The sun., 1919-07-06
CHILDREN STILL
SMILE IN RUSSIA
Young Spirits Rise Above Hor-
ror and Hardship Of Many
Months.
MENACED BY, BATTLES
Red Cross Tells Of Rescue Of
Little Ones Who Were
Near Death.
MENACED BY, BATTLES

Hard as It may be TO believe boys
and girls still laugh and play through
out Russia, the natural buoyancy OF
childhood refusing to be submerged in
the misery and disorder that swamps
the empire. A report Of the commits
sion which is maintaining and educating
1000 children in Siberia, at Petropav-
losk, Ufa, Irbit. Tumen and Shadrinsk,
makes this statement.
Thousands Of miles from home. cut
off from parents and friends. these
youngsters. many OF whom are from
wealthy families. arc happy. healthy and
thriving in tho seven colonies main
tanned for them by the American Red
Cross. In happier tunes the children
lived in Petrograd, but the parents and
relatives OF most Of them have been
Killed In the fighting and rioting in
that unfortunate capltah Too young
in most cases to realize the tragedy that
has fallen upon them, they romp and
play as do any other normal young
human animals.
DR.. S. Scudder, who Is in charge of
the American Red Cross Refugee work
in Siberia, reports that the money ap-
Is money well spent The children are
a part Of the thousands of children that
we're sent from Petrograd when the
bloodshed began They were sent to
provinces where food and healthful con-
diuons could be found. Ranging In age
from two to nineteen years, they sprang
from every Glass in the community.
Petrograd teachers and physicians ac-
companied the children to their destina-
tons for the purpose Of looking after
their educational and physical welfare.
Battles Cut on Supplies.
All went we'll with the various colonies
until the advance of the Czecho- Slovak
forces across Russia to vladivostok. The
bitter fighting which marked the attempt
OF the German-Austro and Bolsheviki
clements TO halt the movement of the
Czecho- Slovak soldiers isolated the COM
munities in which the children were
situated, cutting off the supplies and
funds on which depended their existence.
From that time on these youngsters,
known as "Petrograd Refugee Children"
gave had hard time of II and many
NJ them are believed to have persisted
In the struggle.
Word OF their plight reached the Gov
eminent at Omsk from time to time and
ore officials promised relief, but as the
Government itself was in financial straits
this assistance failed to materialize. Left
L. their own resources teachers and
children raised money by every possible
means, concerts arranged by the older
children and lotteries providing most of
the funds for food. Through the summer
nj 1918 the children managed to exist In
ono way or another, but with the ap-
proach of early Siberian winter their
situation became critical in the extreme.
- all were but lightly clad the first
spell OF cold weather brought much i'll
ness. -.
one by one the colonies split up into
smaller groups, each group starting on
IN aimless journey through the country
side in search OF food and better pro-
>cction from the cold. While a majority
OF the teachers and physicians who left
Petrograd with the children stuck with
their charges through all the hardships
and made every effort to keep them COM
tordtable, some of these guardians
proved false TO their trust, deserving the
Shiidren assigned to their care at the
frst reverse and leaving the youngsters,
>lany Of them mere babies, to shift for
treisselves. The fate OF those who were
aoandone, N this cruel way is too heart
rending to dwell upon.
The teachers who remained faithful
to their duty had difficult time as the
months went by maintaining the morale
OF the children, weakened as IL was by
cold lack OF food and the fact that the
winter weather made II impossible for
them 10 attend school because of INSULT
cient clothing. They grew indolent and
careless OF their personal appearance
some took to begging and others, the
weaker characters, to stealing. In a
short time. according to the Red Cross
report, the children in one OF these
colonies were literally in rags Vermin
added to their general discomfort.
Work of Red Cross.
This was the general condition OF the
children in such Of the colonies as re-
NAMED intact when the situation was
brought to the attention Of the Red
Cross mission in Siberia Just before last
Christmas. Red Cross workers were
despatched to the colonies and after
wide search managed to gather In more
than 1000 OF the children, who were
soon reestablished In more cheerful en-
Virouments OF this work OF reclama-
ton the report says:
Reorganization and equipment or
the newly formed colonies was started al
once although very few Red cross
stores were yet available. Every effort
was made at local purchase, and by col
Letting clothing in adjacent towns the
children were soon equipped with fur
cans overcoats and felt boots and were
able to leave their overcrowded, stury
rooms and run and play in the open Ike
other boys and girls. Cloth or material
for upper clothes was obtained only with
great difficulty through the Czech milf
tary headquarters, and 1t was not until