The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-06-20
STARVATION AND MISERY CAUSED
 BY B0LSHEvISM

| Startling conditions of starvation, epidemic and the disorder resulting from Bolshevism at Riga on the Bal
 tic as described by Captain Howell, head of the Baltic Mission of the | American Relief Administration, are Captain Howell, in his report to | the Paris office of the administratio tion, i explained how American four pro- vided practically the only substantial food available at Riga and how the arrival of the Am ican staff with supplies stimulated the disheartened l inhabitants to throw off the Bolshe- vik rule.
 | The report of Captain Howell given i out in its entirety by MT. Rickard fol- | lows:
 "One hundred and eighty-seven thousand people here are receiving one meal a day from 80 kitchens es- | tablished by local authorities under i direction of the American Relief Ad- i ministration. American flour is baked i into bread and distributed to citizens | from 90 depots but no fuel is availa- ble for private baking. It is estimat- 1 ed that between 10000 and 15,000
 
 starvation, typhus and other causes and the majority of the people are greatly underfed. All are thin, pale faced, listless. A great deal of dysen- tery is beginning to appear and caus- | ing anxiety, because an epidemic Is l fesred with the coming of hot : weather on account of the generally
 weakened condition of the populace. | Medical experts of the American Re ! lief Administration are studying the ! situation and advising us what foods
 are most urgently needed.
 Encouraged by the arrival of American food the inhabitants are gradually reorganizing the city gov ] ernment many volunteering for ser vice with the anti-Bolshevists. Most of the former civic leaders were mur- | dered or executed by the Bolshevists. Before they abandoned the city the Bolshevists opened the doors of one prison and drove the prisoners into the yard where machine guns were played upon them. The bodies of seven clergymen and a number of women were found when troops en- tered the city. At present Baltic troops are hunting down Bolshevists with great energy many executions
 occurring daily. There is large rad ical element left in the population
 and failure of the authorities to pro- vide food until the city can get on it's feet again might lead them with as-
 sistance of the Balshevists still in hiding to attempt another uprising. Under the Bolshevik reign occu- pants of handsome residences were
 moved into slums and hordes of ruff
 fans invaded richly furnished apart
 ments. Houses of the wealthy were ransacked and furniture clothing
 and jewelry packed and shipped into the interior. To be well dressed in Riga today is dangerous. A grim local jest says If a man is well dress ed he is Balshevik; if in rags he is harmless
 The Bolsheviks divided the popu- lation into three classes for distribu- ton The first for hard workers was allowed one and one half pounds of
 bread daily; the second for light workers one-half pound of bread and the third class bourgeoise who
 were said to do no work one-eighth
 of a pound of bread. Each class also received thin watery soup daily from Bolshevfk kitchens. To receive this daily ration applications had to be made for cards but as applicants were often thrown into prison instead of receiving cards many were frightened Into staying away and starving. Fee ble men and women stood in line for hours to receive their rations and often there was no bread for weeks. When there was any extra food such as meat fats or vegetables Bolshevik commissaries were the only ones to
 benefit. No food was to be had in open markets. The Bolshevik ration hafnp n ciat1f tha inha hfta r1fq either starved or if they had property, exchanged jewelry or clothing for bits of food smuggled into the city by peasants from the country. Exorbit- ant prices were demanded. Bright hued Bolshevik currency. printed in vast quantities, were thrown about in the streets, being practically value less.
 Curious crowds still gather on the waterfront at Labau watching white flour unloaded from American ships of the American Relief Administra- ton. Women and children in ware
 houses pinch flour from the floor and eat it raw from their finger tips. Stevedores scrape Jumps of wet flour from ship decks and secret it in boot legs. A little meat Is on sale at pro- hibitive prices. House cats are sold under the more appetfzing title of roof rabbit. The majority of children after years of war and Bolshevisn are eating white bread for the first time. Twenty-four hundred children mostly under five years of age are receiving a supplementary ration of sugar and fats through a local conn mittee of women. After five years of war and Bolshevism the popuRtion is reduced from 12,0oo to 4500. Local food kitchens were caring for 500 people. The chfldren's work was forced to close because of lack of food"