Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-10-23
WAR.TORN COUNTRY ALONG BUD
RiVER--TAkEN AND RE.TAk.
EN- EIGHT DIFFERENT
TIMES.
RELIEF GIVEN SUFFERERS
Jacob 6ashein, in Charge Of a Unit Of
tho Joint Distribution Committee,
First Relief Unit to Penetrate This
Territory.
Especial Correspondence)

SINUS vi 'l'c prosperous men, women
and children We're found in Poland's
great mo Mans Land" in the vast
region of the Bug River. as late as Au-
gust last, by the first American Relief
unit to penetrate that territory in
which the war has left its most terri
bic record of desolnton.
Up to the time of the armistcc, that
stretch of country, covering hundreds
of square miles. had been taken and
retaken eight different times by armies
that swept it bare of almost every sign
of human hubitation and left 1t over
spread with cemeteries miles upon
niles In length in which the countless
soldier dead lie buried
When the first American Relief unit
went in early in June, there again WAS
heavy fighting, this time between the
Polish army and the BolshevIki. The
unit was headed by Jacob Bashein If
New York. and was sent In by the Joint
Distribution committee, which is in
sole charge of the distribution in Eu-
rope Of the relief made available ny the
committee and other Jewish fundraiS-
ing organizations.
From the far points of refuge to
which they had been driven by the
war, the scattered people Of this 40
Mans Land in Poland and the parts
of NolynIa and the Ukraine occupied
by Poland, those OF them who had sur
vived, tranpcd YEARLY back to the
homeland through the spring and the
summer lurrl by the promise of peace.
But the returned refugees nd not
find peace. While the relief unit was
working among them TO save them
from starvation. the rumble of the can
non of the Poles and the Bol>hcyiki
reached them almost constantly.
over an area of many hundreds Of
square miles not an acre of land has
been ploWed in the last five years"
said Mr.. BaShein, who had Just return
ed to New York.
ave fouIl thousands Of diseased
- and staryin. peop . roaming slowly IN
groups of varying numbers like dumb
cattle. Until we came, they had been
living on grass, kind of nettlc, from
which they mad" II soup and the eff
feet of this diet had been to turn
them black Their limbs were enact
ated. hut thci@ bodies were bloatrd.
"In the three months our nnii was AT
work there. | did not see Il Siu-le dog
or other domestic animal: and there
offer these people bareback and milk
"The feeding would be in the open
where improviSed kitchens would he
set IN. We had n transport Of seven
auto trucks. with doctors. nurses and
medicines I'm addition to food. We dis
pensed food % all those in "No Mans
Land" supplied medicines and gave
medical aid
eve operated between Jun, aud
August l. and kept the POPULATION alive
M to the time when Is permanent
kitchens were established by the
American Relief administration. for
the feeding Of the childr1n. some 40
600 of whom had survived the war.
"Such crnterS as EreSt Litoy>k,
Iutsk and Kovcl are completely de-
stroyel. as we'll a. all the smaller
towns and villages. There is very lit
tie sign of life or vegetation. except
grass and most of the people now
live in the dugouts left by the German
ard Russian soldiers.
"The unfortunate people look to
America for their very lives. we win
die If America forgcts us they cry.
81 have seen families of nine five
OF whom had died within a week of
spotted typhus. They do not weep any
more; they have no tears. Their
clothes are rags. and boots and shoes
are hardly known among them any
more.
"And there are miles of cemeteries.
At times it used 10 seem that thc whole I
land was one great cemetery. Those |
left by the Germans are methodirnllv /
arranged and in the center of each
stands tremendously tall monument
lnSl11lhfl IN bItnlDTN OF Inc Heroes or
ItI