses on the Bra
nitZka estate only IL remain, of tho
80 on Price RadZiwlls estate only
10 or IL. On the later the total loss ,
is reckoned at $4,000, 900
ut is therefore questionable how
the harvest can be carried out. ,
Particularly difficult will be spring
cultivation, for which, under local p
climatic conditions. only three weeks
at the most are available
There seem, despite tho heavy
losses, to, be plenty OF men about,
but they stand idle. The land is too
wet, they say. only recently has good
weather set in, and today's work is
beginning everywhere. The peas
ants estates are in good condition;
the peasant will no doubt cultivate
his own original land, but II Is less
certain that he will cultivate the
ownerless land of the big estates
So far there have been discussions
by rural committees and meetings OF
peasants as to how to do this. Moth
ing has been done.
1T is too soon TO give any fig
ures as to any surplus OF grain for
export this year. or even next. and
of course in 1919 the fruits OF last
autumn's winter cultivation on the
estates will no longer be available.
Even though II may be supposed
that the districts shown us by the
great land owners suffered more
than most, yet we shall do well not
to set too great hopes on the Uk.
raine for the near future"