The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-18
ALLIES WILL FEED
EVEN SOVIET RUSSIA
Nansen's Recommendation for
Relief Accepted by Coun-
ell Of Four.
PEOPLE RAPIDLY DYING
Lenine Willing to Accept Re-
lief on Terms Outlined
to BOlsheviki.

BY fhe Assooaafed Preas
PANS, April 17.-Correspondence be-
tween Fridt5of Nansen. head of the com
mission appointed TO feed Russia, and
President Wilson and Premiers Clemen-
ceau. Lloyd George and Orlando on the
food situation in Russia, was made pub
lie to-day. DR.. Nansen's letter said:
The present food situation in Rusrda.
where hundreds Of thousands Of people
are dying monthly from sheer starvation
and disease. IL one Of the problems now
uppermost In all mems minds As Il ap-
pears that no solution OF this food ques-
ton has no far been reached in any
delegation. ! would like to make a sug-
gestion from q neutral point Of view for
the benefit OF this gigantic misery, Oh
purely Humanitarian grounda
IT would appear TO me possible to
organize q purely humanitarian COM
mtttee for the provisioning of Russia,
the foodstuffs and medical supplies TO be
paid for. perhaps TO some considerable
extent. By Russta itself the Justice OF
distribution to be guaranteed by a com
mittee. The general makeup Of the CON-
inission would be comprised of Nor
wegian. Swedish. and possibly Dutch,
Danish and Swiss nationalities.
Political Recegnftipn Avoided.
1T does not appear that the existing
authorities In Russia would refuse the
Intervention Of such a committee of n
wholly non-poiitical order, devoted
| solely to the humanitarian service of
saving life. II thus organized upon the
lines OF the Belgian relief committee, II
would raise no question OF political
recognition or negotiations between the
An.es with the existing authorities ia
Russia
Il recognize keenly the large poiiti-
cal issues involved, and I would be glad
| to know under what conditions such an
| enterprise would be approved and
| whether such a committee could look
for real support In finance and ship
tping and food ana medical supplies from
our Governments"
The following reply was sent by
President Wilson and the Premiers to-
day:
The misery and suffering in Russia
! described in your letter OF April ap-
| peal to the sympathies of all peoples.
| 1t is shocking to humanity that mill
ions Of men and women and children
| lack the food and nourishment which
make life endurable.
The Governments and peoples whom
! We represent would be glad to cooperate
without thought Of political. military o.
financial advantage in any proposal
which would relieve this situation In
Russia 1t seems to US that such .
committee as you propose would Offer
practical means OF Acquiring the beneh-
cent results you have In view and could
not. either In its conception or its opera
ton. be considered a. having any other
aim than the humanitarian purpose OF
saving life"
There are great difficulties to be over.
come. political difficulties given to the
existing situation in Russia and difiicul-
ties of supply and of transport, but Il
the existing local governments Of Runsia
are AZ willing az tho governments AND
peoples whom we represent to SEQ sue
cor and relief given to the stricken Poo.
pie OF Russia no political obstacles viii
remain.f
There will remain. however, the diff
fculties OF supply, finance and transport
which we have mentioned. and also the
problem Of distribution In Russia itself
The problem Of supply we can ourselves
hope to solve in connection with the nd
vice and cooperation Of such a commit
tee as you propose. The problem o.
finance would seem to US to fall upoI
the Russian authorities The problem o.
transport of supplies to Russia we car
hope to meet with the assistance Of you
own and neutral governmental. whose In
terests should DO as great as our owl
and whose losses have been less.
The problems OF transport in Rus
sla and Of distribution can be SOLVED
only by the people Of Russia themselves
with the assistance, advice and super
vision Of your commission. Subject {,
such supervision. the problem OF dis
tribution should be solely under the con
troll OF the people Of Russia themselves
Tho people in each locality should b
given as under the regime of the Bel
CLAN Relief Commission. the fullest op
portunity to advise your commission
upon the methods and the personnel b.
which their community Is to be relieved
Relief Only decentralization.
y I'm no other circumstances could !
: he believed that tho purpose of thi
! relief was humanitarian and not poiiti
cal Under no other conditions coul
II be certain that the hungry would b
fed.
That such course would involy
the cessation of hostilities within def
mite lines in the territory OF Russia 1
obvious. And the cessation of hostili
. ties would necessarily involve a com
plete suspension Of the transfer OF troop
and military material OF all sorts I
and within Russias territory.
9 indeed relief TO Russia, which di
not mean return to a state OF peac.
. would be futile and would be impossl
BILE to consider.
Under such conditions as We hay
outlined we believe that your plan coul
e be successfully carried into effect an
q we should be prepared to give It our fu
support
"E. ORLANDO.
I. ID. LLOYD GEORGE.
o WOODROW WILSON.
20. CLENENcEAu"
Premier Clemenceau withheld his al
proval Of the proposition temporarily. bt
added his signature to-day, thus pra,
a tically assuring the immediate econom
relief of Soviet Russia. as Lenine
: known to be willing TO accept food G
3 the conditions outlined by DR.. Fridtjs
hansen, and discussed with the Bolsh,
It Wiki by various neutral representativ,
q at Moscow.
While the plan 10 divorced from pol
: tics, II is generally believed by Il
Q Entente Powers that eventually It wi
t restore order and enable Russia